THE REPTILIAN BRAINThe Reptilian Brain is the oldest part of the human brain. The amount of neurons in the Reptilian Brain accounts for more than half of the neurons that make up the entire brain, while it certainly does not take up that amount of space in the brain. The neurons in the reptilian brain are far more densely packed then in the rest of the brain. Scientists have discovered that one of its functions is to control your body position, poise and balance. It also memorizes skills, attitudes and thought patterns. After a skill is learned and memorized, it is wired to the Reptilian Brain, so our body can perform the action automatically with very little conscious thought. Also attitudes, emotional reactions, repeated actions, habits, conditioned behaviors, and unconscious reflexes are all connected to and memorized in the Reptilian Brain.
A very interesting recent discovery, based on brain scans, revealed that the Reptilian Brain is the most active area of the entire system. We also know that the the neurons in the Reptilian brain make far more connections on average then the neurons in the neocortex. The average amount of connections for a neuron in the neocortex is 40,000, while the neurons in the Reptilian Brain, called purkinje's cells, make between 100,000 and one million connections! This area seems to hold more mysteries than science has been able to uncover, to date.
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