The Divided Self Flashcards
Who said : “For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want” ?
St. Paul
Which conclusions do you arrive at from the metaphor “Life is a journey” ?
You should learn the terrain, pick a direction, find some good traveling companions, and enjoy the trip, because there may be nothing at the end of the road
Who has compared the mind to a wild elephant
Buddha
What metaphor for the self (soul) did Plato used
Plato compared the self to a chariot, where the calm, rational part holds the reins and controls two horses - right, noble horse and left, wild horse.
Into what parts is the mind divided according to Freud ?
Ego (rational self), Superego (society rules) and Id (desire for pleasure)
What is the goal of psychoanalysis, according to Freud
To strengthen the ego
What does the social sciences idea of people as rational agents means ?
It means that people set goals and pursue them intelligently by using the information and resources they have
Where is the following phrase comes from : “I am dragged along by a strange new force. Desire and reason are pulling in different directions. I see the right way and approve it, but follow the wrong” ?
Medea, from “Metamorphoses” by Ovid
What does the authors metaphor of rider on the back of an elephant means ?
That the rider (self) can control the elephant (desires), but only when the elephant does not have desires of his own. When the elephant really wants something the rider is no match for him.
What are the 4 divisions of the mind, according to author ?
- Mind [nervous system] vs. Body [nervous system] 2. Left [hemisphere] vs. Right [hemisphere] 3. New [part of the bran] vs. Old [part of the brain] 4. Controlled [nervous system] vs. Automatic [nervous system]
How many neurons there are in our intestines
100M
What are examples of the “gut-brain” affecting our behavior ?
- Irritable bowel syndrome 2. Causes anxiety when infection is detected in the gut
Which chakras are contained in the abdomen, according to Indian theories ?
Three lower chakras - colon/anus, sexual organs and gut
Why did surgeon cut the corpus collosum in 1960s ?
To reduce epileptic seizures
What side effects of the “split-brain” procedure did the psychologist Michael Gazzaniga has found ?
When an image was presented to the right eye (left hemisphere), patient would name it, but when presented to the right eye - patient could not name it, but could point to similar images and when asked why he pointed to a curtain image, he would readily make up an explanation for his choice (a made up explanation)
What is the specialization of the left brain hemisphere ?
The left hemisphere is specialized for language processing and analytical tasks. In visual tasks, it is better at noticing details.
What is the specialization of the right brain hemisphere ?
The right hemisphere is better at processing patterns in space, including that all-important pattern, the face.
What experiments did psychologist Michael Gazzaniga perform on the “split-brain” patients ?
He has presented images or text separately to right and left eye or different images to each eye.
What is “confabulation”
The ability of people to make up an explanation for their behavior
How did Michael Gazzaniga define the language centers in the left brain hemisphere ?
Gazzaniga refers to the language centers on the left side of the brain as the interpreter module, whose job is to give a running commentary on whatever the self is doing, even though the interpreter module has no access to the real causes or motives of the self’s behavior.
What is the “alien hand syndrome” ?
Happens in “split-brain” patients. In these cases, one hand, usually the left, acts of its own accord and seems to have its own agenda. The alien hand may pick up a ringing phone, but then refuse to pass the phone to the other hand or bring it up to an ear. The hand rejects choices the person has just made, for example, by putting back on the rack a shirt that the other hand has just picked out. It grabs the wrist of the other hand and tries to stop it from executing the persons conscious plans. Sometimes, the alien hand actually reaches for the persons own neck and tries to strangle him
What are the oldest parts of the brain ?
Hindbrain (connected to spinal cord), midbrain, forebrain (connected to sensory organs in the front)
What parts of the brain were added in mammals ?
Hypothalamus (specialized to coordinate basic drives and motivations), the hippocampus (specialized for memory), and the amygdala (specialized for emotional learning and responding). These structures are sometimes referred to as the limbic system (from Latin limbus, “border” or “margin”) because they wrap around the rest of the brain, forming a border.
What parts of the brain were added in primates and humans ?
Neocortex. The front portion of the neocortex do not appear to be dedicated to specific tasks. Instead, it is available to make new associations and to engage in thinking, planning, and decision making.
What is the “Promethean script” of human evolution ?
In this script, our ancestors were mere animals governed by the primitive emotions and drives of the limbic system until they received the divine gift of reason, installed in the newly expanded neocortex.
What happens when regions of hypothalamus are stimulated with electric current in mammals ?
Mammals can be made gluttonous, ferocious, or hypersexual
What can happen when a person’s frontal cortex is damaged ?
They sometimes show an increase in sexual and aggressive behavior because the frontal cortex plays an important role in suppressing or inhibiting behavioral impulses.
What part of the frontal cortex is responsible for emotions ? What kind of emotions it is responsible for ?
The orbitofrontal (just above the eyes) cortex . The orbitofrontal cortex plays a central role when you size up the reward and punishment possibilities of a situation.
What happens to people when their orbitofrontal cortex is damaged ?
Patients lose most of their emotional lives. They report that when they ought to feel emotion, they feel nothing
