Page 43 - Advanced Biblical Counseling Student Textbook

You can think of your thalamus as something like an e-mail server.
Messages flow through this hub on their way to their final
destination. In addition to incoming sensory messages, your
thalamus receives replies from some higher brain regions. It
forwards these replies to your medulla and cerebellum for
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processing.
(thalamus photo from: www.thescienceofpsychotherapy.com)

The Reticular Formation
Inside the brainstem, between your
ears, lies your reticular formation. This
finger-shaped network of neurons
extends upward from your spinal cord,
through your brainstem, and into your
thalamus. This long structure acts as a
filter for some of the sensory
messages traveling from your spinal
cord to your thalamus, relaying
important information to other areas
of your brain.
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(photo from studyblue.com)

Dr. Adnan Shah explains, “The reticular
formation is responbile for level of
consciouness and arousal, control of
skeletal muscle, and control of the
autonomic nervous system (ANS). (We will talk about the ANS more in a later chapter). The reticular
formation is also responsible for control of the the endocrine nervous system as well as influence on the
biologic clocks. In addition, respiration, heart rate blood pressure and other vegetative functions are
impacted by the reticular formation in the brainstem. It regulates levels of consciousness, alertness,
respiration, blood pressure, skeletal muscles tone, heart rate and other vegetative functions. It
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modulates the impulses in the pain pathways.

The Cerebellum
At the rear of the brainstem is the cerebellum, meaning “little brain,”
which is what its two wrinkled halves resemble. This baseball-sized
structure plays an important role in a lot that happens just outside your
awareness. Quickly, answer these questions: How much time has passed
since you woke up this morning? Does your chair feel different from the
back of your hand? How’s your mood? If you answered those questions
easily, thank your cerebellum. It helps you judge time, discriminate

63 Myers, 2009
64 Ibid.
65 Shah, p. 2, 2019

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