ORCID: 0009-0007-1227-0613Date: June 2025Document Type: Interdisciplinary Academic EssayLicense: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Declaration of InterestsThe author declares no conflicts of interest regarding the preparation and publication of this work.AbstractThis essay examines the notion of mental and emotional regulation, framed as internal balance and free will, based on the work of Maimonides, integrating his writings with contemporary neuroscience. Through an analysis of texts such as Shmona Perakim, Hiljot Deot, and Moreh Nevukhim, it demonstrates how his guidance on regulating behavior, emotions, language, environment, and imagination can be interpreted not only as ethical prescriptions but also as functional strategies that promote the stability of the nervous system. The work contrasts these traditional sources with neurobiological concepts such as synaptic plasticity, sensory control, cortical integration, and the evolutionary organization of the brain, revealing a significant convergence between Maimonides' twelfth-century perspective and current mechanisms of neuromodulation. The essay avoids adopting modern clinical or psychological categories, focusing instead on a neurophysiological and functional reading that preserves the original spiritual and normative framework. It thus proposes an interdisciplinary view of non-physical health, understood as a dynamic disposition that requires continuous monitoring and adjustment. This approach allows the classical precepts of Hebrew thought to be considered valid tools for strengthening human adaptive capacities.KeywordsMaimonides, Rambam, emotional balance, free will, neuroscience, behavioral regulation, synaptic plasticity IntroductionIn the 12th century, Moshe ben Maimon—known as Maimonides or Rambam—formulated a series of directives concerning the life of the spirit, behavior, the body, and the mind, with the goal of promoting a state of comprehensive health in the human being. These guidelines, developed within a medieval context, are presented as practical norms aimed at preserving internal balance and sustaining free will. Remarkably, many of these principles, far from being outdated, find current validation through advances in neuroscience. Through an integrative approach, this study examines classical texts by Maimonides—such as Shmona Perakim, Hilchot Deot, and Moreh Nevukhim—in conjunction with contemporary concepts such as synaptic plasticity, cortical integration, sensory processing, and the evolutionary development of the nervous system. This work seeks to highlight the convergence between self-care practices articulated nearly a thousand years ago and the biological mechanisms that make them intelligible today. This integration allows Rambam's teachings to be reinterpreted as applicable self-regulation strategies, useful for strengthening health in contemporary contexts. Principles of Emotional Regulation According to Maimonides and Their Contemporary Neuroscientific CorrelatesBehavior Should Be Directed Toward BalanceMaimonides states in Shmona Perakim:What we eat, what we drink, our work, our rest, and all our behaviors must directly or indirectly support our emotional balance.This means that human beings can—and must—direct all their behavior toward a specific goal: emotional balance (Shmona Perakim 5, 1). When eating, it should not be merely for the pleasure of taste; when drinking, not for the pleasure of drinking; when resting, not for the pleasure of sleeping; and when earning money, not for the pleasure of accumulating wealth (Hiljot Deot 3, 5). All actions must aim at what is healthy (Hiljot Deot 3, 6), regardless of whether they are pleasurable (Shmona Perakim 5, 2). The ultimate goal of our behavior should not be bodily health as an end in itself, but rather as a necessary condition to achieve emotional balance (Hiljot Deot 3, 9).The idea proposed by Maimonides—that human behavior should be directed toward a defined goal, emotional balance—finds resonance in modern neuroscience. As Flor and Turk explain \cite{wall2004}: People are capable of and should be actively involved as agents of change in modifying maladaptive thoughts, sensations, and behaviors.This capacity for self-direction is rooted in the structure of the human brain, which consists of three major components reflecting different evolutionary stages, each with a degree of functional autonomy \cite{c2009}. The reptilian brain corresponds to the autonomic nervous system; the paleomammalian brain to the limbic system; and the neomammalian brain to the cerebral cortex. This model—known as Paul MacLean’s triune brain—suggests that behaviors can be driven by various levels of the nervous system, and that the more recently evolved structures can regulate the older ones. One of the central functions of the cortical association areas is to integrate perceptions, plan actions, and regulate behavior \cite{e2005}, enabling human beings to act not merely on impulse but according to an internal purpose. From a biological standpoint, this purpose is linked to the need to maintain internal stability—homeostasis. As Damasio explains, life depends on maintaining specific biochemical parameters within a narrow range, since extreme deviations in key components of the global profile can lead to illness or even death \cite{1994}.Thus, the hierarchical organization of the nervous system supports the idea that directing behavior toward balance—as Maimonides proposed—is not merely an idealistic conception, but a structurally embedded functional necessity.
