When I think or imagine, it actually feels like that is happening inside my head. Prior to the notion that the brain is responsible for thought, did ancient people "feel" their thoughts elsewhere in the body?

by Njdevils11

This borders on biology, but I figured it was closer to historical biology, so I decided to post this here.

I was watching a documentary about Alexandria and they discuss Galen. He posited that the brain is responsible for thought and senses. Apparently this was a new idea in ancient Alexandria. However, when I think something, it really feels like that is going on inside my head. Is that because I grew up knowing the brain is responsible for thought or because that's an actual sense humans possess? Did Ancient people ,without brain theory, feel their feelings somewhere else in the body?

HegelianHermit

I used to be versed enough in the subject to confidently post an extended answer on the question, but the short answer is Yes!

Consider how inert the mind feels compared to other parts of the body when undergoing stress or intense emotion (Heart, liver, gut/intestines). Different aspects of lived experience, such as religious rapture, inspiration, and fear were tied to different parts of the body, which would be felt as most active during these times. Of course the correlation between lived internal experience and organs varied from culture to culture. This also extended to the bodily origin of thoughts.

Here is a fascinating read on the subject. In the culture analyzed by this book, thoughts are considered to originate in the liver, and drift their way up into the head.

jxj24

For a fantastic exploration of the history of figuring out just where all the thinking goes on, read Carl Zimmer's Soul Made Flesh.

The beginning discusses the idea that people, depending on culture, had different concepts about where the sense of "I" resided.

Searocksandtrees

OP, do check out Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). I was hoping to find a sub on this, but incredibly, /r/TCM is dead and there doesn't seem to be anything else.... truly amazing. In any case, what may be of interest to you is that they believe that energy (Qi) is directed through the body via meridians (kind of like energy circuits), which pass through the organs, and that the organs have relationships with the various emotions (e.g. liver<->anger). Surely there must be a sub in here - anyone?

edit: here we go: /r/ChineseMedicine/