Neurosmokology

I'm going to start a little philosophical today and talk about the body-mind problem. The age old debate about whether the brain and the mind/soul are the same thing, where the soul is located etc.

I was thinking about this because I have just finished listening to the fascinating second half of an ABC Radio National's All in the Mind podcast about neuroplasticity, and also because I just had a personal experience that is sure to crack this field of science wide open.

We'll get to my discovery later on, firstly I'll explain that word I did not just make up in the last sentence? Neuroplasticity is what the two part podcast is about. Basically plastic-brain, that our brains are not as rigid as we once thought. It's a fascinating exploration of how the brain learns and retains things. Check it out for download here: part1, part2.

An easy example they cover is how we all know that kids are great at learning languages, whereas it's bloody hard for us. Well that's just because the thought processes and the neural pathways they create and reinforce are greedy, and if nothing else seems to be using the language part of the brain except English then English will completely take over and use up all the space. Then when Spanish comes along and tries to get in there is no room left because English is so entrenched. But, if you stop listening to English and immerse yourself in the Spanish language then the English pathways gradually get eroded enough that the Spanish pathways can start to form, then Equipo Traductor you can speak Spanish!

This is not new of course. Everyone knows that the best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it. What is new is the way of thinking about the brain while it is doing this. It is actually changing, and the most amazing part is that you can make it change. They go on to talk about people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and other neuroses and how those symptoms are just defective pathways that are being accidentally fired to make the person feel like their hands are dirty or whatever. They then talk a little about the therapies they are working on where they explain the defective pathways thing to the patient and get them to realign their own brain.

Voila they say, the mind is acting upon and conscious of the physical workings of the brain. Dualism proved.

Or so you might think. But this morning I disproved it.

You see this morning I decided to give up smoking again because I was feeling particularly shit in the lungal area. While ironing my shirt I started thinking about how I should go about it. It was then I discovered that there is not just the physical brain and the spiritual mind, there is also another consciousness that can form in the brain. It is the consciousness of the addicted brain, and today I had a conversation with it. Observe.

Sam's Conscious Mind: Fuck cigarettes. I'm going to quit today.

Sam's Unconscious Brain: Need nicotine!

Sam's Conscious Mind: Shit, I have too many smoke packets lying around. I'll throw them all down the garbage chute this morning then I will have no temptation when I get home from work.

Sam's Unconscious Brain: Need nicotine!

Addicted Conscious Mind: Um, yeah dude. We should totally throw them all away and not smoke for a while

Sam's Conscious Mind: Yeah, no smoking for a week. That would be a good start

Addicted Conscious Mind: Yeah, that's great. A whole week is a long time though, we should probably just have one last one right now.

Sam's Conscious Mind: Yeah, good idea, better have one now... Wait a minute!

Motherfucker almost played me. Still it did prove the Triality of the body. Pretty good feeling to shatter the conventional knowledge of a field of science before breakfast. Better than finding out you're schizophrenic or something.