addition to eating, several other functions are performed by the cranial nerves. The visceral afferent (sensory) branches of cranial nerves V, VII, IX, X, and XI gather information from our visceral organs: Are we safe, threatened, or in mortal danger? Does our body feel healthy, or is there an imbalance, pain, dysfunction, or illness? If we are safe and healthy, these nerves facilitate the desirable state of social engagement.
