Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is part of the forebrain, the same part of the

brain from which the cerebral hemispheres develop. The hypothalamus

provides a connecting link between the cerebral cortex

and the pituitary gland. Though the pituitary gland is considered the

master gland, nevertheless, there are stimulatory and inhibitory

agents originating in the hypothalamus, which regulate pituitary functions.

This ancient area in our brain is also intimately concerned

with the regulation of energy balance through the control of appetite,

sleep, body temperature, the regulation of sexual function and

control of water balance.

Disturbances in the hypothalamus may cause such endocrine

disorders as sexual precocity, absence of appetite with extreme

loss of weight, diabetes insipidus and disorganization of the sleep

pattern.

Indeed, the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland are both functionally

and anatomically related. Our thoughts, our hopes and joys,

our worries and our sorrows, our very nervous constitution all profoundly

influence the hypothalamus-pituitary complex. In the Taoist

Esoteric System, the energy center of Tien-Ting (in the mid-point

of the forehead) corresponds to the hypothalamus.