Reasoning has been shown to be profoundly influenced by emotional and somatic—bodily—processes; the neocortex’s activity is directly shaped by the neuronal processes of the limbic system and the brain stem. Emotions and bodily states influence reasoning. Our “higher,” more evolved neocortex does not call the shots by itself. The social, emotional, and bodily processing of the other areas of the brain directly shape the abstract perceptions and reasoning of the neocortex. • • •
