"GREY' and "WHITE" or "BLACK"(OUT) By Jun Concepcion To write about the brain is an enigma for a non-medical person like me. But I am compelled to do it became I am greatly dazzled by its entire operation particularly its ability to recall. For instance, I was trying to re-construct for two days what I had written on a 4-page yellow pad about the brain, which I incidentally lost on my way to an internet café. If I could re-compose it substantially the way it was, then I'd say the brain indeed can "make a hell out of a heaven, and a heaven out of hell." In fact, it was during a literature class of Prof. Patricio Diaz, M.A. four decades ago (1968) when I read in amazement the brain's potential as I critically analyzed John Milton's Paradise Lost. Since that first awesome encounter with the "beautiful mind" I have come across interesting articles and writings about the brain, i.e. "White Matter Matters", "The Brain, the Real Sex Organ", "Left-Brain, Right-Brain", "How Do Short-term Memories become Long-Term Memories, "Your Brain on Ecstasy", "The Mathematical Brain- The Evolution" and so on. During this informational period, I met two personalities, "Ms. Grey" and "Mr. White". Well, the former introduced me to the latter whose nickname, by the way, is also "Myelin". I never thought that Myelin fills nearly half the brain. It consists of millions of cables (copus callosum) that connect the neurons of our brain in different regions (cortex). Well, these cables are axons insulated with the milky-white Myelin. The best Analogy I can demonstrate the structural make-up of the Myelin Matter is a picture of a computer network where different cables are connected from one computer terminal to the main frame which acts as the network center. Another example is a telephone trunk line where different cables are connected to different phone outlets. From the back of the cerebral cortex, Myelination gradually develops to the front lobes as it fills the region during adulthood. What is its implication prior to this age? Neuroscientists say that until one reaches the age of 25, any teen-ager lacks the ability to decide maturely and he/she acts with impulse. Is this not an insight to premarital sex and early-age pregnancies? Now, "Mr. White" takes me into a neural ride through the region of the hypothalamus, about 2,000 excited neurons ready to secrete gonadotrophine hormones which are related with other hormone-like testosterones. Meet the neuron called "Desire" which had been genetically formed at this region of the brain. This explains why women select men with excellent potential for procreation and provision. When "seduced" by other neurals like oxytocin, both male and female bind each other at orgasm. The neural trip was excitingly tiresome for me as mental flashbacks during my teenage and early adulthood occasionally occurred. I remembered how impulsive I was to follow a beautiful girl of my age only to find out that she was flirting with the rest of the boys. Another memory brought back that dancing night with the famous Philippine sexy actress known as "Ms. Alembong". Well that incident almost got me expelled from high school because I was supposed to do my homework instead of dancing on a Friday evening. I was about to get a neural ride to the hippocampus region where initial memories are formed but I beg Mr. White for a rest. You see I am about to cross a parallel universe of consciousness and subconsciousness. Let me take a "siesta", please… |
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