Free Won't.

[Zoomerang96]

not a proven theory by no means, but it's becoming more and more evident that humans have two sets of consciences - one on the left side of our brain's, and the other on the right.

our right is our more calculated and measured side. the left is more colourful and less restricted.

the two together in most cases work wonderfully together to create a healthy balance. but when side is damaged, the results can be mind-boggling. take this situation + conversation for instance.

-----

a woman had been in a horrible accident that had left her right side of her brain severely damaged. also as a result of her in7uries, her left arm was paralyzed.

"why is this here?"

"why is what where," the doctor replied.

"this," the patient said, looking down at her motionless left arm.

"what do you mean?"

"this arm isn't mine. i don't know who's it is, but i've noticed it here all morning. i think there's been a mistake."

"who's arm is it?"

"there was another lady who was supposed to have an operation earlier, and i'm pretty sure this belongs to her. i don't know exactly how it's found its way on me."

----------

one of the most terrifying things to come out of neuroscience, is the widespread belief that our conscience isn't necessary at all.

ever wonder as you're settled in, and driving on a highway 7ust what had happened in the last 10 miles? you realize, wow, it's amazing i didn't get in an accident - i wasn't even paying attention.

wrong. your conscience wasn't, but your subconscience was.

in fact, our conscience is often more of a hinderance than a positive tool in life solving. yes, i said life solving. forgive me.

ever think of something, a word or an answer but can't get it off the tip of your tongue? it's right there but you can't get at it.

you keep thinking and thinking about it, but still it won't come to you.

word of advice - stop thinking about it. your subconscience will find it for you, and will likely let you know when it has. 7ust not right away.

it'll be a "eureka!" moment.

but while perhaps none of that is startling to you, the following should be.

surely, we've all heard of free will. indeed, we like to think we have it.

apparently we don't.

before our conscience comes to a conclussion on anything, that decision has already been made. a spark, a small electrical explosion has gone off and has made your conscience aware of it.

energy made the decision. not you.

it's called free won't.

so the next time you're thinking about something, realize the decision's already been made for you. sleep easier, however, knowing that our conscience can perhaps be used as a veto power.

but then again... maybe that's what the energy had had in mind all along.

we're machines with free won't.

a healthy balance.

 

[Zoots]

Why are there so many words in your posts?

 

[Zoomerang96]

why is there so little imagination in almost everyone elses?

 

[lmjhitman]

that was brilliant, bear!!

our conscience is like a secret machine.

that's waaay cool.

 

[Zoomerang96]

if it's something of interest, hitman, you should read 'mindscan', or 'theatre of the mind'.

quite fascinating to learn what's going on inside our skulls.

 

[beegee]

ever think of something, a word or an answer but can't get it off the tip of your tongue? it's right there but you can't get at it.

you keep thinking and thinking about it, but still it won't come to you.

word of advice - stop thinking about it. your subconscience will find it for you, and will likely let you know when it has. 7ust not right away.

it'll be a "eureka!" moment.

yes, exactly.

this made me think about something that i once heard and often do.

you know how sometimes you'll go to get something, or do something, and you'll suddenly stop and say "man, i forgot what i came in here for"?

i've discovered that if you just turn around, and go back the way you came, your mind will "reset" itself and you will remember what it was you were after, just like that, usually within the first few steps.

it's fun. i always tell my coworkers to try it and it works every time.

good post, bear. i like words.

 

[lmjhitman]

i DO find that interesting, bear. who's the author?

so is our conscience counterintuitive to our subconscience?

how do we know our subconscience is making the right decision?


i think i'd be kinda scared to find out what's going on in my skull.

 

[lmjhitman]

you know how sometimes you'll go to get something, or do something, and you'll suddenly stop and say "man, i forgot what i came in here for"?

i've discovered that if you just turn around, and go back the way you came, your mind will "reset" itself and you will remember what it was you were after, just like that, usually within the first few steps.

i always do that, bg. and i've learned to go back to where i was, so that i can remember what it was that i forgot.

it's a real bitch when you have to go back a long way. i used to work in a school where my classroom was the farthest away from the teacher's workroom as you could possibly get, and still be in the building. i'd always have to get something from the workroom while i was in the classroom. i'd walk all the way down there only to forget what it was that i needed. so i'd walk all the way back, and sure enough, as soon as i set foot in my classroom, i'd remember what it was. so i'd write it on a sticky-note and walk all the way back. i like to think that my forgetfulness helped me lose weight while i worked there.

 

[Achtung_Bebe]

one of the most terrifying things to come out of neuroscience, is the widespread belief that our conscience isn't necessary at all.

ever wonder as you're settled in, and driving on a highway 7ust what had happened in the last 10 miles? you realize, wow, it's amazing i didn't get in an accident - i wasn't even paying attention.

wrong. your conscience wasn't, but your subconscience was.
.
.
.
.
in fact, our conscience is often more of a hinderance than a positive tool in life solving. yes, i said life solving. forgive me

I find this so interesting. The idea that our conscience is more of a hinderance than a positive tool is very fascinating--because it seems like such a false claim at first. But then I imagine for a second if we were aware of everything in our surroundings at all times. Talk about sensory overload. There's a theory of attention that comes to mind but I can't remember which--the one that explains how we ignore those visual cues which are constant.

Maybe if I stop trying to remember the name it'll suddenly dawn on me.

 

[melon]

why is there so little imagination in almost everyone elses?

Oooh...burn!

Melon

 

[U2Girl1978]

This is definitely fascinating. I'm always interested in the subconsious part of the brain. When I'm usually thinking about something in particular, I tend to lose it. I get so frustrated trying to think about what I was thinking about that I end up giving up until I have, like you said, a Eureka moment. It's very strange how parts of the brain work.

 

[VicksSs]

Very very interesting and surprising too!! Thanks for the info

 

[Canadiens1131]

I read the first two lines, but the lack of content made me lose interest.

Upside-down triangle. It's all about the upside-down triangle.

 

[Zoomerang96]

lack of content made you lose interest?

that's irony right there.

 

[AtomicBono]

that's actually really interesting.

I was never into the whole free will debate though - because really, who cares? If you have free will, great, if not, oh well, it's not gonna change the way you live life. I mean I don't understand why philosophers debate the point endlessly when it's not gonna make a damn difference either way. Whether it was my decision or it was predetermined or some energy decided it or whatever, I typed this post. The result is the same regardless of what caused it.

but the idea of conscience being a hinderance is quite interesting; i'd never heard that theory before. but if we didn't have our conscience at all what would life be like exactly?

 

[angelordevil]

we're machines with free won't.

My Radiohead senses are tingling. Free Won't would be a terrific album title.

but if we didn't have our conscience at all what would life be like exactly?

Certain politicians are showing us right now!

 

[Zoots]

My Radiohead senses are tingling.

I was thinking the same thing!

a delicate balance?

 

[carrieluvv]

so the next time you're thinking about something, realize the decision's already been made for you. sleep easier, however, knowing that our conscience can perhaps be used as a veto power.



I wish.......

I dont know when & I dont know why
my subconscience and conscience like to do alot of ddancing when im trying to sleep...
they like to hold a plastic bag over my head....kick me in the gut



those fockers!

 

[Kieran McConville]

As I was just saying to uncle schultz the other day, Radiohead should and WILL name their next album 'Computer Says No'.

Very interesting otherwise, guys (by which I mean, Caisenema).

 

[Calluna]

I agree, very interesting stuff. Free won't, I like the sound of that.

I have always believed that we do need our conscious mind because it is the filter of our subconcious minds. That is why they say we only use 99% of our brains. It is a sort of survival technique because without that filter, there would be too much going on and we wouldn't be able to focus on day-to-day survival things like eating or avoiding dangerous predators. Without the filter, we might even just reach spontaneous enlightenment, I don't know. We certainly wouldn't be able to continue existing in this world for very much longer.

Also, I'm a total freak (you guys know that already) and sometimes extremely irrational ideas pop into my head.

For example, I am crossing a bridge, I look down at the distance below me and I have the sudden impulse to take my purse and just throw it over the bridge. I don't follow through with it because my conscious mind tells me that as thrilling as it might be for the first second or so, there will be consequences if I throw my purse off the bridge. It has my wallet and important possessions in it, for one thing. How will I retreive the purse after I've thrown it?

I think perhaps the difference between me and a crazy person is that I am able to think about consequences instead of just acting impulsively on whatever crazy idea my subconscious mind throws out at me.

Sorry for the rant, not sure this is even related. It just made me think.

 

[Angela Harlem]

'Computer Says No'.

best show. well, not the best, but pretty good.