Consciousness

I've been very interested in cognitive neuroscience lately and how it relates to consciousness. There's been a few studies done proving that free will does not exist. Proving that "consciousness" lags almost a full second behind the brain's decision to do anything, even to think. Consciousness is just pattern recognition and self-awareness, awareness of what we're doing, what separates us from the animals, and gives us an identity. But "we'' are always one step, (or almost one second) behind the game- utterly powerless to change it or do anything differently. So "we" are not in control- "we" just exist and are watching. The programming of the brain is automatic- through genetics and conditioning (experience) that just happens to it. It's the brain's job to make sense of consciousness- and it doesn't make sense. This IS all there is, but there's nothing that can be done. Life is lived THROUGH is, not BY us, and that's it!

Kierkegaard Quote

In the paper today was a quote from Kierkegaard, one of my favorite philosophers: "It is a very curious thing about superstition. One would expect that a man who had once seen that his morbid dreams were not fulfilled would abandon them for the future; but on the contrary they grow even stronger just as the love of gambling increases in a man who has lost in a lottery." Strangely enough, I have to disagree with his conclusion. I don't think it's odd at all. Human nature is such that we persevere above and beyond the point of rationality, to get what we want. The more we are thwarted in our endeavors, the harder we seem to try. Maybe because it is a challenge, and if we do indeed succeed, the sweeter the success the harder it was. Or maybe it is that we think that if we keep trying, hoping, wishing, etc., eventually we HAVE to get whatever it is we want. Ignoring the saying that the height of ridiculousness is to keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results- from experience we know that sometimes we DO get different results after doing the same thing over and over again. Maybe only once in 100 times, but still, there IS that chance. I think it's one of the things that keeps us going as humans- the ability to hope and to try, beyond all reason.

George Carlin Wisdom

I remember that George Carlin once said in one of his comedy routines, something like: "I know the meaning of life is that I'm here to help others. What I want to know is what are the others here for?" This makes me laugh, but it is also somewhat profound. I am interested in what other people believe the meaning of life is. What is the actual MEANING, as opposed to platitudes like "we're here to help others." Because helping others can never be an end in itself. Since if there were no other people, then what would the meaning of your life be? Is it contingent on having other people around? What if you are a total invalid, or institutionalized, and have no friends or family, and no capability to even help others? What is the meaning of your life then? I hope some people will comment on this! Because I am really interested. Thanks!!

God as "Co-Pilot"

I had to laugh today- I saw a bumper sticker that said "God is my co-pilot." Actually, I felt more like crying. Since when is the Almighty God relegated to the "co-pilot" status? How nice of you to let him "help" you drive. Yeah yeah I know that is not the intention behind the sticker...but the reality is, the effect to me is: "I am in charge of my life, I am the captain of my own ship. I call my own shots. Only if I decide to ALLOW God to help co-pilot will he do so, and look at how good I am, I let God help me out!!" Oh, the bitter irony of it all...

Some Ideas About Anxiety

These thoughts are based on the premise that anxiety is caused by the fight or fight syndrome (or variations of it). I don't pretend that I know what I'm talking about!! But these are some of my ideas based on my own self-education... Emotions ARE chemicals. They aren't caused by chemicals and they don't cause chemicals. What happens is the body senses stimuli, and reacts, and if it's a danger it releases fight/flight chemicals. You feel them as fear and so you act. You can't feel the fear if the chemicals aren't there. It's not a result of the chemicals- it IS the chemical reaction. So one equals the other. Therefore it is insane to think we can control our chemicals by thoughts. They can only be controlled indirectly. If, for example, a happy person with a lot of a certain chemical, such as oxytocin, has that chemical blocked, he'll turn sad- regardless of the situation or his "attitude." The people with good attitudes simply have more of those chemicals, either naturally, or with medicines or drugs, or their brains were conditioned to associate certain stimuli with a reason to release those chemicals. Simple. Emotions are chemicals and they exist. Thoughts are "reasoning about stuff" and have no effect on the chemicals directly. Someone conditioned to fear dogs will always have the fight/flight chemical present when a stimulus of a dog is presented- no matter if it's a threat for real or not. They can't reason their way past it. If the chemicals are there, you feel it, period, unless you're brain damaged. They can be conditioned away, learn to ignore the feeling, which takes a lot of work, or blocked with other chemicals, or the brain can be tricked into not recognizing the stimuli and thus not releasing the chemicals. But just thinking your way out of anxiety doesn't work.