Psychology Today:
But researchers have discovered that the nerve cells in the belly are more than just the workhorses of digestion. In fact, they are saying we have a “second brain”–a simple nervous system in the belly that functions unconsciously, partly independent of the big brain in our heads. This collection of neurons doesn’t just control digestion once the food’s already down the hatch. It plays a role in appetite, eating, and perhaps even helps us decide what food we like to eat.
May 7, 2006 at 1:16 am
Gurdjieff referred to the “belly brain” in his writings, and said that proper breathing was the key to being “awake”
Since we know that binaural beat notes or flashing lights can entrain our brain hemispheres into diffrent states, practices like yogic breathing make a lot more sense when you consider this mass of nerve cells that science has only recently verified.