Genius is no more than childhood recaptured at will, childhood equipped now with man's physical means to express itself, and with the analytical mind that enables it to bring order into the sum of experience, involuntarily amassed. Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867)
Analytical or rational thinking is associated with a neurotransmitter called Adrenaline which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. An experience of the sympathetic nervous system – the ‘adrenalin rush’ causes:
A ‘butterfly feeling’ in the belly
Increased heartrate
A sense of fear or anxiety
Analytical thinking is stimulated by environmental factors including substances that we eat and drink. Coffee, for example, stimulates adrenaline and the result is that we think and feel very differently after drinks containing caffeine.
Serotonin - Most forms of depression are associated with a deficiency of norepinephrine and/or serotonin at receptor sites. Hence drugs that enhance the concentrations of norepinephrine and/or serotonin at these receptors should alleviate to an extent the symptoms of depression.
Acetylcholine - This neurotransmitter is used by the cholinergic system which when stimulated increases alertness and enhances memory. Acetylcholine is also related to sexual performance and arousal as it helps control blood flow to the genitals in women and men, heart rate, and blood pressure during sexual intercourse.
Dopamine - Schizophrenia is thought to be brought on by inability of dopamine to reach the frontal lobe. Receptor oversensativity can cause the body to decrease the amount of dopamine being produced. Too much dopamine in the limbic system and not enough in the cortex may produce a personality given to bouts of paranoia or inhibit social interaction. A shortage of dopamine in the frontal lobe can contribute to poor working memory. Dopamine contributes to the feelings of bliss and regulates feeling of pain in the body.
Phenylethylamine A surge of phenylethylamine in the limbic system gives rise to feelings of bliss.
Oxytocin Increased levels of oxytocin give mothers the impulse to “cuddle” with their newborns. High levels of oxytocin are reported to contribute to multiple orgasm in woman. Low levels of oxytocin in men cause them to seek sex outside their normal relationships.
Adrenaline and noradrenaline high levels of adrenaline in the brain are associated with aggression, anxiety, fear and paranoia. Drinking caffeine containing substances will cause your adrenals to produce adrenaline so what you are thinking and feeling right now may have something to do with the cup of coffee you drank some hours back.
Increased levels of norepinephrine mixed with dopamine and phenylethalimine give us the feeling of infatuation. Too much stress in children can create permanently low levels in serotonin and high levels of norephinephrine creating a potential of violent behavior