ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we will examine body systems that permit our mind and emotions to interact or communicate with the environment and, thus, to induce positive or detrimental physiological changes. The classic body systems that we will address are the nervous system (including the enteric system), the endocrine system, and the immune system. However, in addition to these classic body systems, we suggest that there are two other fundamental human body systems: the stress system and the relaxation system. The stress system will be introduced in this chapter and covered more thoroughly in Chapter 3. The relaxation system (see Chapter 4) will be presented for the first time in a medical text. It is necessary to acquire a general understanding of each system in order to grasp how the systems interact to influence the mind-body connection. Right away, we see that it is almost impossible to describe any one system in an isolated manner.
