SOCIAL DETERMINANTS AND BIOLOGY How determinants get Under the Skin (and into the brain) Colbran Marjerrison

 How environmental/external influences translate into changes in a person's nervous system and ultimately their biology  Immediate reactions to environment  This presentation will touch on endocrine, limbic systems and spirituality

Peripheral Nervous System Somatic AutonomicSensory 1.Vision 2.Hearing 3.Touch 4.Taste 5.Smell 1.Spinal Nerves 2.Cranial Nerves 3.Association Nerves EntericSympathetic Parasympathetic Central Nervous System BrainSpinal Chord

SNS: Fight or Flight PNS : Rest and Digest, or Feed and Breed

 Has some innervation from the ANS but also functions independently  Embedded in the lining of the GI tract  Responsible for peristalsis  Can send and respond to signals and record experiences

 Dopamine  Natural Amphetamine  Motor coordination, cognition, mood, attention and learning, metabolism (BP, MR, digestion) – positive reinforcement  Serotonin (PNS and CNS)  Provides a healing, nourishing, satisfied feeling in the body – allows you to sleep naturally, enjoy time and think rationally  GABA  Chief inhibitory neurotransmitter  Relaxation, anti-anxiety, involved in endorphin production  Acetylcholine  Cognition, memory, arousal  Deficiency = lower creativity, learning

 Control Centre  3 parts:  Forebrain: receiving and processing sensory information, thinking, perceiving, producing and understanding language, and controlling motor function  Conscious perception  Cerebrum, cerebral cortex  Limbic system (hypothalamus)  Midbrain: auditory/visual function and motor systems,  Hindbrain: M aintaining balance and equilibrium, movement coordination, and the conduction of sensory information.  Pons, cerebellum, medulla oblongata (ANS)

 People who share common environments, social groups are also likely to share perspectives.  People who suppress similar emotions have exhibited similar manifestations of disease Connectedness between individuals  Compassion effect

The Crown Chakra (7 th ) Associated with the pineal gland and wake/sleep or seasonal patterns. (Serotonin and Dopamine) The Third Eye Chakra (6 th ) Associated with the limbic system, memories, emotional life and behaviour

The sub-conscious, habits, reactions, perceptions  What is its role in general?  To what extent does it play a role in our health?  Contribute to healing?  Something that we can “tap in to”?

 Neuronal network  Brain, spine, body  Endocrine system  How body response to environmental signals  Self conscious/Sub conscious mind  Advanced practitioners are able to control “involuntary” activity  Perspiration  The God Spot

Immune System  Interesting to consider from perspective of promoting health, and not preventing disease  Responds directly and/or immediately to environmental signals  Involved in differentiation of self from non-self, regulation of somatic systems (reproductive function, digestion, filtering) injury/healing  Inflammatory response is hand in hand with stress

“ They [science and spirituality] are complementary views on reality each exploring a different realm. Only when we mistakenly assume them to be referring to the same realm does conflict arise”

 Deep mind : biological or spiritual?  What fuels the machine of the body?  What defines who you are?  How are some people more connected to the divine than others?  Practice, choice? …. Biology?  Role in health, healing, medicine?