Innate human instincts. So, does a person have instincts?

The article is interesting, informative and relevant. As the author writes in the introduction:

The term "instinct", like many other scientific terms - for example, "stress" or "ecology" - has long been in wide use, but its original meaning has undergone significant changes. Moreover, in everyday life they are so different from those accepted in the scientific community that sometimes scientists are recommended to introduce new terms to denote this or that concept. Such proposals are argued, for example, by the fact that the distorted meaning of the term “ecology” has taken root in the mass consciousness, and it is easier to propose a new term than to change the existing state of affairs. However, it should be noted that scientific terms and definitions have been honed over years and even centuries, and their correct understanding, coupled with appropriate use, is the key to the formation of an adequate picture of the world and way of thinking in people.

One cannot but agree that it is important to think about, understand and be aware of what familiar terms mean. However, it seems to me that the conclusion turned out to be too categorical.

So, based on the definition and structure of instinct, which we have just examined, we can now assume that humans, a creature whose development is much higher than cats, have no instincts in the classical sense.

[Although, to tell the truth, a person still has one single instinct, which was discovered by Irenius Eibl-Eibesfeldt, a student of K. Lorenz. When we meet someone we like, we not only smile and part our lips, but our eyebrows also involuntarily raise. This movement, which lasts 1/6 of a second, was recorded by Eibl-Eibesfeldt on film in people different races. He conducted most of his research in the wild corners of the planet, among tribes that do not know not only television, but also radio, and have rare and superficial contacts with their neighbors. Thus, eyebrow raising could not have been shaped by imitation learning. The main argument was the behavior of children blind from birth. The voice of a person they like also raises their eyebrows, and for the same 150 milliseconds.]

If expressions like “instinct of self-preservation” are incorrect, what then is the “automatic” withdrawal of a hand from a hot stove or fire? A person has an innate need for self-preservation, but not an instinct, since there is no corresponding FKD - an innate program of motor activity that would satisfy this need. Having been pricked or burned, we withdraw our hand - but this is not an instinct, but just a reflex (unconditional) to painful stimulation. In general, we have a lot of protective unconditioned reflexes, for example, the blink reflex, coughing, sneezing, vomiting. But these are the simplest standard reflexes. All other threats to the integrity of the body cause only those reactions that we acquire during the learning process.

“Maternal instinct”, “sexual instinct” and other similar expressions - they are all incorrect when applied to a person. And not only in relation to humans, but also to all highly organized animals. We have corresponding needs (Ptrb), but there is neither an innate program for their satisfaction, nor a key incentive (KS), nor a fixed set of actions (FCD).

Have you forgotten the Instinct formula yet, dear reader?

I = Ptrb + KS + FKD.

Thus, a person does not have instincts in a strict sense, and this is what makes our behavior plastic. However, the absence of rigid innate programs does not negate the fact that we are biosocial beings; and exist purely biological factors, which determine many aspects of our behavior.

The fact is that the question of the presence of instincts in higher animals is a question of terminology, agreement. From the same series are questions about at what level of development a creature can be considered alive, whether viruses can be considered alive, at what level of development animals have consciousness, etc. In all these matters the differences are not qualitative, but quantitative.

The article says that a person does not have instincts because there is no innate and fixed set of actions.

What does fixed mean? Even the most primitive set of actions has some flexibility, convention, and variability. For example, the so-called appendage stage can be very diverse and include other instinctive subprograms. The chick can overcome obstacles in different ways when moving towards its mother. If the chick, say, is turned sideways or upside down and fixed, it adapts to feeding in this position. If during feeding there is a threat of attack, feeding will be temporarily interrupted, but why continue, etc.

In most cases, this refers to the motor component of the instinctive act itself, when a newborn baby performs its first consummatory acts very unstably and unclearly. Apparently, this is due to the incomplete process of formation of neural ensembles of the brain, which are normally responsible for this innate act. Therefore, the very first movements of an animal when carrying out an instinctive act are “immature”, “uncertain”, and only after several trials and errors do they acquire all their purely species-typical features.

Of course, in different animals the ratio of innate and acquired is different, but both components are always present.

So the difference is only in the complexity of behavioral programs, so a clear boundary cannot be drawn. And if you look at intelligence from the point of view of cybernetics as a tool for achieving goals, then the boundary becomes completely blurred.

Instincts are confused with reflexes (conditioned and unconditioned) and innate needs. The last two concepts are applicable to humans, but instincts are not:

Here's a recent question about animals:

Or, for example, a review article:

I will quote about the most popular one, about the instinct of self-preservation:

So what happens? Are expressions like “instinct of self-preservation” incorrect? What then can we call the “automatic” withdrawal of a hand from a hot stove or fire?! Yes, absolutely right, a person has an innate NEED for self-preservation. But we cannot call this an instinct, since we do not have the corresponding FKD, that is, an innate program of motor activity that would satisfy this need. Having been pricked or burned, we withdraw our hand - but this is NOT an INSTINCT, but just a REFLEX (unconditioned) TO PAINFUL IRRITATION. In general, we have a lot of protective unconditioned reflexes, for example, the blink reflex, coughing, sneezing, vomiting. But these are the simplest standard reflexes. All other threats to the integrity of the body cause only such reactions that we acquire during the learning process.

Here's a good example. Reproduction is a stronger theme than avoiding death. If you have multiplied, then your life is no longer important, selection pressure is weaker here.

Doubts arise simply by remembering all sorts of childfree people and simply the many people who are unable to find a partner. Is this instinct in humans? Or is it just an innate need without a fixed set of actions that ensures success for any male guppy fish*?

*Danced, shook his fins in a special way, welcome to mate if the other did not drive him away. But the other one will definitely dance too, without dance there is no love. The female simply will not “read” him as a male.

And what we see in the great apes:

The Harlows raised 55 monkeys without their mothers. When they became sexually mature, only one monkey showed interest in a sexual partner. Among 90 other monkeys raised with the help of a dummy, only 4 became parents, but they also treated their babies very poorly. Some of them spent all their time sitting in one place, in complete indifference to others. Others took strange positions or wriggled unnaturally. The lack of maternal care left an imprint on them for life.

The evolution of instincts among vertebrates is a gradual weakening of their formative influence and replacement by elements of experience. With the progressive development of an animal's individuality, instinct is replaced by stereotypes where the reaction should be rigid and tough, by learning and intelligence where and when a flexible response to the situation is necessary. Stereotypical and ritual forms of behavior are conservative and rigid, “intellectual” forms are flexible and easy to improve, but both are developed by the social environment - the first within the framework of ratiomorphic processes, the second through the creation of situation concepts.

This is called culture.

To pose the question.

A little history. While still in my 3rd year of medical school, listening to a lecture on the theory of stress by G. Selye, I was surprised by the fact that the idea of creating a doctrine came to the author during his student years. Without any doubt, I decided to create something like that, but alas, not having come up with anything, I soon abandoned the good intention.

But nothing passes without a trace, I began to be interested in the question of the driving motives of human behavior, and began to look for my answer. In the 6th year I became acquainted with Freud's theory, but “we did not understand each other.” I did not find the answer to the question “about the structure” of the soul. Trying Freud's concept on myself over and over again (since I had neither a laboratory nor a clinic), I remained dissatisfied, since “pansexualism” (at least this is how this theory seemed to me) did not explain my questions. I decided to better study the “sexual instinct” and took a course in sexopathology, and then after a while I had medical practice in this specialty. Unfortunately, I did not find unity between psychoanalysis and clinical sexology. Intuitively sensing a certain incompleteness in Freud’s concept, I decided to reconsider it in my own way. Firstly, in addition to the sexual instinct, I was also interested in the question of other (food, parental, cognitive, defensive) instincts. Why exactly these, because only they have an anatomical and physiological representation in the soma and psyche. The death instinct seems to me to be a virtual concept. Despite my criticism, I am very grateful to the great scientist S. Freud for his pioneering work in the field of the subconscious,

unconsciousness and childhood sexuality, which inspired me to study instincts

The method was as follows. In difficult cases of diagnosing and treating sexological patients, I began to study the expression of all 5 human instincts, a certain biosocial, biotherapeutic view of ontogenesis and thus gain a deeper understanding of the personality and its problems. By interviewing patients, he found out their instinctive status, ranking them from weak to strong, in comparison with a certain average norm, taken arbitrarily from everyday common sense.

The results obtained were very valuable for psychotherapy, acquiring significance as an algorithm for working with the patient. First of all, we can highlight the extreme options. For the food instinct - from anorexia nervosa (hypofunction) to obesity with Pickwick's syndrome (hyperfunction). An indicator of the biological activity of the food instinct is appetite. For the sexual instinct - from asexuality, frigidity to satyriasis and nymphomania. The biological marker is the expression of libido, a term aptly coined by 3 Freud. For parental instinct - from a complete refusal to have children to devoting your life to children (not only your own). For the cognitive instinct - from self-sacrifice for the sake of science, truth - to complete indifference to knowledge. For the instinct of self-preservation - between courage and cowardice (the pilot lost both legs in battle, after treatment he became a parachutist). Such people can be classified as persons prone to self-destructive activities (stunt performers, climbers, race car drivers, etc.). The extreme expression is homicidomania, i.e. desire to commit suicide at any cost.

Unfortunately, for the last three instincts there are not yet adequate terms that reflect in one word the state of the instinct (such as the words appetite or libido); linguistics is still indebted to science. More complex are the issues of interaction of instincts, but this topic requires further special study.

For more than 20 years I had been nurturing my concept of the interaction of instincts, turning to scientists more than once, but I did not find understanding until I found support from my teacher S.A. Ovsyannikov. Joint observations made it possible to formulate a propaedeutic method for studying the human biological matrix in the form of the so-called formula of human instincts (FIH).

A. Self-preservation instinct (IS)

A. I do not value my life, I often have thoughts of leaving my life, I have attempted suicide.

1. I have no egoism, serving people and the ideal is the meaning of my life. I cannot lie, in the name of honor and justice I am ready to sacrifice my

2. I don’t like lies, I value justice and try to defend it, but without sacrificing myself. Material well-being and health care do not play a major role for me.

3. Material well-being and spiritual life are equally important to me. I sympathize with honest people, but I am not inclined to fight for justice. I am able to find compromise solutions in any situation. I will not suffer because of others; I am more likely to think about myself.

4. I am a real egoist (I love myself most of all), material well-being- the main thing for me. I never go against circumstances to my detriment. Accumulating valuables gives me pleasure. Honor and justice mean nothing to me when we're talking about about the benefits for me

5. I am concerned only with myself, my health, I am indifferent even to close people, I protect myself from any worries. I devote my life to my well-being, I am suspicious, I love to be treated, most of all I value my precious health and life.

B. Food instinct (PI)

0. The thought of food disgusts me; if we drink something, I induce vomiting to get rid of food.

1. Food is not the main thing for me, I eat because it is necessary.

2. My appetite is below average, I easily forget to eat if I’m busy with something more important, and I easily endure hunger.

Z. I have a good appetite, I eat with pleasure, I try to maintain a food regime in any conditions, the feeling of hunger is unpleasant for me.

4. My appetite is above “average”; I like to eat and drink tasty and plentiful meals. I consider myself a gourmet, I love to cook myself, find new recipes for various dishes and treat myself to what I have prepared.

5. I am constantly hungry and think about food. I eat a lot and indiscriminately, my gluttony does not bother me. I'm overweight.

B. Sexual instinct (SI)

A. I have no desire for sexual intercourse at all. I am indifferent or even disgusted.

1. I experience sexual desire 1-2 times a year. Intimacy does not give me joy and satisfaction. I prefer erotic fantasies.

2. Sexual desire occurs no more than once a month. The romantic side of a relationship is more interesting than the physical intimacy. Not entirely confident in my sexual abilities.

Z. I have a normal sexual desire 2 - 3 - 4 times a week. There is no discomfort or uncertainty, almost always a vivid orgasm.

4. I have a strong sex drive, I can have daily contact with my loved one, I give him all my feelings, I don’t feel any insecurity.

5. I have an irresistible desire for sexual intercourse. Sex is the most important thing in my life. Concepts such as love are indifferent to me. I like “sophisticated forms” in sex. Thinking about homosexual relationships.

D. Parental (maternal - paternal) instinct (RI).

A. I don’t have children, they disgust me. I don't like cats or dogs.

1. I don’t have children, I don’t like them, I prefer pets.

2. I have no desire to have children, but the appearance of a child is associated with the insistence of my husband (wife).

3. I have 1 - 2 favorite children at will, I calmly endure the difficulties of raising them.

4. I love children very much, I want to have more of them, I endure all difficulties, I love raising them, children love me.

5. Children are the only meaning of my life, I tremble over them, I am ready to sacrifice everything for them and forgive them everything. I can easily take in other people's children.

D. Cognitive instinct (CI).

0. I have no desire to learn anything (I consider it a “empty” matter).

1. Studying has never given me any pleasure.

2. I sometimes listen to conversations about new books, but I don’t like to read them. I look more willingly entertainment programs on television, what everyone watches.

Z. I always studied willingly, I liked to learn new things, I always tried to keep up with general level, but I’m not eager to become a “scientist”, I want to know as much as I need for life.

4. Books, reading, education occupy a large place in my life, I collect books myself, but without “fanaticism”. Knowledge pleases and inspires.

5. The meaning of my life is to constantly learn new things, in science, art, I constantly read or write myself. I devote myself entirely to learning new things.

This attempt to quantify the biological mechanism of the body is necessary in order to better imagine the relationship of parts as a whole, because it was not without reason that G. Galileo said that nature is written in the language of mathematics.

In my opinion, the diversity of an individual's life does not consist of a large number of discrete elements, then the biological system would hardly endure the hardships of natural selection. Most likely, the principle of biological expediency simplified the number of participating components to a minimum. in the life support of an individual. As we know, it is the 4 nucleotide bases of DNA (adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine) that form the entire variety of non-repeating combinations of genes in the chromosome set of one species. In the 6iological variation series, instinct as an anatomical and functional block can be located between a cell with a gene apparatus (chromosomal set) and the life of a whole organism. It was the anatomical and physiological mechanism of 5 functionally interconnected blocks that ensured the preservation and continuation of the race in the fiercest competition on Earth.

The role of the cognitive instinct is unique. It was he who made it possible to socialize a person, throwing a bridge between the biological and the social, spiritual, truly human. At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, intelligence becomes the main factor of progress. Science, exact knowledge or episteme has become a decisive factor for curbing the animal resp. biological (often arpecative - destructive - war) principle. Suppose that all instincts in a state of dynamic equilibrium, or in working jargon, are closed. This state cannot last long, since elementary hunger in the form of hypoglycemia will cause tension, stress according to Selye.

The body includes a mechanism to eliminate this disorder. The food instinct sends a signal to the brain, the cognitive instinct as the highest regulator (located at the top of the hierarchical ladder of instincts) decides what to do with the received signal. Should I delay or start searching for food immediately? This depends on the strength of the signals, in other words, on the dominant (according to A.A. Ukhtomsky). Each person has his own endurance threshold, of course it is small in children and immature, infantile adults. Speaking in artistic language about brave and courageous people, we must mean high resistance to long-term preservation of dominance. Let us consider the teaching of I.P. Pavlov about conditioned reflexes from the point of view of instincts. As you know, nature was unable to provide “on the road” with all the necessary arsenal along the road of life. She gave only unconditioned reflexes; it was up to the individual, the person, to take care of everything else necessary. In other words, we develop conditioned reflexes all our lives, that is, we learn (something and somehow according to A.S. Pushkin). Those who became extinct due to natural selection are dinosaurs and other large animals, or rather those who were unable to learn new forms of life in time.

Conditioned reflexes are the nutrient medium of instinct with the help of which it realizes its potential. Instinct based on unconditioned reflexes is savagery, ignorance, instinct based on conditioned reflexes, and even of a higher order - culture, civilization, progress. Why does the doctor need this? Very necessary. Without a biological analysis of personality and illness, it is unlikely that many conditions can be correctly assessed.

Most likely, these include diseases of adaptation (disadaptation), in particular, neuroses, depression, psychosomatic diseases, which make up the vast majority of requests for medical help.

In my opinion, it is necessary to reconsider many aspects of medical practice from the point of view of instincts; the work promises to be interesting and useful for practice. In other words, without excessive modesty, we can declare the need to identify a new branch of the science of clinical instinctology, and a doctor - a specialist in the ability to see diseases and patients with a “biological” view - a psychotherapist, biopsychiatrist or biopsychotherapist, etc. Rather, Freud's psychoanalysis will benefit from a paradigm shift to bioanalysis, but not by changing the name, but by changing the essence of the method.

Literature.

1. 3. Freud. Lectures on introduction to psychoanalysis. T.1-2. M. 1922

2. S.A. Ovsyannikov. History and epistemology of borderline psychiatry. - pp. 179-183

3. A. A. Ukhtomsky. The doctrine of physiological dominance. Collected works. T. 1-6, L. 1945-62.

Doctor Abiev Artur Karamasovich
medical aspect

english version

Biological human instincts - a medical aspect.

By Arthur. K. Abiev, M.D.

A little bit of history. As a third year medical student studying the Hans Celie’s Theory of Stress, I was surprised to learn that the main idea was developed by the author when he was a student. Being inspired by that notion, and being a student myself, I have set to come up with a theory of my own - an ambition I have soon forgotten.

However, the seed was planted in my head, and, before long, I have resumed my interest and started my search for the motives explaining human behavior.

On the sixth grade I have familiarized myself with the Freud’s theory - but, we “didn’t understand each other.” I could not find the answer to my question: how the soul was “organized”. In vain I’ve tried time and time again to apply the Freud’s concept of “pansexualism” to explain my own motives and behavior (I didn’t have the laboratory or clinic at that time). I was determined to understand better the “sexual instinct” and decided to take a sexopathology course. Afterwards I have practiced as a sexopathologist for some time.

Regrettably, I still couldn’t find the unity between the psychoanalysis and clinical sexology.

Intuitively, the Freud’s concept was incomplete to me. So I have decided to revise it to my satisfaction. First, I considered other than the sexual instincts: feeding, parenting, learning, and self-preserving. I have selected these five instincts because they all have anatomical and physiological expression in both the soma and the psychic. The instinct of dying seemed quite virtual to me.

Despite my criticism of the Freud’s concept, I am grateful to the scientific titan for his pioneering studies on subconsciousness, unconsciousness, and childhood sexuality, which inspired me to conduct my own investigations.

I used the following method. In complex cases representing a diagnostic and/or therapeutic challenge, I started to differentiate the degrees at which each of the five instincts was expressed and used this type of algorithmic approach for gaining a deeper understanding of the patients’ condition.

I used a standardized questionnaire and a method for comparing patients' data against some arbitrary mean (drawn from the common life experiences and sense), to grade the patients' “instinctive status”, which was ranging between two extremes: weak (hypofunction) and strong (hyperfunction)

The obtained data turned out to be quite valuable for psychotherapy, and underscored the advantages of the algorithmic approach in patient’s care.

First, the extreme conditions - weak and strong - for each instinct were defined:

For the feeding instinct - anorexia nervosa (hypofunction) and the Pickwickian obesity (hyperfunction). The intensity of the appetite was considered an indicator of biological activity for that instinct.

For the sexual instinct - asexuality, or frigidity (hypofunction), and satyriasis and nymphomania (hyperfunction). The intensity of the libido (term brilliantly coined by Dr. Freud), was considered a biological marker for that instinct.

For the parenting instinct - a complete refusal to have children (hypofunction), and dedicating one’s life to raising children - own or adopted (hyperfunction).

For the learning instinct - a complete indifference towards the knowledge (hypofunction), and sacrificial drive towards the knowledge, and thirst for the “truth” (hyperfunction).

For the self-preserving instinct - suicidomania - too scared to live and too scared to die, and cowardliness - inability to handle risks (hypofunction), and self-destructive bravery - i.e., a pilot who lost both legs in a plane crash becomes a sky-diver - (hyperfunction).

For the last three instincts, unfortunately, there is still a lack of adequate terminology for naming their respective ranges (for example, as the terms “appetite” and “libido” are used to name ranges of the feeding and sexual instincts, respectively). In this regard, the linguistics are still indebted to psychology.

The interaction of the instincts is a more complex aspect altogether, requiring further and more specific studies.

It is not until some 20 years later and after approaching my teacher Dr. S.A. Ovsyannikov, did I find the support for my concept on the interaction of the instincts. As a result of our collaborative efforts with Dr. S.A. Ovsyannikov, we developed a propedeutic method for studying a person’s biological matrix. We have also developed a formula for calculating a person’s instinctive status (the Instinctive Status Formula - ISF).

The self-preserving instinct (SPI).

0. I don’t value life; I fantasize about taking my own life and have a history of attempted suicide.

1. I am an unselfish person; serving people and ideals is the meaning of my life. I can’t lie and am ready to sacrifice my life for the sake of honor and justice.

2. I don’t like lying; I believe in justice and will support it, however not with my life. Material well being and health are not my primary goals.

3. Material well being and spiritualism are equally important to me. I sympathize with the honest people, but I am not inclined to fight for justice myself. I am good at compromising. I am not willing to suffer for someone else’s benefit.

4. I am egoist (I love myself more than anybody else). Material well being is the most important to me. I won’t ever argue if it can hurt me. Increasing my wealth is my passion. When it comes to my benefit - the honor and justice mean nothing to me.

5. I am preoccupied with myself and my health; I am obliterate towards others, even close to me people, and protect myself from any and all disturbances. I am dedicated to my well being, keep high opinion of myself, like to take care of my health; there is nothing more important to me than my life and my health.

The feeding instinct (FI)

0. The thought of food is repugnant to me; If I ate something, I will induce vomiting to get rid of food.

1. The food is a necessity for me, rather than a primary concern.

2. My appetite is below average - I often forget to eat, especially if I am doing something interesting, without feeling hungry.

3. I have a good appetite and like to eat; I try to adhere to established eating schedule at all time; I feel uncomfortable when I am hungry.

4. My appetite is above average; I enjoy consuming abundant quantities of tasty food and drinks. I consider myself a gourmet, like to cook, try new recipes, and to share food with others.

5. I am constantly hungry and thinking of food. I eat a lot and without choosing; my voracity doesn't embarrass me. I am obese.

Sexual Instinct (SI)

0. I have no desire for sex. The thought of sex disgusts me or leaves indifferent at best.

1. I feel like having sex once or twice a year. I don’t experience joy or relief from the sexual intercourse. I prefer erotic fantasies.

2. I want to have sex no more than once a month. The romantic aspect of relationships interests me more than the sex. I am not confident in my sexual abilities.

3. I have “normal” sexual needs - 2-3-4 times a week. I don’t experience any discomfort or doubts (during intercourse) and almost always have orgasm.

4. I have a strong sexual drive; with the person I love I can have sex every day - during sex I don’t hold back and experience no doubts.

5. I have a constant and irresistible sexual desire. Sex is my life. Word “love” means nothing to me. I like “kinky” sex. I thought about homosexual relationships.

Parenting (maternity-faternity) instinct (PI)

0. I hate children and I don’t have any. I don’t like cats or dogs neither.

1. I don’t like children and I don’t have any - I prefer pets.

2. I don’t want to have children, but I will have a child if my spouse insists.

3. I love my 1-2 children (which I planned to have); the burden of bringing them up is easy for me.

4. I want children very much and want to have more of them; I carry my children-related choirs willingly - I love brining-up children; children love me.

5. Children are the meaning of my life, I adore them and willing to sacrifice and forgive them everything. I would have no problems bringing-up adopted children.

Learning Instinct (LI)

0. I don’t have any desire to study (I consider it useless).

1. Studying has never given me pleasure.

2. I sometimes overhearing conversations about new books, but I don’t like to read them. I enjoy the main stream television entertainment.

3. I always liked studying and learning; I maintain my education and try to keep it current; however I am not interested in becoming a “scientist” - I just want to know enough to succeed in life.

4. Books, reading, and education are an important part of my life; I collect books, however I am not a “book fanatic”. Learning gives me joy and inspiration.

5. The search for anything new in science and art is the meaning of my life; I always read or write. I am dedicated to learning new things.

The above attempt of subdividing instincts into quantifiable stages is necessary for a better understanding of the instincts’ intrinsic unity - it was said by G. Galilee that the Nature is written in a language of mathematics.

It seems that the individual’s complexity derives itself from a rather limited number of the basic components - the structure with the large number of components would have less chances to succeed in the harsh environment of the natural selection. It is consistent with the principal of biological efficiency, that the number of the basic components of the life sustaining system was reduced to a minimum to allow for it’s both simple (compact) organization and complex biological interpretation. It is known, that just four nucleic acids (adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine) are responsible for the rich biological interpretation of an individual genome.

In the biological variation row, an instinct, as a anatomo-physiological block, can be viewed as occupying a position between the cell with it’s genome and the rest of the living organism.

The anatomo-physiological system, comprising 5 united blocks, is a likely structure that is responsible for successful preservation of the species on Earth.

The learning instinct played a unique role. It bridged biological and spiritual domains, producing a social human being. At the turning of the 21st century, human intelligence is an increasingly important factor of progress. The episystem, based on the science and exact knowledge, plays an increasingly important role in controlling often destructive basic biological drives (aggression, destruction, wars).

Let’s assume that all instincts are in the state of dynamic equilibrium, or closed. This condition cannot be prolonged indefinitely - a simple hunger will cause stress, according to Ceilie, physiologically expressed as hypoglycemia. In response, the body activates a compensation mechanism. The feeding instinct signals to the brain, where the learning instinct, presiding on the top of the instinctive decision tree, processes that signal: search for food either to be delayed or to be started immediately.

The intensity of the signal determines it’s dominance (A.A. Ukhtomsky). The endurance threshold varies from individual to individual and is the lowest among infants, and retarded or infantile individuals. Conversely, strong individuals are assumed to have a higher tolerance or endurance threshold to a prolonged signal dominance.

Let’s consider the Ivan P. Pavlov’s theory on conditioning in the context of the instincts. Given, an individual is not provided with all he may need in a course of his life. Instead, the individual is provided with the unconditional reflexes and the ability to form from them the conditional reflexes, appropriate to a given life situation. In the words of the great Russian poet A.C. Pushkin, we spend our lives learning “something somehow”, or developing new conditional reflexes.

Those who failed to form appropriate conditional reflexes were doomed to extinction, i.e., dinosaurs.

The reflexes provide a framework necessary for the instincts’ realization. The instincts deriving from the unconditional reflexes are expected to be more basic and with more primitive social patterns (i.e. egoism). On the other hand, the instincts deriving from the conditional reflexes are expected to be more complex and with more advanced social patterns (i.e. altruistic egoism).

Does this perspective afford any benefit to a practicing physician? I think it does. Analysis of the instinctive status of a patient provides objective references against which his condition(s) can be judged more accurately and comprehensively. It is especially true for uncovering the diseases of adaptation - neurosis, depression, psychosomatic disorders - which are a leading cause among patients visiting physician’s office.

We believe that the revision of physician’s practices in a context of evaluating the patient’s instinctive status is long overdue. We will not be at all surprised, if such a revision will result in the formation of a new discipline - Clinical Instinctology.

1. Z. Freud. Lectures on Introduction to Psychoanalyses. Vol.1-2 M. 1922.

2. S.A. Ovsyannikov. History and Epistemology of the Borderline Psychiatry, p. 179-183.

3. A.A. Ukhtomsky. A Study on Physiological Dominant. Vol. 1-6, L, 1945-1962.

A person is born with instincts. These are innate qualities that help an individual fight for his survival from childhood. Undoubtedly, without the help of adults, a child will not survive, even using his instincts. However, with a joint tandem, a person survives.

Instincts are given to everyone from birth. The basic instincts are sucking, grasping, and crying. In the first days of life, a person needs only sleep, food and defecation. Only then does he begin to gradually develop his skills, creating more variety in his life.

A person never loses his instincts. He just stops using them as he develops. The skills he has developed and turned into habits are increasingly coming to the fore. However, in particularly stressful situations, when the individual does not control his behavior, instincts control his behavior. Let's remember the desire to run when a dog attacks you, or the search for food when you feel hungry.

Examples of instincts include:

Eat something sweet because it calms you down.
Drink alcohol to reduce mental activity.
Hug yourself, wrap yourself up, or surround yourself with nice people when you feel bad.

Instincts can change the form of their manifestation. However, they do not disappear on their own. In every situation, a person looks for a way to calm himself, satisfy physiological needs and give rest. Without this, a person will not pursue other goals and aspirations.

What is instinct?

Instincts are part of every person. In an unconscious state or in the absence of mental activity, a person completely obeys his instincts. We can say that even adults sometimes perform automatic actions that are dictated by instincts.

An automatic action that does not require control by the human consciousness is called instinct. It is an innate quality aimed at satisfying the basic needs of the body. A person wants to eat, rest, reproduce and protect himself - these are basic instincts that satisfy the desires of the body.

At the level of instincts, humans are practically no different from animals. Higher species the animal world goes further. They satisfy not only their physiological needs in the ways that are inherent in them by nature, but also develop their skills. For example, predators practice hunting skills.

A person begins to control his actions as he develops. The habits that she develops become more and more important and displace instinctive actions. Sometimes a person consciously acts, that is, controls his behavior. However, instincts do not sleep either. In a situation of stress or unconsciousness, a person acts automatically.

Automatic actions should be distinguished from each other because they are:

Instincts are unconditioned reflexes.
Habits are conditioned reflexes.

Human instincts

Every person has instincts. They are the basic and first driving forces that contribute to survival. However, over time, a person suppresses them by learning socially acceptable behavior, which becomes a habit. Even in such a situation, instincts do not disappear or be forgotten. Sometimes you can notice how people behave inappropriately in specific situations. What does this mean?

Instincts do not disappear anywhere, they are simply suppressed by conditioned reflexes or conscious, volitional activity. If the blocking system does not work in a particular situation, then the person begins to behave instinctively. He does not become crazy, but simply acts automatically, where the only goal is protection or survival.

As development progresses, instinctive manifestations may change. However, they always remain in a person. The basic instincts are:

Self-preservation.
Power.
Reproduction.

If a person is subject to his instincts, then he is easy to control.

The peculiarity of instincts is that they can suppress each other. Let's take the example of sexual infidelity, when a man takes the risk of sleeping with a woman, not being sure that her husband will not find them. The instinct of reproduction suppresses the instinct of self-preservation, but they can then switch if a husband appears (the person will stop having sex and begin to protect himself).

Instincts are also the basis for the development of fears. If a person does not take an action because it threatens him with something, then he develops fears.

Human behavior under the influence of instincts can be very different from the actions that he does consciously. Automatic actions are rude, primitive, thoughtless, which can be negatively perceived by society.

Instincts are important biological reflexes that are inherent in humans. They help in his survival. The rest depends on how a person wants to live. Then he begins to develop certain skills and habits. Instincts do not need to be learned, they are already in a person. However, the progression of society affected how people continued to use their innate actions.

The need for socialization forces people to abandon their instinctive behavior and develop other skills. To some extent this affects human health. Without using his natural stimuli, a person stops using his physiological potential. This leads to decreased vision, hearing, the appearance of muscle weakness, the development of various diseases in the form of atrophy of individual cells, etc.

On the other hand, a person cannot live at the level of instincts, because then he will be completely rejected by society. He needs to learn to walk, talk, read and perform other actions in order to be adapted to the conditions that society has come up with.

Types of instincts

The following types of instincts are considered:

Reproductive: parental and sexual.
Social: related, conformal, vertical and horizontal consolidation, kleptomania, unrelated isolation.
Adaptation to environment: territorial, search and gathering, constructive, migration, limiting the number of species, veterinary and agricultural, landscape preferences, hunting and fishing.
Communicative: gestures and facial expressions, non-verbal, linguistic.

Instincts are embedded in every individual. They can manifest themselves both independently and in interaction with other people. In turn, they are aimed exclusively at satisfying physiological needs. That is, instincts are short-term in the period of their manifestation (as soon as a person has satisfied his desires, the instinct to perform the desired action disappears).

The first group includes the instincts of reproduction and the manifestation of parental qualities. A person needs not only to impregnate a woman so that she can have a child, but also to support and help the child during the period of his helplessness (otherwise he would die). The absence of these instincts would have already destroyed humanity, since people would not reproduce and would not take care of their own offspring.

The second group includes social instincts that encourage each person to unite with other people. The absence of this incentive would lead to the death of the individual, who would not be able to cope with the entire burden of the environment. By uniting in groups, a person instinctively agrees to some suppression of himself, subordination, and adherence to hierarchy. In such a situation, it is very easy to manipulate those who seek to preserve the group.

A person first of all strives to preserve his genome. Therefore, he unites into families. At the same time, there is aggression and competition with those who are not family members. A person fights to preserve the purity of his gene.

In addition, the individual always strives to unite with another person. Cooperation is where no one is subordinate to anyone. However, people unite because it is much easier to complete a task or solve a problem together than individually.

By uniting, people create:

Vertical consolidation - when an individual agrees to obey and infringe on his freedom in order to be part of a group. At the same time, the team has a leader and obeys clear rules that cannot be destroyed.
Horizontal consolidation is when people unite of their own free will on the basis of altruism. A person will do something good for the sake of another individual in order to subsequently receive some kind of benefit or help from him. We are not talking about selfless altruism here.

When in contact with his opponents, a person exhibits kleptomania - he deceives, robs, and steals. This is considered quite normal from the biological side, when a person takes care of himself and his loved ones, brings them what he could take from others.

Instincts to adapt to the environment are irrelevant today. However, in the old days, a person always sought to find a place where it would be convenient for him to survive and satisfy his needs.

When uniting with people, a person is forced to look for ways to communicate with them. Verbal and non-verbal signs are used here. If previously they were primitive, then over time society created its own language that helps people understand each other. This makes them civilized people, although from birth a person does not know his language.

Examples of instincts

The most frequently manifested instinct is the desire for self-preservation. His vivid examples appear almost everywhere:

A person takes care of his own health when he gets sick.
He avoids those places and situations where he may be in danger of death.
Defends himself physically and verbally when attacked.
A person dresses warmly when he feels that he is freezing.
The person undresses so that his body temperature is comfortable.
He begins to look for food to satisfy his hunger and drink to eliminate his thirst.

Simply put, the instinct of self-preservation is aimed at preserving the integrity and vital functions of the human body.

The instinct of reproduction is aimed at preserving the species. Nature requires that man preserve his species. It is important for a family that new generations appear that will continue their lineage. Here the instinct is manifested not only to conceive a child, but also to protect him, raise him, and make him an independent person. Sometimes parental love goes beyond boundaries when adults overprotect their children, even when they themselves have become adults and independent, or are irresponsible towards their development.

Wanting to become part of a society where privileges will be given, one can manipulate someone and even live at someone else’s expense, forces a person to care about being attractive in appearance and possessing useful communication skills. A person can sacrifice himself and even submit when necessary, if in the end this will allow him to receive certain benefits from others.

Bottom line

Instincts are innate reflexes that a person cannot eliminate from his life. From time to time, every person obeys his instincts, which makes him act absurdly and primitively. However, instincts are a part that is better to study and observe yourself than to fight it pointlessly.

Hello, dear blog readers! Today we will talk about what it is and what human instincts are, as well as what is the difference from the animal world. Why do we need them and in what cases are they hypertrophied, or, conversely, very weak.

What is this?

A long time ago, in Ancient Greece, thinkers and simply smart men noticed that it is human nature to react and behave in the same way in unsafe conditions. The instincts themselves are in the hemocode, and they consist of reflexes, which in turn are:

Conditional – that is, those that a person acquired during his life. The simplest example is when you turn on the light as soon as you enter the room. You were not born with this knowledge and habit, but acquired it as you grew older. And now you don’t even notice how your hand reaches for the switch.
Unconditional respectively, those that we received at birth. It’s rare that someone doesn’t withdraw their hand after touching a hot frying pan or iron, right? This is an unconditioned reflex.

Instincts can be influenced by religion, law, norms and rules of behavior, education or lack thereof. For example, in a family where parents abuse overprotection, controlling every step of the child, then what kind of independence can we talk about? He won’t really understand in which situations he should be careful, and in which, on the contrary, he should show up.

Such stories most often have two versions of events.

First: a child, growing up, remains to live with his parents, since in order to create a family, you need at least a little independence and the ability to rely on yourself.

Second: he tries in every possible way to escape, becomes uncontrollable and aggressive towards those who care for him. The stories of the second option usually end more successfully.

To make it clearer how you can influence instincts, let's first look at what they are.

Species

1. The most basic and basic thing is self-preservation

If for some reason it is not weakened, then your behavior will not be risky, gambling and destructive. For example, you will not climb into a cage with tigers, you will not jump without a parachute and provoke a group of athletes. Even at birth, a child unconsciously reaches out to his mother, experiencing great anxiety if he is left alone, because his life depends on others. That is why babies begin to smile so early, rejoicing at the approach of someone who cares, so that the desire to be picked up and approached to the crib more often does not fade away.

2.Procreation

It also begins to appear in childhood, in a feeling of happiness when the whole family is together, and the child subconsciously “reads” any conflicts, no matter how adults try to hide the discord. Then he begins to make himself felt in his desire to create his own separate family, give birth to a baby and take care of him. Hypertrophied when a person engages in promiscuity, along with indifference to his safety. Or weakly expressed when there is no desire to have heirs, devoting time and energy to other interests and desires.

3.Altruism

The first two reflexes were the main ones that help a person survive. Now let's move on to more social ones, ensuring socialization and successful activities. And the first will be altruism, which is expressed in caring for others, both people and animals, this is compassion and empathy, the desire for peace and goodness. When it is strongly expressed, a person is able to devote his life to caring for those who need it, but not just devote it, but make a sacrifice, for example, by going to a monastery.

4.Research

Aimed at developing a person, both creatively and in other areas. Thanks to curiosity, young children learn about the world, and depending on the environment in which they grow up, their abilities and aspirations develop. Examples of successful research activities for which they were not punished, but encouraged, are great scientists, travelers, famous creative personalities and other people following their interest.

5.Dominance

This is the need for leadership and power. People who have a pronounced dominance are able to lead a crowd, organize and manage. Have you noticed that even in the company of small children there is always a “ringleader”? No group can do without a leader, even an indirect one. It often happens that a person who has previously had no leadership experience, finding himself in a company in which power has not yet been distributed, takes the honorable place of leader. And it doesn’t matter in what way, either he wins the championship himself, or is chosen by the other participants.

6. Maintaining your dignity

Only in an exaggerated form people sometimes ignore their innate instincts. For example, they are ready to risk their health and life in order to defend their honor or rightness. When the level is very weak, then a person has low self-esteem, as a result of which he allows not only humiliation towards himself, but also violence. There are often cases when a self-confident woman begins a relationship with a tyrant who constantly devalues her, bringing her to such a state that she really stops believing in her strength, intelligence and attractiveness. He becomes a victim who is now easy to manipulate and control, because he will endure everything.

7.Freedom and independence

It appears in infancy, when trying to swaddle a newborn, during normal development. During rebellion in adolescence, if it is not suppressed. Thanks to the need for freedom, a person develops social skills, increases the likelihood of success, creating a family and, in general, a high-quality independent life. A person is able to bear responsibility and rely on himself, as he has experience.

Differences from animals

The most basic difference is that a person is able to control or suppress his needs, especially in those moments when they contradict the law or rules of behavior. With various mental disorders, a person loses the ability to control, which manifests itself, for example, in excessive consumption of food, that is, overeating, or, conversely, refusal of it in case of anorexia, promiscuity, any type of addiction, etc. In such cases, a person becomes like an animal whose main instincts are preservation and procreation.

Animals do not know how to suppress their reflexes, they have no concept of morality, therefore a cat or dog during the period of heat is not selective in choosing a partner; on the contrary, the more of them there are, the higher the probability of having offspring.

Predators kill without feeling pity, just to get enough and feed their young; this, by the way, sometimes doesn’t really distinguish us from animals. Unfortunately, many people are capable of murder for their own gain. And in some ways, animals turn out to be more “humane”, in those cases when they show unspeakable fidelity, creating only one pair in their entire lives, and sometimes they are even ready to die if they lose a partner, or spend the rest of their days alone.

Conclusion

And that’s all for today, dear readers! Subscribe to the blog to stay up to date with new interesting information, maintain your curiosity, because this is the key to success. Take care of yourself and your loved ones!

The material for the article was prepared by Alina Zhuravina.