At all times, the brain is comparing what should be happening in the body to what is actually happening in the body. This requires constant communication between the brain and body. This is mainly done through the sense known as interoception.
A nerve impulse is an electrochemical signal that propagates functional information from nerve cell to all other tissue cells. For the nerve cell to transmit information, the nerve cell must initiate what is called an action potential. An action potential can travel anywhere from 1 to 268 mph.
What is interesting, is that the body actually communicates with itself faster than the fastest action potential. The speed at which the message is sent and the speed at which the message is received doesn’t add up.
You would think the received message would be equal to or slower than the sent message due to the delay in transmission. But this is not so. Information is received faster than at which it is sent. Quoting Dr. Rob Sinnot:
“Interneuronal communication is transmitted at a speed for which science has yet to find a conclusive explanation.”
At this point in time, interoception is more of a theoretical understanding because science has yet to quantify it. This highlights the wonderful complexities and mysteries of human beings we still don’t understand.
An understanding that can help frame this conceptual mystery is what we call in Chiropractic the Mental Impulse. A Mental Impulse should not be confused with a nerve impulse. A Mental Impulse to a degree is a step above a nerve impulse. It is the point at which thought manifests. Referring to The Chiropractic Textbook by Dr. R.W. Stephenson, a Mental Impulse is:
“A unit of mental force for a specific tissue cell, for a specific occasion. A special message to a tissue cell for the present instant...It is not fully understood what mental impulses are. This is no reflection upon Chiropractic, for, engineers and electricians do not know what electricity is. Yet they know its laws and manifestations and are so able to make practical application of this knowledge...Each tissue cell requires specific impulses every moment. Since there are millions of cells it takes millions of impulses for them every moment. There are new ones for every adaptative change. These impulses are only good for the moment for which they are created.”
If there is one major uncharted territory left of human physiology, it is the human mind. It is staggering to think about what we don’t know about the organ we use to think. We only have glimpses (if that) of its processing power.
So much is above and below the surface. This is because not all thoughts are conscious. By ‘thoughts’ I don’t mean “ideas or opinions.” Thoughts in this context relate more to “an awareness or perception.” The majority of thoughts, over 95 percent, are considered subconscious. Even though the name “subconscious” implies a downgrade from consciousness, the subconscious is definitely not below consciousness in value.
Some people (including myself) consider the subconscious a part of a “non-conscious” realm. I think I’m pretty smart, but I’m not smart enough to know the constant knowledge and status of over 37 trillion tissue cells of the body at every single moment. That is surely beyond my conscious understanding. And if something is beyond my conscious understanding, it should be considered more of a “superconscious” than a “subconscious.” Concepts such as Mental Impulse and Interoception fit into the superconscious category.
No matter the level of perception, nerves are the primary organ utilized to relay perceptive messages between the brain and body. The upper cervical spine houses and protects the brainstem. It is the main interlocker between the brain and body.
At this level of the spine you will find the greatest concentration of nerve tracts. Nerve tracts are conduction pathways that relay information. A vertebral subluxation can obstruct nerve tracts, altering how they function. This creates a “brain-body disconnect” in our ability to perceive.
Adjusting a vertebral subluxation corrects the obstruction. This allows for a better “brain-body connection.” The better the connection, the better the communication. The better the communication, the better the expression of that communication. This includes our ability to perceive.
- Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP
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Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP is a pediatric, family wellness and upper cervical specific Chiropractor. He is an active member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). Dr. Jarek has postgraduate certification in Pediatric Chiropractic through the ICPA. Dr. Jarek also has postgraduate certification in the HIO Specific Brain Stem technique through The TIC Institute. Dr. Jarek is happily married to his wife Regina. They live in Youngstown, Ohio with their daughter Ruby.
