Briefly, three systems in the brain are involved in how attachment influences our deepest networks. One is the reward system that extends from the downstairs to the upstairs brain. Attachment is rewarding. The second is the system that senses and regulates the body—and thus is fundamental to our sense of survival. The third is sometimes called the “mentalizing” network, meaning how we sense the mind of our caregivers and ultimately of ourselves with what we simply call mindsight.
