Function of the Brain

GOD’S ORIGINAL CREATON

At creation, man was created perfect. “Man came from the hand of his Creator perfect in organization and beautiful in form. Man was the crowning act of the creation of God, made in the image of God, and designed to be a counterpart of God. Adam was a noble being, with the will of God, and affections that centered upon heaven. He possessed a body heir to no disease, and a soul bearing the impress of Deity. He stood before God in the strength of perfect manhood. All the organs and faculties of his being were equally developed, and harmoniously balanced. The Creator of man has arranged the living machinery of our bodies. Every function is wonderfully and wisely made. And God pledged Himself to keep this human machinery in healthful action if the human agent will obey His law and co-operate with God. A healthy experience demands growth, and growth demands that careful attention be paid to the laws of nature, that the organs of the body may be kept in a sound state, untrammeled in their action.” Temperance, p. 11,12.

“Our natural inclinations and appetites…were divinely appointed, and when given to man, were pure and holy. It was God’s design that reason should rule the appetites, and that they should minister to our happiness. And when they are regulated and controlled by a sanctified reason, they are holiness unto the Lord.” – Manuscript 47, 1896.

“The brain nerves which communicate with the entire system are the only medium through which Heaven can communicate to man and affect his inmost life. Whatever disturbs the circulation of the electric currents in the nervous system lessens the strength of the vital powers, and the result is a deadening of the sensibilities of the mind.” T2, p. 347. “There are many invalids who will ever remain so because they cannot be convinced that their experience is not reliable. The brain is the capital of the body, the seat of all the nervous forces and of mental action. The nerves proceeding from the brain control the body. By the brain nerves, mental impressions are conveyed to all the nerves of the body as by telegraph wires, and they control the vital action of every part of the system. All the organs of morion are governed by the communications they receive from the brain.” T3 69.

GOD’S PURPOSE FOR CREATING MANKIND

“Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? What! Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Cor. 6:15,19,20. “Our bodies are Christ’s purchased property, and we are not at liberty to do with them as we please. Man has done this. He has treated his body as if its laws had no penalty. Through perverted appetite its organs and powers have become enfeebled, diseased, and crippled. And these results which Satan has brought about by his own specious temptations, he uses to taunt God with. He presents before God the human body that Christ has purchased as His property; and what an unsightly representation of his Maker man is! Because man has sinned against his body, and has corrupted his ways, God is dishonored.

“When men and women are truly converted, they will conscientiously regard the laws of life that God has established in their being, thus seeking to avoid physical, mental and moral feebleness. Obedience to these laws must be made a matter or personal duty.” CDF, p. 18.
“Therefore the question for us is not, ‘What will the world say?’ but, ‘How shall I, claiming to be a Christian, treat the habitation God has given me? Shall I work for my highest temporal and spiritual good by keeping my body as a temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, or shall I sacrifice myself to the world’s ideas and practices?’ ” CDF, p. 19.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1.
“In the ancient Jewish service it was required that every sacrifice should be without blemish. In the text we are told to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service. We are God’s workmanship. The psalmist, meditating upon the marvelous work of God in the human frame, exclaimed, ‘I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’ There are many who are educated in the sciences and are familiar with the theory of the truth, who do not understand the laws that govern their own being. God has given us faculties and talents; and it is our duty, as His sons and daughters, to make the best use of them. If we weaken these powers of mind or body by wrong habits or indulgence of perverted appetite, it will be impossible for us to honor God as we should.” CDF 20,21

HOW DOES THE BRAIN WORK?

In order to understand what happens when someone has a stroke it is necessary to have a basic understanding of how the brain works.
Your brain is the centre which enables you to see, hear and feel things as well as controlling the muscular activity involved in speaking, moving our limbs and a number of other bodily functions. It does this by way of nerves connecting it to all parts of the body.

The brain is divided into 2 Hemispheres. The (R) right hemisphere and the (L) hemispheres. The nerves from the brain to the body cross over at the base of the brain and therefore the (R) hemispheres controls the (L) side of the body and the (L) hemispheres controls the (R) side of the body. A stroke to the (L) side of the brain may cause paralysis of the (R) side of the brain may cause paralysis to the (L) side of the body.

In most people the left side of the brain contains the language centres. 90% of right-handed people have their speech centre in the left side of the brain. Even left-handed people usually have their speech centre in the left side of the brain too. Most (but not all) stroke patients, who have language problems, will therefore have had a left hemisphere stroke, which affected their language centre.

The following information may assist in a greater understanding of what can happen when a part of the brain is damaged as a result of a stroke.
Motor cortex of the (L) cerebral hemisphere which controls skeletal muscles on the (R) side of the body. The parts of the body are drawn in proportion to the relative size of their cortical areas of control

RIGHT-BRAIN SPECIALISATION

The right brain is your intuitive hemisphere. Although it is frequently called the non-dominant hemisphere, the right brain is dominant for the following types of activity Non-Verbal: Right-brain knowledge is not achieved through words but through images.
Holistic: The right hemisphere can process many kinds of information simultaneously. It sees problems holistically, and can make great leaps of insight. It is able to evaluate the whole problem at once. The right brain recognizes faces, seeing the features as a whole.
Spatial: Visuospatial functions – those involving perceptions of location and spatial relationships – are processes of the right sphere. Your right brain knows how to work jigsaw puzzles and enable you to find your way around your house without getting lost.

Musical: Innate musical talent, as well as the ability to respond to music, are right brain functions, although extensive musical education will result in left hemisphere involvement as well.
Metaphoric: Your right brain understands metaphors and imagery. It can change the literal meaning of a sentence into its connotations: if someone says, “He’s really on my back,” the right brain knows the difference between what is said and what is meant.
imaginative: Your right brain is capable of fantasy; it makes up stories and dreams and knows how to play. It is also the hemisphere that is speculative and imaginative. The right brain wonders, “What if…..?”
Artistic: Drawing, painting, and sculpting are natural talents of the right hemisphere.
Emotional: Although emotions are actually a product of another part of the brain, it is the right hemisphere that is more in touch with these feelings.
Sexual: Making love is a right hemisphere experience.
Spiritual: It is the right hemisphere that is involved in worship, prayer and mysticism.
Dream Maker: Dreams are primarily a function of the right side of the brain. It is your imaginative, metaphoric, internal-poet that creates dreams images.
Controls Movement on the Opposite Side of the Body: If you wiggle your left thumb it is your right brain that gave the instruction.

LEFT-BRAIN SPECIALISATION

Your left brain is your logical hemisphere. Until recently, doctors called this your dominant hemisphere. But in fact, your left hemisphere is only dominant for the following tasks:
Analytical: The left hemisphere is your logical, analytical side. It can evaluate factual material in a rational way.
Verbal: The left hemisphere is the side of your brain that is involved in language skills. The is the side that controls speech, that is able to read and write.
It remembers facts, recalls names and dates, and knows how to spell.
Linear: Information is processed sequentially by the left brain. This is a one-step-at-a-time way of thinking.
Mathematical: Numbers and symbols are comprehended in the left hemisphere. The logical, analytical thinking required for the working of advanced mathematical problems is produced by the expertise of your left.
Controls Movements On the Opposite Side of me Body: If you wiggle your right thumb, it is your left brain that gave the instructions.

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

Together the nervous system and the hormonal system manage to co-ordinate the body’s growth, movement and metabolism. Both systems are activated by either internal or external stimuli. These external stimuli are detected by special sensory organs which include the tongue, nose, skin ears and eyes.

The main difference between the two systems is that whilst the nervous system is very fast to act the hormonal system is very slow to act.
Nerves are found throughout the body. They are made of special cells which use electrical impulses to transmit messages to the brain. The brain is the organ located inside the skull. It is responsible for your thoughts and directs your body’s response to stimuli.
The nervous system can be compared to the electrical wiring in your home. When you switch on a light the electricity flows to the bulb and causes it to glow. Similarly if you switch on a specific nerve the electrical impulses flow from the organ to the brain and the brain then directs your body as to what action must be taken. This message system is divided into two types. One is called the central nervous system which means all messages received by the sensory organs are sent to the brain, where you are able to make a voluntary decision on how to react. Millions of nerves are attached to muscles and are responsible for coordination and smooth movement when you are walking, jogging or performing physical tasks. If you are jogging and pulled a leg muscle, the sensory nerve in the skin of the injured leg would send a message to your brain, and you would respond by feeling pain in that area.

Within this central nervous system is another type of message called a reflex action. In this case the sensory organ sends a message to the muscle and an action takes place before the brain realizes what has happened. This may occur, for instance, when you bum your finger. Your finger is usually withdrawn from the flame by reflex action before your brain registers the pain.

THE HORMONAL SYSTEM

The hormonal system is slow acting and is another method by which you can control your body. It is also an involuntary control. Since you cannot consciously tell your body to make hormones, your brain directs the process for you. The system works using chemicals called hormones, which are made by specific glands to perform specific jobs. When the gland is stimulated to produce hormones it does so and the hormones are carried in the blood stream to various parts of the body. Hence there is a close association between the hormonal system and the circulatory system. The hormone will act only on a specific organ or part of the body.
The diagram below shows the locations of the endocrine glands which produce the hormones which are found in your body.

The table below summarizes the action of various hormones.

HORMONE	SOURCE	WHAT IT AFFECTS
Pituitary hormones	Pituitary Gland	Activity of all other glands
Adrenaline	Adrenal medulla	Fear, and fright reactions. Preparing the body for Increased activity
Thyroxin	Thyroid	Rate of metabolism
Insulin	Pancreas	Blood sugar level
Cortisone	Adrenal cortex	Growth, salt regulation Protein synthesis.
Androgens	Testes	Male sexual characteristics
Estrogen	Ovaries	Female sexual Characteristics. The menstrual cycle.

The hormone adrenaline works in the following way: its release is stimulated by fear or anxiety, it affects our muscle cells and brain, and allows us to respond quickly and think more clearly in certain circumstances. For example, imagine a child pinned to the ground by a car which has slipped off its jack during a wheel change. The father reacts immediately and much to his surprise is able to lift the car enough to let his daughter crawl free. This is adrenaline at work..

CONCLUSION

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” Psalm 139:14.
I hope that through this study we can see how God created that special and wonderful organ (the brain) and how the brain functions so efficiently. The brain is the instrument through which God communicates with us and as such it must be kept in a clear working condition. Especially in these last days, with so many temptations around us, we need to keep our mind stayed upon the Lord. We need to take care of this wonderful organ that the Lord has given to us to keep the avenues of communication open.