The God Part of the Brain

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:10 pm

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/scien ... ef=science

Having just lived through another New Year’s Eve, many of you have just resolved to be better, wiser, stronger and richer in the coming months and years. After all, we’re free humans, not slaves, robots or animals doomed to repeat the same boring mistakes over and over again. As William James wrote in 1890, the whole “sting and excitement” of life comes from “our sense that in it things are really being decided from one moment to another, and that it is not the dull rattling off of a chain that was forged innumerable ages ago.” Get over it, Dr. James. Go get yourself fitted for a new chain-mail vest. A bevy of experiments in recent years suggest that the conscious mind is like a monkey riding a tiger of subconscious decisions and actions in progress, frantically making up stories about being in control.

Don't know if this quite fits here, but seems to be where were going.

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 3:18 am

I have never found it necessary to repeat my mistakes Bruce, I seem to have an endless supply of new ones!

Forum Monk · Post by **Forum Monk** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:29 am

Bruce wrote:http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/scien ... ef=science

A bevy of experiments in recent years suggest that the conscious mind is like a monkey riding a tiger of subconscious decisions and actions in progress, frantically making up stories about being in control.
Don't know if this quite fits here, but seems to be where were going.

Interesting article and when you read it you find the problem is much more complex than the imagery of a monkey on a tiger. The tiger carrying him has a brain too. Interesting insights from the world of physics in the article. Thanks for posting it.

Forum Monk · Post by **Forum Monk** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 7:06 am

Digit wrote:Good point Monk. I haven't checked anything but what about feral children as a possible test?
Any reseach been done on that aspect I wonder?

Digit - while exploring your question deeper I came across this:
http://www.feralchildren.com/forum/view ... f762b39747

No science here, but lots of people musing about the exact topic.
You can find anything on the web these days.