The Neurons That Shaped Civilization Summary

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The supremacy and magnitude of the “mind” is a very ironic and intricate concept to grasp. As mentioned by Clinical Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Daniel Siegel, there is no one definition to describe what the “mind” truly is. After watching the TED talk of The Neurons That Shaped Civilization, webinar of Parenting with the Brain in Mind, and the presentation of Taking Time In and listening to the audio clip The Emerging Mind, it gave me greater insight into the complexity of the human mind and how it is generally perceived. I believe that emotional disorders are greatly influenced by the correlation between the environment and the mind. In V.S. Ramachandran’s presentation of The Neurons That Shaped Civilization, he discusses the ideas of imitation and emulation, specifically throughout civilization from over 75,000 to 100,000 years ago. As he explained the primal instincts of fire, food, and shelter that were most prevalent during these times, he exemplified the idea of imitation though a young child watching his father hunt and kill a polar bear. The perfection of …show more content…

Daniel Siegel stated in the webinar Parenting with the Brain in Mind, “human connections shape neural connections.” Parental involvement for healthy child development is vital, especially in the early stages of life. I feel that a parent’s connection with his/her child not only shapes but also predicts that child’s future functioning of the brain. I agree with Dr. Siegel’s statement “attachment and compassionate connections help stimulate fibers in the brain for living in harmony.” From my personal experience in coming from a warm, caring household, I feel that I have been able to lead a happy and healthy lifestyle. However, I have sadly watched a close friend of mine who has been suffering over the years from major depression as a result of extreme dysfunctional family issues. This strongly reinforces the idea of what Dr. Siegel conveys about neural integration as the key to a healthy

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