Neural basis of self

Ok kiddo, let's talk about our brain and how it makes us feel like we are us!

Our brain is kind of like a big control center that helps us see, feel, and think. When you look in the mirror, your brain is responsible for making you recognize that it is you that you are seeing. This is called self-awareness, and it's a really important part of being human.

Now, scientists have studied the brain a lot to figure out how it makes us feel like we are ourselves. They've found that there are certain areas of the brain that are really important for this. One big one is called the prefrontal cortex.

The prefrontal cortex is like the boss of the brain. It helps us make decisions and plan things, but it also plays a really important role in how we see ourselves.

Another important part of the brain for the "self" is called the insula. This part of the brain helps us feel different things, like emotions and sensations. When we feel a certain way, that feeling is actually happening in our insula.

Finally, there's something called the default mode network. This is a bunch of different parts of the brain that work together to help us think about ourselves and our past experiences. When we think about our memories or what we did yesterday, that's our default mode network at work.

So, all of these different parts of the brain work together to help us have a sense of self. We recognize our own reflection, we feel our emotions and sensations, and we think about ourselves and our past experiences. It's pretty cool, huh?