Dominants are pockets of excitement that dominate others over a given period of time. They are located in the central nervous system. The principle of dominance was studied and formulated by the scientist A.A. Ukhtomsky. But this concept has long gone beyond the boundaries of the science of physiology. It is used in psychology, culture and even sexology.
What is a dominant physiology?
Dominant is a persistent excitation, it necessarily takes on the importance of the dominant factor in the work of other foci. This center is able to accumulate in itself the excitement coming from individual sources. It can also cause the process of inhibition in other foci, while they can no longer respond to the pulses that come to them. For example, in a burst of creativity, a person can completely forget not only about food, but also about sleep. Sometimes this leads to exhaustion of the body. This is an example of a physiological dominant. The question remains, is this condition harmful?
There is such a thing as pathological dominants. This is an enhanced breakthrough in the central nervous system of the focus of excitation. The reason for the formation of such a dominant can be stress, infection, trauma. In addition, a strong emotion can provoke this condition: resentment, pain, fear or anger.
Unlike physiological, pathological dominants are harmful to humans. They limit its ability to adapt to the environment. Such a dominant contributes to the formation in the body of conditions that delay or cause a relapse of the disease process.
The principle of dominance
All moments in our life create favorable conditions under which any one function or activity becomes more significant than others. This is the principle of dominance. This means that the performance of one particular important function suppresses the other, less significant. Many examples can be given from the animal world. The cat, at the time of estrus isolated from males, loses all interest in food and other needs. At this point in time, its dominant is the process of reproduction. And everything that does not belong to this function is suppressed. This is a sexual dominant. To suppress such a state is almost impossible. Even the introduction of bromide preparations will not affect the behavior of the cat. It is extremely difficult to erase the physiological dominant.
Doctrine of dominant
According to Ukhtomsky, the dominant is a complex of certain symptoms that are detected in the body: in secretory work, in muscles, in vascular activity. It is important to understand that this is not a single focus of excitation in the central nervous system, but a set of centers with increased excitability in various places of the brain and spinal cord and, of course, in the autonomous system. Ukhtomsky believed that dominants have the ability to transform into any mental state. Moreover, it is the prerogative of the cerebral cortex, it is a common property of the entire central nervous system.
Dominant culture
The concept of dominance has found its application in the field of culture. It reflects a general way of understanding and seeing the world, a person’s attitude to the social sphere and, of course, to nature. Dominant can take place in national culture. She helps to carry her foundations through generations unified and unchanged. These are traditions, beliefs, national elements in clothes.
Of course, the dominant culture has a deeper meaning. It reflects the semantic unity of historical eras, determines the stability of thinking and understanding of the world, integrates society into a spiritual-semantic whole. In all historical epochs, some kind of cultural dominant was the life-orienting beginning. In the ancient world, it was a cosmocentric model. In medieval culture - Christianity, in the Renaissance - humanism. Currently, the dominant idea is the technological subordination of the surrounding nature. Moments of dominant change occur under the influence of a dialogical meeting or as a result of creative variations of traditions. But meanwhile, such a breakdown always entails catastrophic consequences for the semantic unity of society.
Dominant in psychology
The concept of "dominant" in psychology is a primary goal. It is she who directs all the desires, actions and instincts of a person to its fulfillment. At the same time, all other needs become secondary. It turns out that the dominant is that which is priority for the person in comparison with other desires.
Examples of psychological dominance
Examples of dominants can be given a variety of. For example, in women, this can be clearly seen during pregnancy, lactation, and especially at the time of childbirth. Another example is a person suffering from alcoholism. Moreover, addiction is the dominant. A person usually understands this, but alcohol gives him an imaginary feeling of relaxation and freedom. This for him becomes more important than his own health and clarity of mind. Another example is a workaholic man. All his thoughts are occupied by work. He does not react to his family, he does not hear indignation of his life partner. For him, wealth is more important than family values.
What is currently more important for a person in comparison with other factors, and determines his actions and actions. He will follow the lead of his dominant, even if he himself does not like his own actions. That is why conflicts sometimes occur. Unaware of their dominants, people deceive and do not keep their word. They cannot pretend and go against their desires. Sometimes the desire to achieve the desired (bottles of vodka, a new thing, a high position) push a person to commit a crime. At the same time, he finds an excuse: "to get what you want, all means are good." It is the dominant that dictates to man how to live.
Maternal dominant
During the expectation of a child, expectant mothers have a change in values, dominants change. This happens under the influence of hormones. A very persistent maternal dominant is formed in the body, that is, excitation in some specific foci of the brain is gradually growing and firmly held. In parallel there is braking in other centers, what used to be paramount, fades into the background. Due to emotional changes, a pregnant woman becomes more vulnerable and sentimental. She can be upset and even cry over one offensive word.
With an increase in gestational age, a woman is redefining her life. Old dominants are replaced by new ones. She thinks about how her life will change after the birth of the baby. A woman in a position has new hobbies and interests. She can start sewing or knitting, although before pregnancy she was not at all interested in it. All her attention, as a rule, is aimed at making and giving birth to a healthy baby. The maternal dominant has three forms: gestational, lactational and generic. But each of them is certainly associated with her child.
Gestational dominant
As soon as a woman finds out that she will become a mother after a while, the gestational dominant takes effect. Over nine months, her priorities and life values are fundamentally changing. She consciously and unconsciously does everything to endure her baby without complications. She tries to avoid scandals, stress. He drives away fears and worries from himself, because he understands that this can lead to a violation of the normal course of pregnancy.
Generic dominant
This dominant is formed immediately before labor. In this case, all the thoughts of a woman are occupied by the early appearance of the baby. Generic dominant is a preparation for imminent changes in life. It is noticed that a week before childbirth the behavior of the expectant mother becomes strange. She then goes into herself, or, on the contrary, begins to breed violent activity: she carefully cleans the house, remodels all the diapers, starts collecting the bag in the hospital. Even at the time of contractions, she can, as they say, “wander out”. There were times when a woman, not wanting to give birth, for example, on the 13th, programmed herself so that her labor lasted until the next day, after which she quickly and easily gave birth.
Lactational dominant
After the birth of a child, other dominants influence the woman. This occurs during breastfeeding. This process helps the mother to establish an emotional relationship with the baby. An important role is also given to the intonation of the woman's voice, her facial expressions and physical touch. After childbirth, the mother and baby are a kind of symbiosis. This effect allows a woman to adequately relate to night lifts, diaper changes, and so on.
Is it possible to change the dominant?
There are different types of dominants - these are useful, for example, the desire to be healthy and see your family happy, and harmful (smoking and alcoholism). However, the latter can be completely eliminated. There are two ways to do this. In the first case, it can be destroyed, in the second, replace another.
If the first method was chosen, then a person will fundamentally have to reconsider all his life values and priorities. For example, if a person is in love unrequitedly, he will have to realize all the hopelessness of the situation and, more difficult, to accept this fact. This will require both willpower and time. But the end result will be positive. The dominant will be destroyed.
In the second case, it is necessary to replace one desire with another. For example, a person with a strong alcohol addiction decides to “tie up” to save his family and work. In this embodiment, the pernicious dominant is replaced by a more useful one. The result is a complete deliverance from a harmful lifestyle.
Dominant in sexual relations
In sexology, there is also the concept of dominant. It is expressed in the relationship between people during intercourse. A person who obeys the will of another and follows his desires is called submissive. A dominant is one who leads and dominates. He takes an active position and fully controls the submissive.