Reticular Activating System

I really love the reticular activating system. How many of you just said, huh??? the what???

The reticular activating system or RAS for short, is rather unknown to most people. I have know about this little marvel of God's creation for a couple of years. It is something that could add a lot of value to your life.

Mark Batterson had a great post today on the RAS and what it is all about. Here is a short excerpt:

The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a cluster of nerve cells in the brainstem that regulate alertness and attention. We are bombarded by thousands of stimuli every second--different sights, sounds and sensations. It is the job of the RAS to regulate which stimuli you pay attention to and which stimuli you ignore. It is the gatekeeper or screening device. Or think of it as mental radar. The RAS determines what you notice and what goes unnoticed.

Here's how it works. When you purchase a cell phone or clothing or a car, it creates a category in your reticular activating system. You notice if someone's cell phone has the same ring tone don't you? Because you go to answer yours! You notice if someone is wearing your outfit at the same event. Can you say awkward? And the second you drive your new car out of the lot, it seems like everyone is driving your model car.

Great stuff Mark...He has some more info in his post if you are interested.