The Potential of the Human Mind

What are the limits of your mind? With the plethora of theories surrounding how the brain works, the reality is that our brains are, on some level, a mystery. Within the brain, there are three basic sections: the Forebrain, the Midbrain, and the Hindbrain. 

Discovered in 1907, the two Anterior Midcingulate Cortices (aMCC) sit in a unique position in the brain. The Handbook of Clinical Neurology describes their location as a “Nexus of Control.” The aMCC is a small part of the larger Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC). It is a component of multiple regions, making it a key aspect of many functions. Some of these overall functions in the ACC include diverting attention and receiving stimuli. Specifically, the aMCC controls attention span, decision-making, and limbic processes. Its most significant roles can be summed down to regulating emotions and controlling responses to a stimulus. 

What makes this part of the brain unique, however, is its ability to grow depending on your behavior. New studies suggest that when an individual does something they don’t want to, such as sticking to a diet, there is growth in this area. It expands any time you do something you don’t want to do, but shrinks if this behavior is not kept up consistently. It has been found that generally in people who are sedentary, the aMCC is smaller, while in athletes, it is substantially larger.

To make the aMCC grow, it is crucial to follow through with positive behaviors that you don't feel motivated to do. It could be something as simple as doing chores when you don’t feel like it, or going to the gym when you feel like watching TV. This behavioral response can be described as willpower. As Dr. Andrew Huberman, Ph.D, stated, “[The aMCC is] not just…one of the seats of willpower, but perhaps actually the seat of the will to live.”

So, why should you care? It is a part of your brain, but how can you use it? The aMCC is significant because it holds the possibility of change; a physical embodiment of how you can better your life through the habits you set for yourself. We now have a scientific name for willpower, so what will you do?

Sources

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84dYijIpWjQ 

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444641960000078#:~:text=Situated%20medially%20and%20centrally%20in,%2C%20motor%2C%20and%20limbic%20processes 

• https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/changing-habits/#:~:text=Be%20sure%20to%20start%20with,ritual%20first%20and%20results%20second

• https://www.niahealth.co/post/neuroplasticity#:~:text=Neuroplasticity%20allows%20the%20brain%20to,mindfulness%2C%20novelty%2C%20and%20visualization

• https://ninjathlete.com/blogs/article/the-anterior-midcingulate-cortex 

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8-5Dszgj6A&t=145s

Thumbnail image courtesy of Ninjathlete