Autonomic nervous system functional integration

While Western scientific study of meditation is limited and typically focuses on the mental and emotional benefits of relaxation, pain management, and stress reduction, meditation is integrally linked to the function of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates many organs and muscles in our bodies. It plays a role in how our heart beats, how we breathe and sweat, and how effectively our digestive system works. 

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the major involuntary, unconscious, automatic portion of the nervous system and contrasts in several ways with the somatic (voluntary) nervous system. The anatomy, neurotransmitter chemistry, receptor characteristics, and functional integration of the ANS are discussed below. 

G. Integration of Autonomic Function Functional integration in the autonomic nervous system is provided mainly through the mechanism of negative feedback. This process utilizes modulatory pre- and postsynaptic receptors at the local level and homeostatic reflexes at the systemic level. 

Although the nervous system is often discussed in terms of peripheral and central components, it should be regarded as a highly integrated whole in which the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) plays a critical information gathering and processing role. The peripheral nervous system is often divided into the autonomic and somatic components. The somatic system controls the voluntary functions of the body, like those of the skeletal muscles. The... 

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