Do neurons contain thoughts? Great minds explain how the brain works. I do not entirely understand their explanations, but I believe them. There are things every scientist believes, and that is of value. But there is also a danger in believing, in science as in spiritual affairs.
Why mirror neurons do not exist
Neurons are not associated one-on-one with a specific function. There is no such thing as a mirror neuron or the mirror system, just as there is no Jennifer Aniston neuron or neurons for a particular emotion or a particular movement. Just as a swallow in a flock is not a “flock swallow”, a neuron which is involved in seeing somebody else perform one of our actions is not a mirror neuron.
The Ego is dead, long live the ego
The Ego does not exist, it is an illusion, a trick of the brain. This claim of neuroscientists may scare you. But is it true? Or does something like an ego exist? And if so, what is it?
Letters and messages, neurons and thoughts
Is a thought simply the sum total of the activity of all the neurons in the brain? No, just as a message is not simply the placement of a sequence of letters which follow the rules of grammar. How do those letters stand in relation to that message? How does the activity of neurons stand in relation to a thought? Was Descartes right, or are we our brain?
The parable of the murderous brain
In a country with golden sand dunes by the sea, each year saw more murders committed than the year before. Neuroscientists had proven that the murderer’s brain made him commit the murder. The judges were stuck. How could they solve this problem?
Who directs the brain?
Our brain controls everything we do and think and what happens in our body. Who directs these complicated brains? “I” do? No, there is no central power or police force, no editor, prime minister or CEO, no leader. The brain controls all without a director.
How does fMRI work?
fMRI ( functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is the star of the neurosciences. Research using fMRI scans provides steadily increasing amounts of information about the functioning of our brain. However, a lot of articles appear in the media with far-fetched conclusions.
What causes depression: serotonin or your experiences?
What causes your depression: serotonin or what you experience? The answer: the question is invalid! Both play a role, and are interconnected. You cannot say that one of these is the cause.
Recognising faces
You walk down a street and nearly bump into someone; you look at their face and in a fraction of a second you know who it is. It does not really matter if you see them in profile or full face. And one can do this with thousands of faces; a clever trick of our brains. How do we recognise faces?