For questions that have to do with a sense of being awake and aware in the literal sense, but also those having to do with the nature of the mind and the formation of the individual.
3
votes
2answers
64 views
What correlation is there between breath control and personal self confidence?
In yoga, the instructor mentioned that controlled deep breathing can increase self-confidence. (Next time, I will ask him why he believes that but I doubt he has any references...)
Furthermore, ...
3
votes
1answer
58 views
Why do our senses evoke different subjective experiences
I'm wondering why there are different subjective experiences when our sensor systems are technically the same neurons that just get excited by different stuff (photons, soundwaves, ...).
So why does ...
3
votes
1answer
74 views
How do I change my tiredness patterns?
All of you probably know what the human 'circadian cycle' is, and depending on your personality, you would either be a night-owl or a morning-lark.
I am interested in understanding the patterns of ...
0
votes
0answers
60 views
Subtle manipulation in commercials - Kindle Fire HD [closed]
I was watching the new kindle commercial and I noticed a few things that seemed to make me lean towards the NEW Kindle Fire HD (They emphasize "new" a lot)
One of the things that stood out to me the ...
9
votes
1answer
71 views
Can we draw conclusions about content of thoughts from neural firing patterns?
Can the neural firing patterns of animals be associated with specific kinds of thoughts? (ie Thoughts related to food, mating, or neighborly aggression?)
I am curious about the speculations in ...
3
votes
3answers
144 views
How much information is lost when conveying an experience or emotion to another person?
Certain languages have words that do not literally translate into any another language. There is already a small loss of information in this sense.
Emotions are a personal experience and the ...
5
votes
2answers
124 views
What causes dreamers to accept dreams as reality?
I have long had interest in dreaming, and one of the defining features of ordinary dreams is that the dreamer either accepts the dream as "real life", or does not question the surroundings.
Compare ...
10
votes
4answers
402 views
If someone becomes a split-brain patient, which side will “maintain” the continuity in their consciousness?
The brain injury might apparently produce two "independent" consciousnesses, and I'm wondering where the original person's "consciousness" would "transfer".
We had a debate on this over at Reddit ...
3
votes
1answer
120 views
How are qualia localized in consciousness?
I understand that evolution incorporated arbitrary qualia into the default network to inform consciousness (the largest cranial global processing information subnetwork) about properties and qualities ...
2
votes
0answers
78 views
Evidence that qualia are not the same as physical processes?
With regards to the answer posted by @sandygautman in the question Do feelings have a purpose:
Let me first state that I don't have a problem with either the question nor the answer; I'm only looking ...
12
votes
3answers
407 views
Research suggesting conscious control over brain region activation?
Has there been any research proving, disproving, or exploring the concept of conscious activation of specific brain regions?
To elaborate on this:
I've read that performing processing tasks causes ...
3
votes
1answer
162 views
Scientific findings of strobe lights and the brain
While there is a lot of general discussion and articles on the web that strobe lights cause epileptic seizures - I am looking for more specific data. Perhaps scientific references, papers or articles ...
7
votes
1answer
82 views
What are the internal and external variables for varying levels of self-awareness?
I'm looking for references to studies that show which variables increase or decrease self-awareness and to what degree.
For example, internal variables could be level of a certain vitamin, brain ...
2
votes
0answers
21 views
Meditation for patients with neuroleptic induced tension
Patients taking antipsychotic (neuroleptic) drugs often suffer from some kind of discomfort or tension. This can manifest as a neuroleptic induced dysphoria, akathisia, or some kind of anxiety.
Is ...
8
votes
1answer
268 views
Is there a region of cortex which over a period of development becomes the seat of self?
Background
Mountcastle's hypothesis, which is based on the observation of uniform cortical anatomy, suggests that the there might be a uniform cortical "algorithm". The only reason that some cortical ...
-4
votes
1answer
49 views
Can thought be shifted between subconscious and conscious awareness? [closed]
While awake, can thought activity be transferred between the subconscious and conscious awareness, by will?
8
votes
2answers
174 views
Is it possible to run multiple thought processes concurrently?
For example, let's say I have a friend sprinting a 50m distance and that friend wants me to time the race, but I don't have a stopwatch so I have to count "manually". Can I count while simultaneously ...
10
votes
2answers
414 views
What are current neuronal explanations and models of 'consciousness'?
I would like to understand more about consciousness from a neuroscientific perspective. I have a limited understanding of it in the philosophical/psychological sense through lectures.
Although it is ...
4
votes
1answer
108 views
Is there cognizance or meta-awareness of classical conditioning?
Behaviorism's initial popularity was largely due to it's ability to take cognition and consciousness out of the equation; bringing it close to something that could be tested completely objectively by ...
10
votes
4answers
396 views
Running on autopilot
Sometimes, people say that they are "running on autopilot", meaning that they are doing the things that they normally do, without any real conscious involvement. I have read that it is not uncommon ...
4
votes
2answers
150 views
Does each sensory neuron type have a characteristic spike sequence pattern?
Background
It is known that all sensory information is input to the brain as neural spike sequences. Now, to distinguish between the spike sequences generated by retinal red/blue/green cone cells ...
5
votes
2answers
213 views
Is it possible for humans to conceive of being dead?
I am reading Stephen Cave's book Immortality, and one of the claims he makes early on is that there is a "mortality paradox." This is the phenomenon that humans know that they will die (based on ...
11
votes
1answer
336 views
Subconscious vs Unconscious
From what I know, we use the term 'subconscious' to refer to the things that we can bring into our conscious. and, we use the term 'unconscious' for things that we can't know, they come automatically ...
3
votes
1answer
219 views
Does “The Brain Machine” work?
I came across this article on Make Magazine on "The Brain Machine" which will supposedly put one into a trancelike meditative state via a combination of sound and light pulses.
Is there any ...
2
votes
1answer
100 views
What is the relationship between language and the level of comprehension of consciousness?
I asked a similar/related question a couple days ago about how language and/or culture affect an individual's cognitive capacity.
I'm looking for materials, if any, on the subject of a language's ...
6
votes
1answer
164 views
Do characters in a dream have their own separate thoughts or identity?
I am very curious as to if any research has been done in this area, or if such a question even can be researched given the current tools and methods available to cognitive scientists. When one dreams, ...
2
votes
0answers
150 views
Are end-stage Alzheimer's patients still conscious? [closed]
I asked the same question at Reddit here, but none of the responses were convincing.
So here's the thing: to the extent of what we know about consciousness, are end-stage Alzheimer's patients still ...
