Quentin Tarantino, the eccentric genius of Hollywood, is renowned for his films' bizarre plots and dark humor. His 1997 movie "Curdled" is no exception. It tells the story of the protagonist, Gabriela, who has been fascinated by murder since childhood, always wondering if a severed head retains consciousness and can still speak. Coincidentally, a series of brutal murders occur—a cold-blooded killer murders several socialites and decapitates them. Gabriela seizes the opportunity to investigate the case deeply. Ironically, she herself is eventually decapitated by the killer, finally solving the mystery that had haunted her for years!

Setting aside the film's satire on human curiosity, from a technical standpoint, does a head without a body still have thoughts? Can a body without a head survive? It's a well-known fact that when the brain stops functioning, the body dies immediately. But is this really the case? Can a body without a head still move?

A head without a body can "live" for a short period. Historically, there have been several instances of this. Witnesses have reported that during an execution, after the executioner severed a female prisoner's head and lifted it, the eyes and mouth on the head suddenly opened wide, as if trying to scream. Scientifically, this can be explained by the fact that brain death is a process, during which some basic functions might still be performed.

But what about a body without a head? Many have seen a decapitated chicken running around the yard for a while. This phenomenon seems hard to explain through neural reflexes, as muscle movements are commanded by the brain. So, how does the chicken's body maintain balance? What directs its muscle contractions? More importantly, could this happen to humans?

Many doctors are aware that after the head is severed from the body, the heart can continue to beat for a short time. This suggests that the body might still experience extreme pain after decapitation. However, scientists generally believe that a headless body cannot move. Lower organisms might exhibit some movements after losing brain control, but humans certainly cannot.

Shortly after World War II, a newspaper in St. Petersburg, Soviet Union, reported a bizarre incident—a man picking mushrooms in the woods of Petergof accidentally found an explosive device. Bravely, he picked it up without hesitation. The device exploded, instantly severing his head from his body. Strangely, the headless mushroom picker stumbled over 200 meters through the woods before collapsing, even crossing a 3-meter-long narrow bridge over a stream!

A WWII veteran also recounted a strange incident he witnessed—during a battle, an enemy shell exploded, instantly decapitating several comrades. Their heads hung like caps on their necks, yet they continued to charge at the enemy. One even leaped over several shell craters, a terrifying sight. Could strong willpower convert into some form of energy within the body, allowing movement after death? Historical records also document numerous similar phenomena.According to records from a Russian monastery, a tragic event occurred in 1570: Father Kornily, the abbot of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, was not only virtuous and talented but also exceptionally courageous. Kornily ordered the construction of a high wall around the monastery to defend against enemy invasions, but this act was not approved by Tsar Ivan IV, known as "Ivan the Terrible," who was notorious for his tyranny and cruelty. Upon learning of Kornily's "unauthorized construction," Ivan was furious and ordered Kornily's beheading, personally visiting the monastery to carry out the punishment. The execution was performed in front of the monastery's monks. After Kornily's head fell to the ground, something mysterious happened—the headless Kornily picked up his own head and walked straight toward the sanctuary. Only after reaching the altar did he collapse and die. Ivan the Terrible was deeply shaken by what he witnessed and sincerely regretted his decision, subsequently giving Kornily a grand burial. The path Kornily walked after his death became known as the "Blood Road," which is still adorned with flowers to this day, and Kornily himself was canonized as a saint.

In 1386, the King of Bavaria sentenced the nobleman Dietz von Schonberg to death for repeatedly rebelling and attempting to overthrow the king's rule. On the day of execution, Schonberg and his four loyal followers were tied to the gallows. The five were lined up, each spaced eight meters apart. However, just before the execution, Schonberg made an "extraordinary request." He said, "If, after my head is cut off, I can still run past these four followers, I hope the king will show them mercy and pardon their death sentences." The king laughed heartily, finding the request utterly absurd, and readily agreed. As the executioner's blade fell, Schonberg's head landed heavily on the guillotine with a loud thud. Almost simultaneously, the headless Schonberg began to sprint, running 32 meters until he passed the last follower before collapsing. The king was astonished but kept his earlier promise. Those present speculated that God had secretly protected Schonberg's four followers.

There are many such historical accounts—the headless Count of Saint-Denis walked two miles on the streets of Paris; a young Turkish man, accidentally beheaded in battle, continued to fight valiantly on horseback for several hours... Evidence from the medical field is more reliable. If the above accounts are merely rumors and hard to believe, there are also numerous medical records documenting astonishing cases that prove the human body can survive without a brain. In 1935, a baby boy was born at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York. On the surface, he appeared no different from other infants—he could sleep, eat, and even cry. However, when the baby died shortly after, the autopsy results shocked all the doctors—the baby's skull contained no brain tissue. This case remains an unsolved scientific mystery to this day. More and more cases contradict traditional medical theories, leaving scientists deeply puzzled. Moreover, some cases come from highly reliable sources, making fabrication unlikely. For example, the renowned German neurosurgeon Professor Hufeland once described a case of a paralyzed patient. He said the patient's mind remained fully intact until death, but upon post-mortem examination, Professor Hufeland discovered the skull contained no brain tissue, only spinal fluid.

In 1940, a 14-year-old boy was brought to Nicolás Ortiz Hospital in Bolivia. He told the doctors that he suffered from severe headaches, especially at night, as if his head was about to explode. The boy died soon after, and the doctors didn't even have time to perform brain surgery on him.After dissecting the boy's head, doctors discovered that there was no brain tissue left in the skull; instead, it was replaced by a massive tumor! This scene inevitably led the attending physicians to question the precision of medical science. Speculations suggest that the "abdominal brain" might issue commands to the human body, differing from religious explanations, as current science cannot provide a reasonable explanation for the aforementioned phenomenon. Otherwise, fundamental medical theories would have to be completely overturned. Experts from the Russian Medical Academy insist that, although the human brain is not yet fully understood and many mysteries remain, there is no need to take unsubstantiated claims too seriously. Most of the legends about "headless people" are baseless and have been exaggerated through repeated retellings.

Indeed, complex movements such as walking and running rely on neural feedback from the brain. This is why the so-called "abdominal brain" theory proposed by American scientists not long ago seems to be the only plausible explanation for "headless people." According to American scientists, they have discovered neural tissues clustered in the walls of the esophagus and stomach, which they refer to as the "third brain center." Scientists point out that this "third brain center" consists of over 100 million neurons, even more than those in the spinal cord. Moreover, these neurons are not just simple connections; they also have the ability to store information and even influence our emotions and health.

Additionally, American scientists claim that when a person is under stress, the "abdominal brain" also takes charge of controlling hormone secretion, prompting the body to fight or flee. Thus, if the brain loses control over the body, the "abdominal brain" can temporarily take over this responsibility. However, the "abdominal brain" theory has not yet been definitively proven, and whether it can explain the mysterious phenomenon of headless people remains to be further tested.

Source: http://tech. enorth. com. cn/ system/ 2003/ 04/ 14/ 000543673. shtml

People experience stomach pain when angry, and the "abdominal brain" also possesses intelligence

Why do people often feel stomach pain when they are angry? Michael Gershon, a neuroscientist at Columbia University in New York, believes: "It's because we have a brain in our belly." An article in the German magazine "Earth" reports that more and more scientists believe that the belly is the "second brain" of humans (also known as the "abdominal brain"), and many human sensations and perceptions originate from the belly. There is a very complex neural network in the human belly, containing about 100 billion nerve cells, more than those in the spinal cord, equal to the number of cells in the brain, and the cell types, organic substances, and receptors are extremely similar.

Research shows that the degree to which psychological processes are closely linked to the digestive system exceeds people's imagination. The abdominal brain (referred to as the belly brain) acts on emotions such as joy and pain. Visceral diseases are often linked to psychological reactions, with the most compelling evidence being that 40% of patients with intestinal dysfunction suffer from phobias and frequent depression. Experiments on mice have proven that when their neurons are placed under high tension, their viscera will exhibit characteristics similar to intestinal dysfunction.

The network on the intestinal wall is the master switch for digestion

In fact, the first to discover this phenomenon was the German psychiatrist Leopold Auerbach in the mid-19th century. While observing dissected viscera with a simple microscope, he was surprised to find two layers of network-like structures composed of nerve cells and nerve bundles, as thin as cicada wings, attached to the intestinal wall. Auerbach did not know at the time that what he had discovered was the master switch of the human digestive organs. This master switch not only analyzes nutrients, salts, and water but also regulates absorption and excretion, and can precisely balance inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters, hormones, and protective secretions.

A person's viscera will pass through more than 30 tons of nutrients and over 50,000 liters of liquid in about 75 years, and the passage of these substances is intelligently controlled by the abdominal brain. The belly brain can analyze the components of thousands of chemicals and protect the body from various toxins and dangers. The intestines are the largest immune organ in the body, containing 70% of the body's defense cells, with a large number of defense cells connected to the belly brain. When toxins enter the body, the belly brain detects them first, then immediately sends a warning signal to the brain, making people aware of the toxins in the abdomen, followed by actions: vomiting, spasms, or excretion.

Scientists believe that the deeper into the digestive system, the weaker the brain's control over it. The mouth, part of the esophagus, and the stomach are controlled by the brain, while the parts below the stomach are managed by the belly brain, and when it finally reaches the rectum and anus, control returns to the brain.

The belly brain can also get sick, and it has more problems than the brain

The brain and the belly brain often exhibit the same behaviors and react synchronously. In patients with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, the same tissue necrosis is often found in both the head and the abdomen; mad cow disease patients usually suffer brain damage leading to mental confusion, while their intestinal organs are also severely damaged; when the brain's central system feels the pressure of tension or fear, the gastrointestinal system reacts with spasms and diarrhea.

The identical cellular and molecular structures of the brain and the belly brain can explain why psychiatric drugs or drugs for head problems also affect the stomach and intestines. For example, antidepressants may cause indigestion, and migraine medications can treat gastrointestinal discomfort. Not long ago, a new drug for treating intestinal dysfunction was launched on the market, and this drug was originally used to treat phobias.

The belly brain can also get sick, and it has more problems than the brain.When the abdominal nerve function is disordered, the "abdominal brain" will go "crazy," leading to digestive dysfunction in humans. Additionally, many scientists have attributed the causes of certain conditions to the malfunctioning of the nervous system of the "second brain," such as neurotic phobias and depression.

Researchers have only recently confirmed that there are more nerve bundles from the abdomen to the brain than in the opposite direction. Ninety percent of the neural connections are from the bottom up because it is more important than from the top down. Ninety-five percent of the body's neurotransmitter—serotonin—is produced in the "second brain" of the abdomen. This nervous system subconsciously stores the body's reactions to all psychological processes and can retrieve and transmit this information to the brain whenever needed, which may influence a person's rational decisions. This also echoes a popular German saying, "Choosing the best plan and making the best decisions in the belly."

People have also discovered substances related to the brain's memory function in the abdominal brain, and studies have shown that the abdominal brain has memory functions. Excessive or continuous fear not only leaves an impression in the head but can also imprint on the gastrointestinal organs.

The wise belly tells stories to the brain

The abdominal brain tells stories to the brain all day, designing emotional characteristics. Research further shows that when a person is in dreamless sleep, the intestinal organs perform gentle, rhythmic wave-like movements; but when dreaming, the internal organs begin to experience intense tremors. Conversely, stimulation of the internal organs and their serotonin cells can cause a person to dream more.

Many patients with intestinal disorders often complain of poor sleep, and the reason lies here. Does the intestine also dream? Researchers answer this by asking: Don't people often have nightmares if they eat poorly?

Human research on the nervous system has a history of about 100 years. But compared to the brain, research on the abdominal brain has just begun. Now all abdominal brain experts believe: "The human belly possesses wisdom." Therefore, the relationship between consciousness and the abdominal brain will be another field of scientific exploration in this century.

Source: http://www. healthabc. org/ forum_posts. asp? TID=507