Internal events

Combining the subject of the decision and the subject of the action allows us to build two important schemes.

The first scheme is a description of internal events. That is, instead of a button or other type of sensor that responds to external events, internal events occur. Internal events are based on the subject’s own (subjective) sensations of the object (subject). In this case, we mainly mean the subject of the decision, since events express control influence.

Let’s consider several types of internal events.

Watch

Our internal body clock periodically asks us to check if it’s time to switch to another task. The internal clock is associated with the daily routine, with the need to plan and reschedule our tasks.

Internal state

After some time of doing monotonous work, we get tired and need to switch to other things or take a little rest. This type of event reflects a lack of resources, expressed in the ability to maintain attention.

Hunger and sleep

In addition to the need to switch to other tasks, we have necessary things inherent to the human body. We need to sleep and eat regularly. Urges to sleep form the task of allowing oneself to fall asleep. Hunger stimulates us to search for food, to satiate ourselves. These types of events also express a lack of resources.

Fear

Fear is an internal logical limiter to taking an action, as a result of which we may receive uncertainty, or possible catastrophic or dramatic consequences.

Reflex

The second scheme for combining the subject of action and the subject of decision is a reflex. The following chain of events and actions is developed:

1) external influence

2) the emergence of desire

3) internal event

4) switch

5) action.

Here desire and purpose are implicit. For example, we don’t know why we have a knee-jerk reflex. Reflexes are inherent in us from birth, and should remain with us until the end of our days.

Reflex example:

1) Your leg was pinched.

2) Receptors transmit a signal to the central nervous system – to neurons

3) The sensitive neuron (motoneuron) generates an event and transmits it to the executive neuron.

4) The executive neuron (motor neuron) generates a control impulse for the muscle that pulls the leg

5) The leg will twitch

Reflexes in humans are divided into conditioned and unconditioned. But even the simplest unconditioned reflexes can change. For example, by 3-4 months the grasping reflex disappears in newborns. And with constant exposure to receptors, reflexes become dull.

Let’s compare our description of the action and the reflex arc – the path of nerve impulses during a reflex act: stimulus – receptor – neuron – effector – reaction. 100% match.

A person can fall into a reflex trap. For example, you put your hand into a narrow box with needles inside on both sides. If, through carelessness, you touch a needle on one inner side, your reflex will force you to withdraw your hand, and then you will touch the needles on the opposite side of the box. In turn, the second reflex will force you to withdraw your hand in the other direction, and you will again touch the needle on the first side. And this will happen in a circle until you realize this situation and stop the chain of reflexes, if you can.