Neuroscience
Abie Cohen and
Neuroscience
Scientists have demonstrated that, as the years go by, much of what we think we remember is false. It seems our brains can't store every detail we experience, so we recall the gist of events — enough to create a story that makes sense to us. Every time we recall a story or tell it to others, we change small bits depending on whether our audience lo... See more
We change our memories each time we recall them, but that doesn’t mean we’re lying
many of the quant-ities related to suffering are based on perceptions and similar uncertain infer-ences. The uncertainty will necessarily increase frustration since it means the predictions of reward often go wrong . More fundamentally, the computed reward loss can be uncertain, even illusory .
Aapo Hyvärinen • Painful Intelligence: What AI can tell us about human suffering
“Worry can become like a bad habit of the mind. The rule of neuroplasticity—that our brain keeps changing based on our repeated activity—says that whatever we do a lot we will get better at. So if we worry a lot, we will get really good at worrying.” In other words, once you start worrying about something, it can be hard to stop.
Emily Laurence • How to Be More Present
The precuneus is involved in mental imagery concerning the self, episodic memory, and modeling other people’s views—all of which are main components of the DMN. Benedek and Jauk, psychologists specializing in research on creativity, note that “higher creativity is consistently associated with higher gray matter density in DMN regions, especially th... See more
Joseph Carroll • Imagination, the Brain’s Default Mode Network, and Imaginative Verbal Artifacts
the default network consists of regions that, in the absence of exteroceptive [externally oriented] attention or narrowly focused mental effort, support self-directed concerns, immersion in one’s inner life (e.g., daydreaming) or imagining the inner life of others (Theory of Mind)
Joseph Carroll • Imagination, the Brain’s Default Mode Network, and Imaginative Verbal Artifacts
the imagination is a neurological reality, that it is lodged in specific parts of the brain, that it consists of an identifiable set of components and processes, that these components and processes have adaptive functions, and that in fulfilling its functions imagination has been a major causal factor in making Homo sapiens the dominant species on ... See more
Joseph Carroll • Imagination, the Brain’s Default Mode Network, and Imaginative Verbal Artifacts
According to the constructive episodic simulation hypothesis, extracted episodic details must also be recombined into a coherent event simulation. This recombinatory ability is thought to be central to flexibly imagining the future – to construct as well as disassemble and rework the components of scenarios to create different outcomes to enhance f... See more
RP Roberts • An fMRI investigation of the relationship between future imagination and cognitive flexibility
While most people tend to be optimistic, those suffering from depression and anxiety have a bleak view of the future — and that in fact seems to be the chief cause of their problems, not their past traumas nor their view of the present. While traumas do have a lasting impact, most people actually emerge stronger afterward. Others continue strugglin... See more
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When the mind searches for the future, it sees the past.
Sohail Inayatullah • Foresight in Challenging Environments * Journal of Futures Studies
Creativity and Disruption: Creativity is described as emerging from the disruption of these predictive models. When our expectations are challenged or disrupted, it can lead to new ways of thinking and innovative ideas.
Balance Between Order and Chaos: The balance between order (predictive models) and chaos (disruption) is crucial for fostering creativity. Too much order can stifle creativity, while too much chaos can lead to confusion and lack of direction.