Reticular Activating System
When the popular rage of discovering the biological source of self began decades
ago, the obvious choice of many was the Reticular Activating System, a immensely
complex net of neurons emerging from the brainstem & touching all parts
of the human brain. The reason? Apparently nothing in the human brain WORKED
unless the RAS told it to. Only one problem. Evolutionarily, the RAS precedes
everything in our heads. It is the most ancient system we have above the spine.
This was an insurmountable obstacle for the neoleft scientists, who had no
doubt that Self HAS TO emanate from their precious conscious neocortex (which has only
been around for about 500,000 years in developed form).
So, they just ignored the Reticular Activating System.
At present, there are a number of quantum-mind theorists who are not "married"
to the neo (consciously, anyway), but they still relatively ignore the RAS
- and the Triune structure of the human brain. They focus on the synaptic
areas of the neuro system, or within individual cell structures, but mostly
they are "married" to mathematics. I still support the RAS source
because it is not only scientifically sound, but it is STRONGLY indicated,
beyond science's labs, in mytholgy & other unconscious projections of
the human brain.
I'll expand on this later. In the meantime, do some "nosing around"
for yourself. In general, look for references to "light," "star,"
"cosmic ocean & fish," "anything referring to HIGHER order,"
"any field or background upon which structures are built," and especially
things related to "waves, energy & spirit." There are other
symbols, but those are a good start. Gather a body of these metaphors, then
look for commonalities. Most of the time, I find, lovingness is involved.
For example, take a look on the myth page at the picture of Enki, Sumerian
god. Emanating from his shoulders are 3 streams, two of water & a middle
stream of fish. Enki repeatedly saved humankind from the wrath of the other
gods. I think he is the first recorded deity to display lovingness. If you study the Enki myths ( particularly the Ziusudra myth and the Inanna's Descent myth ). you can pick up on some RAS clues not available in lab data.
It is important, also, to note Dr. Becker's finding that electrical flow through
our heads seems to emerge from the RAS.
Below you'll see some descriptions of the Reticular Activating System from
several science websites. (I do not neccessarily agree with some of their
statements)
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The Reticular Activating System is the attention center in the brain. It is
the key to “turning on your brain,” and seems to be the center of
motivation. The Reticular Activating System is connected at its base to the
spinal cord where it receives information projected directly from the ascending
sensory tracts. The brain stem reticular formation runs all the way up to
the mid brain. As a result, the Reticular Activating System is a very complex
collection of neurons which serve as a point of convergence for signals from
the external world and from interior environment. In other words, it is the
part of your brain where the world outside of you, and your thoughts and feelings
from “inside” of you, meet.
This Reticular Activating System is very capable of generating dynamic effects
on the activity of the cortex, including the frontal lobes, and the motor
activity centers of the brain. It plays a significant role in determining
whether a person can learn and remember things well or not, on whether or
not a person is impulsive or self-controlled, on whether or not a person has
high or low motor activity levels, and on whether or not a person is highly
motivated or bored easily. The Reticular Activating System is the center of
balance for the other systems involved in learning, self-control or inhibition,
and motivation. When functioning normally, it provides the neural connections
that are needed for the processing and learning of information, and the ability
to pay attention to the correct task.
If the Reticular Activating System doesn’t excite the neurons of the
cortex as much as it ought to, then we see the results of an under aroused
cortex, such as difficulty learning, poor memory, little self-control, and
so on. In fact, if the Reticular Activating System failed to activate the
cortex at all one would see a lack of consciousness or even coma.
What would happen if the Reticular Activating System was too excited, and
aroused the cortex or other systems of the brain too much? Then we would probably
see the individuals with the excessive startle response, hypervigilant, touching
everything, talking too much, restless and hyperactive. So the Reticular Activating
System must be activated to normal levels for the rest of the brain to function
as it should.
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Four Categories of Brain Wave Patterns
beta (14–100 Hz)
Concentration, arousal, alertness, cognition
Higher levels associated with anxiety, dis-ease,
feelings of separation, fight or flight
alpha (8–13.9 Hz)
Relaxation, superlearning, relaxed focus, light trance
Increased serontonin production
Pre-sleep or pre-waking drowsiness
Mediation, beginning of access to unconscious mind
theta (4–7.9 Hz)
Dreaming sleep (REM sleep)
Increased production of catecholamines (vital for
learning and memory), increased creativity
Integrative, emotional experiences, potential change
in behavior, increased retention of learned material
Hypnagogic imagery, trance, deep mediation,
access to unconscious mind
delta (.1–3.9 Hz)
Dreamless sleep
Human growth hormone released
Deep, trance-like, non-physical state, loss of body
awareness
In his earth-altering electromagnetic inventions, was Nicola Tesla unconsciously projecting what was happening in his own head? Tesla was obsessed by threes. For example, he superstitiously circled a building 3 times before he would enter it. Tesla's most profound invention was a triune array of coils - very similar to the Triune Brain in his head.
Remember the flow of electromagnetic energy in our heads emanates from the
RAS. The proper circuitry of a balanced Triune Brain regulated by its RAS would present us with the next-stage human - perhaps capable of extraordinary mentation powers.
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Brainwaves and related states of consciousness are said to be regulated by
the brain's reticular formation stimulating the thalamus
and cortex. This extended reticular-thalamic activation system
(ERTAS) is implicated in a variety of functions associated with consciousness
(Newman 1997). The word reticular means "net-like," and the neural
reticular formation itself is a large, net-like diffuse area of the brainstem
(Anch et al. 1988).
The reticular activating system (RAS) interprets and reacts to "information" from internal stimuli, feelings, attitudes, and beliefs as well as external sensory stimuli by regulating arousal states, attentional focus, and the level of awareness; critical elements of consciousness itself (Empson 1986; Tice & Steinberg 1989). How we interpret, respond, and react to "information" then, is managed by the brain's reticular formation stimulating the thalamus and cortex, and controlling attentiveness and level of arousal (Empson 1986).
"It would seem that the basic mechanisms underlying consciousness are
closely bound up with the brainstem reticular system . . ." (Henry 1992).