What gives the body landscape its character at a given moment is not just a set of neural signals but also a set of chemical signals that modify the mode in which neural signals are processed. Think of this as the reason why certain chemical substances have played a major role in so many cultures; and consider that the drug problem that our society currently faces—and I refer to both illegal and legal drugs—cannot be solved without understanding in depth the neural mechanisms we are discussing here.
The problem with the assertion is that virtually nobody is capable, interested, or motivated with that level of specificity. Add to that the fact that hegemonic solutions to most complex phenomena considered descriptively or prescriptively typically fail on multiple levels.
