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This essay examines the notion of mental and emotional regulation, framed as internal balance and free will, based on the work of Maimonides, integrating his writings with contemporary neuroscience. Through an analysis of texts such as Shmona Perakim, Hiljot Deot, and Moreh Nevukhim, it demonstrates how his guidance on regulating behavior, emotions, language, environment, and imagination can be interpreted not only as ethical prescriptions but also as functional strategies that promote the stability of the nervous system. The work contrasts these traditional sources with neurobiological concepts such as synaptic plasticity, sensory control, cortical integration, and the evolutionary organization of the brain, revealing a significant convergence between Maimonides' twelfth-century perspective and current mechanisms of neuromodulation. The essay avoids adopting modern clinical or psychological categories, focusing instead on a neurophysiological and functional reading that preserves the original spiritual and normative framework. It thus proposes an interdisciplinary view of non-physical health, understood as a dynamic disposition that requires continuous monitoring and adjustment. This approach allows the classical precepts of Hebrew thought to be considered valid tools for strengthening human adaptive capacities.
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Title Internal Balance and Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Reading from Maimonides and Neurophysiology
This essay examines the notion of mental and emotional regulation, framed as internal balance and free will, based on the work of Maimonides, integrating his writings with contemporary neuroscience. Through an analysis of texts such as Shmona Perakim, Hiljot Deot, and Moreh Nevukhim, it demonstrates how his guidance on regulating behavior, emotions, language, environment, and imagination can be interpreted not only as ethical prescriptions but also as functional strategies that promote the stability of the nervous system. The work contrasts these traditional sources with neurobiological concepts such as synaptic plasticity, sensory control, cortical integration, and the evolutionary organization of the brain, revealing a significant convergence between Maimonides' twelfth-century perspective and current mechanisms of neuromodulation. The essay avoids adopting modern clinical or psychological categories, focusing instead on a neurophysiological and functional reading that preserves the original spiritual and normative framework. It thus proposes an interdisciplinary view of non-physical health, understood as a dynamic disposition that requires continuous monitoring and adjustment. This approach allows the classical precepts of Hebrew thought to be considered valid tools for strengthening human adaptive capacities.
Work type Article
Tags neuroscience, synaptic plasticity, emotional balance, free will, maimonides, rambam, behavioral regulation
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Identifier 2506242256734
Entry date Jun 24, 2025, 11:28 PM UTC
License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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Author. Holder Gabriel Herskovits. Date Jun 24, 2025.
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