Do other parts of our body beside our brain play a fundamental part in the formation, continuance or use of our personalities, habits, instincts or intelligence?
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An 8-year-old girl received the heart of a 10-year-old girl who had been murdered. The recipient ended up at a psychiatrist’s office, plagued by nightmares about her donor’s murderer. She said she knew who the man was. After a few sessions, the psychiatrist decided to notify the police. Following the girl’s instructions, they tracked down the murderer. The man was convicted on evidence she had provided the first clues about: the time, the weapon, the place, the clothes he wore, what his victim told him. Everything the girl said turned out to be true.
Bob, it has recently (in last 10 or so years) been shown that we have both a cardiac brain (approx. 40,000 neurons) and an enteric [gut] brain (approx. 100 Million neurons). These large chunks of neural tissue apparently constitute functional brains in their own right and communicate via the vagus nerve to the head brain.
It is highly possible that when a heart/lung transplant occurs, that after some months, the brain in the transplanted organ begins to reconnect and send signals to the nervous system. It’s also possible that the heart brain may communicate via hormones, cytokines and other messenger molecules.
This may help explain why in certain cases, where some sort of connection has managed to occur via neurogenesis, there is evidence of emerging donor personality traits and memories.
For me, this whole thing only makes consideration and development of the rational organ (brain) to be less of a focus. It suggests, for me, that there might be other ways to get changes you want in yourself other than focusing on the development of the mind. This is important since I have always tried to focus on developing my mind in lieu of body, where stopping the neglect towards other parts of myself could have gotten me greater gains rather than the possibly diminishing returns of focusing solely on 'brain development.' Basically, getting balance and exercise as a means of power over oneself.
Satyr Daemon
Gender : Posts : 37186 Join date : 2009-08-24 Age : 58 Location : Hyperborea
Shift in the understanding of inheritance (BBC 2005) suggests a break through in the inheritance of emotions, traits and beliefs, suggesting our very identity, was passed down through generations via our DNA. The “discovery of epigenetics – hidden influences upon the genes – could affect every aspect of our lives. A ‘memory’ of an event could be passed through generations.” (BBC: 2005)
Our cells act as if we have been through the same trauma, from our life expectancy to emotional apprehensions of poverty or survival not based on present day reality, but on the decades before reality by our ancestors of long ago.
This raises the question, do we really have a choice, if we were born with a specific identity trait, already and waiting in our genes?
This is also about organ memory, and the reported sensations of people who have received transplanted organs form other people. It also refers to Jung's Collective Unconscious and how certain imagery, certain myths, repeat across time and geographies - like the deluge/flood myth. Also how certain shapes, colors, always trigger emotions and subconscious sensations.
This is evidence that the brain may be the central hub, of the nervous system, but the nervous system is older than the brain. It explains the idea that consciousness is something external, or voices in the mind (schizophrenia), and Jaynes Bicameral Mind.
Psychology is the study of the relationship between organs, in the same body, and how this results in a personality, a character.
Every cell in our body stores data. The brain simply collects all this data and incorporates them into abstractions, models.
_________________ γνῶθι σεαυτόν μηδέν άγαν
Anfang
Gender : Posts : 3989 Join date : 2013-01-23 Age : 40 Location : Castra Alpine Grug
This raises the question, do we really have a choice, if we were born with a specific identity trait, already and waiting in our genes?
We have a potential. A potential for muscle strength, agility, mind activity and I also believe that basic character traits are passed along, down the lines of generations. But we do have a choice to develop those potentials or not, and in which direction we make them grow.
"Fate and soul are two names for the same principle." - Novalis
And soul is the body, the individual. In that sense we are destined. But that destiny is a potential. And the more of the pieces are placed on the board the clearer the vision becomes. The shrouded vision is already there at the beginning of a life, layed out by its past, that which came before.
reasonvemotion
Gender : Posts : 681 Join date : 2013-01-09 Location : The Female Spirit
"Fate and soul are two names for the same principle." - Novalis
And soul is the body, the individual. In that sense we are destined. But that destiny is a potential. And the more of the pieces are placed on the board the clearer the vision becomes. The shrouded vision is already there at the beginning of a life, layed out by its past, that which came before.
We are lived by powers we pretend to understand. Wystan Auden
We are up against the huge limitations of the mind and of language, in attempting to understand the powers that are living us.
What does the mind do? It imagines, images, moments of insight, formula, creative actvitty of the mind in general. The rational mind dominating does not do the job. The mind creates living realities that can speak to us, so then what is profoundly personal? Would it be childhood memories, intimacies, memories of being jilted, disappointments, these are not profound, these happen to everyone.
What is profound is the encounter with one's own soul, this is the profoundly personal. Uncovering what is in the depths of the soul and the fate that was given to us, that is what is not common to us all, that changes what is important to our lives, being lived by powers we are trying to understand, it takes a courageous attempt, to" let it be done to me", to drop into that abyss to allow the phenomenon to speak, to have its say, how difficult this is to let them speak, to allow the voices to speak and be personified.
The profundity of one's personal life, is its importance and search, not the meaning, but the images and voices that carry you through, which is so different from the technology, economics and reason we live today. We live in such a narrow, technological, rational, explanatory causal way of thinking, that we have shrunk our mindset.
Anfang
Gender : Posts : 3989 Join date : 2013-01-23 Age : 40 Location : Castra Alpine Grug
I believe there are different temperaments in people. One way of splitting them up would be using the four humors Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, Phlegmatic. But either way, I think that most people are a mix of different aspects. And experiencing and getting to know those different ways in oneself is a part of maturation.
How things are expressed and how they come about are often quite different. Someone could do a lot of thinking and then create a painting which tries to capture that essence. Or the solution could just appear in one's mind while the process was happening mostly unconsciously or intuitively. Then later that person could use his other capacities, his senses, his thinking,... to try and find reasons why it makes sense or why it doesn't. And then finally, present a very logical, rational case for his idea.
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We live in such a narrow, technological, rational, explanatory causal way of thinking, that we have shrunk our mindset.
We live in a time where we are bombarded with two minute distractions which requires discipline to keep the focus on oneself, at least for some time during each day.
Maybe a world with more living and breathing 'myths' is what is missing, for you. But the world today has it all figured out, and has monopolized that 'Truth'. And that 'Truth' is now cold because it's impersonal, not made out of flesh and blood.
reasonvemotion
Gender : Posts : 681 Join date : 2013-01-09 Location : The Female Spirit
How things are expressed and how they come about are often quite different. Someone could do a lot of thinking and then create a painting which tries to capture that essence. Or the solution could just appear in one's mind while the process was happening mostly unconsciously or intuitively. Then later that person could use his other capacities, his senses, his thinking,... to try and find reasons why it makes sense or why it doesn't. And then finally, present a very logical, rational case for his ideas.
We live in a time where we are bombarded with two minute distractions which requires discipline to keep the focus on oneself, at least for some time during each day.
Maybe a world with more living and breathing 'myths' is what is missing, for you. But the world today has it all figured out, and has monopolized that 'Truth'. And that 'Truth' is now cold because it's impersonal, not made out of flesh and blood.
Fantasy as imaginative activity is the direct expression of psychic life. What does the psyche do naturally, the human psyche fantasizes, that is its primary activity.
Our dreams are prior to our thinking.
The mind is creating images, fantasies and these are living realities that can speak to us. What is profoundly personal is to engage with one's own "demons", allowing the phenomena to speak, leaving aside the academia, the intellectual and being left with simply how it appeared.
My "revelation" was the appearance of the God Shiva.
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Shiva has two aspects, one is Shiva one of the Trinity who guides destruction, he is depicted as male but here male does not mean human male. In hindu philosohy consciousness is depicted as male and energy is depicted as female. The other aspect of Shiva is the supreme God, he is depicted as Ardhnarishawra...half male and half female. It is that stage where Energy (female aspect) is one with the Consciousness (male aspect)
He spoke to me with an angry voice saying, "you do not listen to me, you must listen to me". For myself and in our culture, allowing the phenomena to speak to me, was almost like becoming a heretic.
How difficult it is to capture and explain to others.
It's like "what pill are you on".
Anfang
Gender : Posts : 3989 Join date : 2013-01-23 Age : 40 Location : Castra Alpine Grug
It was 'Shiva'? Did he/she speak with that Indian voice in english? I can never properly understand them - similar to the Italians or Chinese. I'm in part serious though. How did you know it was Shiva? Did he introduce himself? Or did he look like Shiva - that means, did he look like one of the sculptures and portrayals?
It was a Jungian exercise, supposedly to find out who was/is the "founder" of your blue print.
I was astounded when this image of Shiva, (I found out afterwards,) four arms, angry man seated, appeared in my mind's eye. LOL.
I have never forgotten it, but it was real at the time, I suppose no different to a vivid dream one has and wakes up, swearing it was real, "I saw it/he/she, standing right there"!
How far does one go between the public and the private? I wasn't going to disclose this, but what difference does it make, we are all scandals of some sort, no doubt each of us has a tale to tell.
Anfang
Gender : Posts : 3989 Join date : 2013-01-23 Age : 40 Location : Castra Alpine Grug
I believe in the archetypes, in the sense that that's how the mind works, personality wise. Better, it's a way of describing it. Myths aren't just any kind of stories and good writers know this. Certain elements repeat themselves. That's what Camille Paglia mentions in one of those interviews Satyr posted in the Feminism thread, when she mentions Star Wars. Though I have to say that I'm convinced by now that George Lucas had little to do with the old Star Wars episodes. Star Wars - Phantom Menace shows what happens when you give him free reign and nobody dares to tell him that the script is s***.
Slaughtz
Gender : Posts : 2593 Join date : 2012-04-28 Age : 33 Location : A stone.
I was reminded of this recently, so took another look.
Brain, heart and stomach have neurons. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Plato divided the soul into three parts, the mind, heart, and stomach. The head was the part of the body in which the mind was located. It was responsible for reason and knowledge. The heart was the location of the emotions, specifically courage and passion. From the stomach came desire for things like food, money, and sex. In a well ordered human being, the head would rule the heart and stomach, just like in a well ordered government the philosopher king would rule the over the warrior class and the commoners. A person who let their stomach rule over the head would live a life of debauchery.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Note: Ruled is different from rejection or ignoring, which some may do.
