Integrative Gnostic Functions of the Neuroendocrine System

Knowledge corresponds to a psychological phenomenon that is the result of the

interaction between a living being and its environments. This interaction leads to a processing of information that the environment sends to the living being. The

processing takes place within the Neuroendocrine System, that regulates the

adjustment of the individuals of the species to their environment.

The interactive functions between the individual and, specifically, an external

environment, are part of the Integrative Activity of the Neuroendocrine System,

that gives origin to three specific functions: reactivity, plasticity and subjectivity.

These are: unconditioned genotypic automatic–reflex functions, phenotypical learned functions linked to individual experience, and virtual functions, also phenotypical, but belonging to the subjective sphere of the individual.

It must be stressed that every acquisition of adaptive habits implies a certain amount of knowledge. The most elemental learning process, such as a conditioned reflex, is determined by the ability of the individual to operate with knowledge. In any case, the acquisition of any knowledge requires learning.

On the other hand, the acquisition of knowledge is determined by a basic

psychobiological phenomenon. This phenomenon refers to all the beings forced to adapt to an external environment in order to survive.

Knowledge is a condition that creates the ability of individuals to virtually reflect

the events occurring in the environment in general, especially those that acquire an important significance in adaptive activity.

Knowledge is a psychological process, product of the integrative functions of the

Neuroendocrine System. These functions successively allow a living being to: recognize a phenomenon, event or object that is part of an environment (external internal, subjective); generate a subjective reflex of this phenomenon, event or object; store it in one of its mnemic systems, manipulate it; predict a spontaneous as well as an induced behaviour; operate in a virtual manner on the object, that is, plan for the future the manipulations that may eventually intentionally modify the object, phenomenon or event; develop abilities to reproduce it, and, in the last phase, recreate it. It is evident that every “individual–environment” interaction is based on a fundamental condition: the existence of an individual function that permits the reproduction, reflection of certain events that take place in this environment.

Adaptation takes place under these conditions. In other words, adaptation implies knowledge, and knowledge is a product of learning. There are three psychological phenomena that function interactively: Perception, Knowledge and Learning.