The brain stem, a term frequently referenced within the realms of neuroanatomy and peak performance insights, serves as the evolutionary linchpin of human neural architecture. Positioned at the juncture where the profound intricacies of the brain meet the spinal cord, it orchestrates the most fundamental autonomic functions – breathing, heart rate, and sleep cycles – that sustain our very existence. Jamie Wheal, in his characteristic synthesis of cutting-edge neuroscience and ancient wisdom, would illuminate the brain stem not merely as an anatomical structure but as a conduit of our primal essence, an enduring testament to our shared biological heritage, linking us to our most ancestral rhythms and impulses. Within this unassuming nexus, we find the bedrock of survival, an oft-overlooked maestro conducting the symphony of life's most essential processes, allowing us to transcend from mere survival to the pursuit of higher states of being and consciousness.

See also: nitric oxide, endocannabinoid system, default mode network