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The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

quantamagazine.org

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Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#111

Post by abcd_f »

ProllyInfamous wrote: post #58
breck wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend this humbling human experience. Not as good as doing your own dissection, but a million times better than an anatomy book is visiting a plastination exhibit: https://breckyunits.com/ketoneMap.html

I attended the Bodies Exhibit c. 2007/8, which was a bunch of deceased Chinese prisoners preserved without consent... but it was still really cool . Models of circulatory systems with plastesizers and then all other flesh removed — incredible and complex and unique-to-each-human. 2008/9 I did anatomy prosections and had an absolute blast, but ultimately did not become licensed.

Hold on. That's the "Body Worlds" you are referring to?

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#112

Post by [deleted] »

taylorius wrote: post #103
magicalhippo wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even identical males twins don't have the same penis structure/routing. So that's the reason behind the dick pics. I thought it was just to show off, but it's for identification. Makes total sense now.

It was a close run thing between that and retina scans for the top secret lab's security.

[deleted]

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#114

Post by mkl »

jimiray wrote: post #72
Nav_Panel wrote: post #2

I really wish these articles cited more primary sources. I would love (and prefer) to review the empirical work that led to the communicated understanding of these systems.

Look up Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porgess. https://www.stephenporges.com/

From the article:

> However, some people have taken the vagus nerve’s expansive bodily influence as an invitation to engage in pseudoscience. In some corners of the internet, so-called polyvagal therapy — physical or breathing exercises that some claim reset the vagus nerve — is proposed to address(opens a new tab) just about any disorder of the mind or body. There’s little to no evidence that these popular remedies are anything but placebos.

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#115

Post by wincy »

rkou wrote: post #78
ilrwbwrkhv wrote: post #10

Has anybody tried vagus nerve stimulation? I tried it but didn't get anywhere much.

Place your hands on the back of your head, with the fingers interlocked, and the thumbs pointing down gently pressing/rubbing on your neck. Slowly move your eyes to any fixed direction (say, to the right) and keep your eyes open, staring to the right. This will initiate a yawn or deep sigh in most people, stimulating vagus nerve.

Interesting, another poster called it sorcery but I tried it three times and nothing happened.

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#116

Post by mkl »

simple10 wrote: post #45

For anecdotal data, I'm a big fan of Apollo Neuro. It's a small band worn on the wrist or ankle and vibrates to stimulate the vagus nerve. Similar effect to tapping on your wrist. The sleep mode seems to improve my deep sleep scores on my Oura ring. I haven't done any proper data analysis to confirm. Apollo Neuro claims to have lab data proving efficacy: https://apolloneuro.com/pages/science Even if it's more of a pl…

The vagus nerve doesn't go anywhere near your wrists or ankles, and that science page doesn't mention the vagus nerve at all.

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#117

Post by lariattra »

fsckboy wrote: post #83
nis0s wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Part of the problem is the idea of mind-body duality. Your body is your mind, but a physiological reaction relayed from a nerve is only part of the equation that’s you.

> Your body is your mind, but a physiological reaction relayed from a nerve is only part of the equation that’s you. you are presenting an untestable-and-only-descriptive-hypothesis as a theory. if we assume that what we know about it today is all there is, then yes, it must be your way. But why assume that what we know is all there is, that assumption has always turned out wrong for thousands of years? Better to say…

The problem is 400 years ago people would have said exactly this about the soul.

It seems very possible the mind is just a superstitious artifact but this idea persist in various forms because to let go of it truly means the lights go out at death. We seem incredibly good at telling ourselves stories to deny that reality.

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#118

Post by xattt »

taylorius wrote: post #103
magicalhippo wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even identical males twins don't have the same penis structure/routing. So that's the reason behind the dick pics. I thought it was just to show off, but it's for identification. Makes total sense now.

It was a close run thing between that and retina scans for the top secret lab's security.

“Please insert identification token”

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#119

Post by hobo_mark »

ProllyInfamous wrote: post #3

I have extracted this (and other) nerves from cadavers, and this circuitous cranial nerve (XII?) is as beautiful and complex as the multibranch plexus -es (e.g. brachial ). So delicate. Human anatomy, at first glance, often seems wrongly-engineered. After you've worked inside dozens of people, you begin to realize that everybody is unique — and nobody is "textbook" anatomy. Who knows what all this goop even does?! If…

I know med students get to attend cadaver vivisections, is this accessible to others as well? (of course this may depend on jurisdiction and university practice, just asking in general in case anyone has experience).

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#120

Post by Steve44 »

ProllyInfamous wrote: post #3

I have extracted this (and other) nerves from cadavers, and this circuitous cranial nerve (XII?) is as beautiful and complex as the multibranch plexus -es (e.g. brachial ). So delicate. Human anatomy, at first glance, often seems wrongly-engineered. After you've worked inside dozens of people, you begin to realize that everybody is unique — and nobody is "textbook" anatomy. Who knows what all this goop even does?! If…

> I have extracted this (and other) nerves from cadavers

One of the most incredible exhibits I've seen are the anatomical tables on display in the Royal College of Physicians museum in London. When I walked into the room there were these 3-4 "doors" with what looked like shadows of people on them. The more I looked, and the more I understood what I was looking at, the more amazed I became.

The museum, and building I think, was closed for a few years but understand it's back open again.

https://history.rcplondon.ac.uk/collections/art-and-objects/...

The tables are visually spectacular. They show the recognisable form of the human body laid out flat, as if illustrating a book. The nerves, veins and arteries on display were dissected at the University of Padua’s famous anatomy theatre in the 17th century, and skilfully arranged on varnished wooden panels.

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