The myth about the brain is that, it controls the mind. Also people that the mind is the activity of the brain. However, both statements are untrue. I believe that there is a relationship between the brain and the mind forming a triangle of well- being for an individual. In my opinion, the brain is the passive path of existence because every information from the external environment produce a response either internally or externally without analysis. The brain transfers these information into our consciousness, but the active mind which analyzes the information and pays attention to both the benefits and disadvantages of the information before making choices about whether to listen or not. The brain cannot be defined without involving its …show more content…
The overactive brain circuits are as a result of different neurons firing together nonstop, this neurons firing are the information wired into the brain. From childhood, most of this information have been fixed into our brain which are based on family dynamics, cultural experiences, societal and religious beliefs. I believe, most of this information are deceptive messages which prevent us from tackling the real problem and reaching our goals and intentions. Deceptive messages are false beliefs, distractions, impulses and urges that take us away from our goals which is our true self. For example, a child may notice that his or her parent are always very stressed and anxious most of the day, but after drinking a glass of wine they feel relaxed and are able to reason effectively. Therefore, the child establishes an association between alcohol and relaxation by forming a new memory for a coping mechanism for stress. As the child grows, he/she turns to alcohol when faced with a stressful situation without be aware of where the behaviour emerged from but the memory created as child from observing their parent carry out this behaviour influences the child’s action. This deceptive brain messages are background noise behind the true message. The true message is the main problem and trying to either find a positive solution to the problem or an efficient …show more content…
Nonetheless, the mind can choose what to focus its attention and help change bad habits. This can happen through the process of cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapy is the ability of the mind to recognize cognitive distortions. To me this means being able to recognize that we live simultaneously in two different worlds which are the inner and outer world. The inner world are our innermost true beliefs, thoughts and the outer world are the environmental cues that generates a reaction to the inner beliefs and thoughts which are sometimes influenced by the deceptive brain messages. The all or nothing error, whereby we believe we must be perfect at all times or we are nothing. As a result, we place high standards on ourselves and are never satisfied. This is an example of cognitive distortion. We believe our ideal theory is perfection, so we try to do everything to be perfect but after failing severally we realize that our theory is refutable and we are back to the drawing board to either try to create a new theory or dwell on the old
In “The Brain on trial”, David Eagleman (2011) recounts the horrifying events which occurred on August 1, 1966. Charles Whitman entered the University of Texas with a rifle and secured himself in the bell tower. He then proceeded to shoot and kill 13 people and injure 32 more. Whitman was also shot and killed; however, during his autopsy it was discovered that a tumor was pressing against his amygdala. According to Eagleman, “The amygdala is involved in emotional regulation, especially of fear and aggression” (2011). Therefore, Whitman was possibly experiencing a fundamental change in his emotions and personality due to the tumor. Though Whitman did not survive, his case still poses questions as to whether or not he should be held accountable for his actions; moreover, should Whitman have received the maximum punishment for the murder he committed? Charles Whitman may not have had control over the feelings of “rage and irrational thoughts” (2011) he was experiencing; however, the precision of the attack indicates he was well aware of the actions he was committing.
The article “Adolescent Brain Development and Underage Drinking in the United States: Identifying Risks of Alcohol Use in College Populations” written by Marisa Silveri, PhD, aims to emphasize the the negative behavioral consequences with underage alcohol use. Silveri is a highly decorated professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, who has been studying the neurobiology of brain development and consequences of alcohol and drug abuse using preclinical and clinical models for two decades. Her substantial background in psychology and neurobiology make her a highly credible source, and improves the author’s chance of making the point really stick. The article is easy to follow, and split up in subcategories that each cover a specific point the author is trying to make. Professor Silveri, with great credibility, uses logic and also emotional appeal to effectively convince the reader that alcohol use affects the brain negatively, and the importance to discourage the excessive consumption of alcohol by adolescents.
In The article “Brainology” “Carol S Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, differentiates between having a fixed and growth mindset in addition how these mindsets have a deep effect on a student’s desire to learn. Individuals who have a fixed mindset believe they are smart without putting in effort and are afraid of obstacles, lack motivation, and their focus is to appear smart.. In contrast, students with a growth mindset learn by facing obstacles and are motivated to learn. Dwecks argues that students should develop a growth mindset.
Hanson, David J., Ph.D. “Drinking Alcohol Damages Teenager’s Brains.” Sociology Deprtment. n.d.. Web. 20 March 2014. .
It is said to believe that alcoholism is a type of behavior, which is why it shouldn’t just be studied by medical doctors, but by psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychoanalysts. Why? Psychology is the study of human behavior. This article argues that alcohol addiction is distinguished by an imbalance of two different psychological reports leading to the loss of willpower (Bechara 2005). The first one being a spontaneous reaction for signaling immediate expectations. The second report is a reflective reaction needed to decrease the response triggered by the impulsive system. The article also reviews some candidates that can trigger alcohol use either knowingly or unknowingly. According to Alcoholism and the Loss of Willpower, alcohol-related stimuli capture the attention of problematic users of alcohol, triggers specific attributes (good/bad and sedative/arousal), and both of which could increase the likelihood to drink more alcohol or to drink in inappropriate situations, like before an exam or before driving a car. (Page 1) Another main aspect of alcoholism is the diminished extent for self-control. This also includes things like addicts not being able to efficiently execute certain behaviors and regulate their emotions and feelings. This can have a lot to do with the insula, which is a region of the brain deep inside the cerebral cortex. Where a lot of decision making takes place here, once the insula is engaged it makes conscious and unconscious decisions to drink that beer or take that drug. All of these findings conclude to possessing willpower. “Willpower depends in many important ways on neural substrates that regulate homeostasis, emotion, and feeling.” (Persaud, McLeod, & Cowey, 2007) All these understandings of alcohol...
Current research shows that mental events cause physical events, and scientists believe examining single nerves is the key to understanding how the brain works as a complete unit. Understanding the brain at the nerve cell level will allow scientists to understand how human consciousness works (Blakeslee, 1992). Furthermore, the brain's thalamus is identified as the possible sensory connector because it fires 40 impulses per second that sweep through the entire brain (Blakeslee, 1995a). These findings are a serious implication to Dualism because it states the mind is not physical. If the mind is not physical, it cannot affect the physical body, so the Dualist theory of two-sided interactions between the body and mind are false. The aforementioned argument is supported by many other scientific facts and objections against Dualism.
It is a factor in five of the leading causes of death among 15 to 24 year olds” Chuck Pearce (2009). Binge drinking not only can lead to fatalities but also destroys the lives of teens. It leads them down the road of misery and self-destruction. Also, teenagers are at the most developmental stage of their life. Alcohol does in fact mess with the wiring of the brain. It mainly affects the prefrontal cortex of the brain; this part of the brain is where one’s thinking, decision making, and impulse control come from. The prefrontal part of the brain develops the most through one’s years of adolescence. When one begins binge drinking at a young age, it blunts the brain cells in the prefrontal cortex (book). Research consistently shows that students who do not drink perform far better in school than those who do (book). Many negative health consequences are directed back to binge drinking; such as, abuse, violence, injury, and addiction. Also, other negative behaviors like having sex, getting bad grades, trying to commit suicide, or trying other drugs (Pruitt & Wrye
Researchers have suspected for years that chronic alcohol abuse and alcoholism can change the programming within a human brain, particularly in the regions involving judgment, and making decisions. Throughout the years we have become susceptible to alcohol, everybody in the past decades and centuries drank. As to how much they drank we don't know. Within this study of the alcohol that affects our brains scientists have stated, " Cell and animal studies have consistently indicated that changes in gene expression in the brain appear to be responsible for the...
Freedom is a concept that is held in high regard and cherished amongst a lot of people. The idea of “freedom” is to make choices based on your own decision with no external influences. But are you making the decision for yourself? The possibility that machines will be able to simulate the human brain is all over the news now a days. President Barrack Obama’s Brain Initiative program dedicates 100 million dollars to fund research for “how we think”. And in Europe the Blue Brain Project is attempting to recreate the human brain in all its minute details thusly engineering an artificial mind. The idea behind the Blue Brain Project is that if brains sustain thought then if we can deconstruct a brain and then put it back together inside a computer we could engineer and artificial intelligence with a conscience.
The brain is the control center of the human body. It sends and receives millions of signals every second, day and night, in the form of hormones, nerve impulses, and chemical messengers. This exchange of information makes us move, eat, sleep, and think.
Dualism is the idea that there are two kinds of reality. There is material or physical and there is immaterial or spiritual categories that are distinct and separate from one another. The idea of Dualism can be traced back to Plato and Aristotle, but was precisely defined by Rene Descartes in the 17th century. Descartes proposed that there was in fact a mind that had conscious thoughts and awareness and that there was the physical body that one could see. Descartes’ thoughts and ideas proposed that the ideas, consciousness, and self- awareness that make up the mind, are in fact different from the brain. Other theories that were proposed at this time include materialism, and reductive physicalism. The ideas of dualism, that the mind and the brain (the body) are two separate entities are the most logical in addressing the issues of interaction, evolution and the idea of multiple minds.
The Mind and the Physical Body Since the times of Plato and Aristotle, the argument of dualism and mutualism of the mind and body has been in existence. Dualism has been the driving force behind the existence of the mind/body problem and has been by far the majority view due largely to the influence of Descartes. In recent times, modern medicine has taken a shift towards mutualism. Outside stimuli, as perceived by the mind, affect the body either beneficially or adversely. While the body as an organism has the capacity to heal, evidence proves that the mind expedites recovery.
The human body is divided into many different parts called organs. All of the parts are controlled by an organ called the brain, which is located in the head. The brain weighs about 2. 75 pounds, and has a whitish-pink appearance. The brain is made up of many cells, and is the control centre of the body. The brain flashes messages out to all the other parts of the body.
In philosophy, the critical analysis on the relationship between the brain and mind is known the mind body problem. The following schools of thought have tried to solve the mind body problem. Dualism, this school of thought subscribes to the belief that the mind and brain exist independently of each other. Other dualists deny the fact that the mind is a part of the brain. This is because the mind and brain don’t share same
There are many parts of the human experience that we are still striving to understand; yet, one of the most complex and mysterious parts of humans is the brain itself. It is a very complex organ with function we still do not fully comprehend. There are different processes that we are still attempting to understand; however, we do understand the bottom-up and top-down processes of the brain. The major filter and function of the brain are also understood as the attention filter and the executive function of the brain. One of the systems that are most understood is the reticular activating system that controls the first steps of understanding. By understanding what we already know about the brain we can assist students in their learning and