Brain Blogging, Forty-Seventh Edition

Welcome to the forty-seventh edition of Brain Blogging. In this round, we discuss whether science is in need of another cognitive revolution, how to reinforce our cognition, how reduced hippocampal neurogenesis correlates with depression, and other topics.

Remember, we review the latest blogs related to the brain and mind that go beyond the basic sciences into a more human and multidimensional perspective. You can check out our archive for past editions.

For future carnivals, please remember to submit your blog entries using the online submission form. We will do our best to review and include your entry! Enjoy your readings…

It’s All in the Mind…

The Emotion Machine writes The Hard Problem Of Consciousness: Is Science In Need Of Another Cognitive Revolution?:

Searle, a self-proclaimed biological naturalist, believes that consciousness can be solely explained through an understanding of the processes of the brain, but he gives leeway towards a ‘whatever works’-attitude towards the further understanding of human consciousness.

Experiment: Gerbus writes Open Your Mind, Boost Life:

The com­plex wiring pat­terns in the brain which serve as as­so­ci­a­tions to our think­ing even­tu­al­ly wear away if we do not re­in­force their struc­tures every so often. The more we re­in­force them, the longer they last, and how we re­in­force them is by think­ing about them.

Martial Development writes Bleeding, Brainwaves and Biofeedback:

Jack was wired to record the behavior or a number of physiological variables that gave indications of stress reactions: heart rate, breathing rate, galvanic skin response, skin temperature, and brain waves. While we were adjusting the equipment near him, one of the needles rolled off the board on which his hands were placed and fell to the floor.

Brain Stimulant writes Virtual Fly Brain Computer Model:

For the virtual drosophila brain, the researchers are proposing that sensory inputs and outputs could be added into the model. These senses include basically everything that would be part of a bugs perceptual experience (tactile, auditory, visual, gustatory, olfactory, even magnetosensory). An insect likely has a unitary consciousness that coalesces all sensations into one overall perception with discrete qualia.

The Mind and Choice writes The Mind and Choice:

What truly needs to be asked when it comes to fear is why? Why fear a momentary experience that has not yet occurred? A person then fears the ‘possibility’ of pain, even if it has not yet been experienced. Pain is something that is momentarily experienced and dealt with when it occurs, and is not something that requires thinking about.

Scientific Living writes Fearlessness:

There is a very old example illustrating this point. Say it is dark outside. As you are walking along, you see the outline of what appears to be a snake. The mind shouts “It’s a snake!” As a result, you experience fear. You go home, light a lamp, and bring the lamp back to the area. Then you find that the snake was nothing but a piece of rope.

LifeAdviceSite.com writes What is Brain Therapy?:

In brain wave therapy, your brain is exposed to the frequency matching whatever you are seeking – concentration, relaxation or memory. This exposure enables your natural brain frequency to shift and actually match the particular frequency you need for whatever task you want to accomplish.

Dr Shock MD PhD writes Hippocampus and Depression:

The neurogenic hypothesis postulates that a reduced production of new neurons in the hippocampus relates to the pathogenesis of depression and that successful antidepressant treatment requires an enhancement in hippocampal neurogenesis.

The Emotion Machine writes Hypnosis Explained (Debunking The Myths):

Hypnosis is a very simple and easy-to-explain psychological phenomena — yet often it is wrongly portrayed as some sort of black magick or false mysticism. This lack of a fair representation leaves many to throw “hypnotic wisdom” aside as mere fantasy or hogwash; and those who have been hypnotized we typically think of as weak-minded or gullible. But in fact none of this is true.