Connecting the Mind and Body: Collective Cellular Intelligence

As modern humans, we often get stuck ruminating on abstract cognitive thoughts and thereby neglect our relationship with our bodies. In doing so, we forget that the brain evolved to take care of its body. The only reason that neurons and “you” exist is because all of the other cells that pump your blood and move you through the world needed help coordinating their actions. None of this is done in English, but instead through heat, pressure, sensation and perception. We need a new way of thinking about the ways in which our body speaks, and we listen. In this episode, we will delve into the cybernetic approach of control, understanding how biology has evolved so that all of our cells -- from the tiniest single-celled creature to the most complex multi-celled organism – behave according to overarching goals. We as the “mind” are simply at the top of this control hierarchy, balancing the forces of each cell striving to achieve its own goal, as well as the emergent collective goals that arise as these cells work together. By understanding this, we learn to respect the massive potential of our minds to regulate and care for the many biological systems that make us up.