Author: Jay E Harris
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317760786
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 418
Book Description
How the Brain Talks to Itself synthesizes discoveries in cognitive neuroscience with a psychoanalytic understanding of human dynamics and a working model for clinical diagnosis. In studying how the brain talks to itself to solve survival problems, this text looks at two sets of situations. In the first, neural possibilities mesh adaptively. In the second, dysfunction clouds the picture--something has gone wrong with the brain, in the life, or in a combination that ends in clinical syndromes. Unlike other books in this area that have narrow focuses, How the Brain Talks to Itself gives you an extensive and thorough exploration of the human condition by examining the effect that impairment of the left hemisphere has on goals and ambitions, problemsolving, the formation of syndromes, the use of transitional object transference in stabilizing patient identity, and how the brain registers, organizes, assesses, reflects, and acts on data. You'll find this information gives you a comprehensive framework for diagnosing and treating your patients. Chapters will further enhance your knowledge and help you improve your skills by: amplifying what we can learn from the conventional mental status exam prioritizing and targeting therapeutic interventions providing a framework for fitting advances in psychopharmacology into psychotherapy reconciling disparate forms of psychotherapy in the context of a neural-systems informed “structural therapy” How the Brain Talks to Itself combines vast domains of data so that higher cortical functions consistently relate to their corresponding identity functions. You'll explore the mechanisms that link synaptic potentiation to the emotionally and cognitively organized memories that sustain development. These mechanisms process the cognitive, social, and emotional data that are needed for problemsolving. You'll also see how the ways in which synaptic potentiations are comprised by definable varieties of stress that lead to the spectrum of DSM-IV syndromes. Author Jay E. Harris, MD, derives functional and structural principles from all of the disciplines--psychoanalytic psychology, cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychiatry, neurology, and linguistics--relevant to the brain's development, information processing, problemsolving, and syndrome formation. He includes case histories, clinical vignettes, and diagnostic examples of mental status dialogues with patients to help you in your understanding of this complex topic. You'll find that How the Brain Talks to Itself answers many questions you have about the brain's role in identity formation and resultant clinical sydromes.
How the Brain Talks to Itself
Author: Jay E Harris
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317760786
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 418
Book Description
How the Brain Talks to Itself synthesizes discoveries in cognitive neuroscience with a psychoanalytic understanding of human dynamics and a working model for clinical diagnosis. In studying how the brain talks to itself to solve survival problems, this text looks at two sets of situations. In the first, neural possibilities mesh adaptively. In the second, dysfunction clouds the picture--something has gone wrong with the brain, in the life, or in a combination that ends in clinical syndromes. Unlike other books in this area that have narrow focuses, How the Brain Talks to Itself gives you an extensive and thorough exploration of the human condition by examining the effect that impairment of the left hemisphere has on goals and ambitions, problemsolving, the formation of syndromes, the use of transitional object transference in stabilizing patient identity, and how the brain registers, organizes, assesses, reflects, and acts on data. You'll find this information gives you a comprehensive framework for diagnosing and treating your patients. Chapters will further enhance your knowledge and help you improve your skills by: amplifying what we can learn from the conventional mental status exam prioritizing and targeting therapeutic interventions providing a framework for fitting advances in psychopharmacology into psychotherapy reconciling disparate forms of psychotherapy in the context of a neural-systems informed “structural therapy” How the Brain Talks to Itself combines vast domains of data so that higher cortical functions consistently relate to their corresponding identity functions. You'll explore the mechanisms that link synaptic potentiation to the emotionally and cognitively organized memories that sustain development. These mechanisms process the cognitive, social, and emotional data that are needed for problemsolving. You'll also see how the ways in which synaptic potentiations are comprised by definable varieties of stress that lead to the spectrum of DSM-IV syndromes. Author Jay E. Harris, MD, derives functional and structural principles from all of the disciplines--psychoanalytic psychology, cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychiatry, neurology, and linguistics--relevant to the brain's development, information processing, problemsolving, and syndrome formation. He includes case histories, clinical vignettes, and diagnostic examples of mental status dialogues with patients to help you in your understanding of this complex topic. You'll find that How the Brain Talks to Itself answers many questions you have about the brain's role in identity formation and resultant clinical sydromes.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317760786
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 418
Book Description
How the Brain Talks to Itself synthesizes discoveries in cognitive neuroscience with a psychoanalytic understanding of human dynamics and a working model for clinical diagnosis. In studying how the brain talks to itself to solve survival problems, this text looks at two sets of situations. In the first, neural possibilities mesh adaptively. In the second, dysfunction clouds the picture--something has gone wrong with the brain, in the life, or in a combination that ends in clinical syndromes. Unlike other books in this area that have narrow focuses, How the Brain Talks to Itself gives you an extensive and thorough exploration of the human condition by examining the effect that impairment of the left hemisphere has on goals and ambitions, problemsolving, the formation of syndromes, the use of transitional object transference in stabilizing patient identity, and how the brain registers, organizes, assesses, reflects, and acts on data. You'll find this information gives you a comprehensive framework for diagnosing and treating your patients. Chapters will further enhance your knowledge and help you improve your skills by: amplifying what we can learn from the conventional mental status exam prioritizing and targeting therapeutic interventions providing a framework for fitting advances in psychopharmacology into psychotherapy reconciling disparate forms of psychotherapy in the context of a neural-systems informed “structural therapy” How the Brain Talks to Itself combines vast domains of data so that higher cortical functions consistently relate to their corresponding identity functions. You'll explore the mechanisms that link synaptic potentiation to the emotionally and cognitively organized memories that sustain development. These mechanisms process the cognitive, social, and emotional data that are needed for problemsolving. You'll also see how the ways in which synaptic potentiations are comprised by definable varieties of stress that lead to the spectrum of DSM-IV syndromes. Author Jay E. Harris, MD, derives functional and structural principles from all of the disciplines--psychoanalytic psychology, cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychiatry, neurology, and linguistics--relevant to the brain's development, information processing, problemsolving, and syndrome formation. He includes case histories, clinical vignettes, and diagnostic examples of mental status dialogues with patients to help you in your understanding of this complex topic. You'll find that How the Brain Talks to Itself answers many questions you have about the brain's role in identity formation and resultant clinical sydromes.
The Woman Who Changed Her Brain
Author: Barbara Arrowsmith-Young
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1451607946
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
Previously published in hardcover: New York: Free Press, 2012.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1451607946
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
Previously published in hardcover: New York: Free Press, 2012.
The Brain That Changes Itself
Author: Norman Doidge, M.D.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101147113
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 447
Book Description
“Fascinating. Doidge’s book is a remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain.”—Oliver Sacks, MD, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat What is neuroplasticity? Is it possible to change your brain? Norman Doidge’s inspiring guide to the new brain science explains all of this and more An astonishing new science called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable, and proving that it is, in fact, possible to change your brain. Psychoanalyst, Norman Doidge, M.D., traveled the country to meet both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity, its healing powers, and the people whose lives they’ve transformed—people whose mental limitations, brain damage or brain trauma were seen as unalterable. We see a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole, blind people who learn to see, learning disorders cured, IQs raised, aging brains rejuvenated, stroke patients learning to speak, children with cerebral palsy learning to move with more grace, depression and anxiety disorders successfully treated, and lifelong character traits changed. Using these marvelous stories to probe mysteries of the body, emotion, love, sex, culture, and education, Dr. Doidge has written an immensely moving, inspiring book that will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101147113
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 447
Book Description
“Fascinating. Doidge’s book is a remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain.”—Oliver Sacks, MD, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat What is neuroplasticity? Is it possible to change your brain? Norman Doidge’s inspiring guide to the new brain science explains all of this and more An astonishing new science called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable, and proving that it is, in fact, possible to change your brain. Psychoanalyst, Norman Doidge, M.D., traveled the country to meet both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity, its healing powers, and the people whose lives they’ve transformed—people whose mental limitations, brain damage or brain trauma were seen as unalterable. We see a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole, blind people who learn to see, learning disorders cured, IQs raised, aging brains rejuvenated, stroke patients learning to speak, children with cerebral palsy learning to move with more grace, depression and anxiety disorders successfully treated, and lifelong character traits changed. Using these marvelous stories to probe mysteries of the body, emotion, love, sex, culture, and education, Dr. Doidge has written an immensely moving, inspiring book that will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.
The 5 Second Rule
Author: Mel Robbins
Publisher: Savio Republic
ISBN: 1682612392
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
Throughout your life, you've had parents, coaches, teachers, friends, and mentors who have pushed you to be better than your excuses and bigger than your fears. What if the secret to having the confidence and courage to enrich your life and work is simply knowing how to push yourself? Using the science habits, riveting stories and surprising facts from some of the most famous moments in history, art and business, Mel Robbins will explain the power of a "push moment." Then, she'll give you one simple tool you can use to become your greatest self. It take just five seconds to use this tool, and every time you do, you'll be in great company. More than 8 million people have watched Mel's TEDx Talk, and executives inside of the world's largest brands are using the tool to increase productivity, collaboration, and engagement. In The 5 Second Rule, you'll discover it takes just five seconds to: Become confident Break the habit of procrastination and self-doubt Beat fear and uncertainty Stop worrying and feel happier Share your ideas with courage The 5 Second Rule is a simple, one-size-fits-all solution for the one problem we all face—we hold ourselves back. The secret isn't knowing what to do—it's knowing how to make yourself do it. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial}
Publisher: Savio Republic
ISBN: 1682612392
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
Throughout your life, you've had parents, coaches, teachers, friends, and mentors who have pushed you to be better than your excuses and bigger than your fears. What if the secret to having the confidence and courage to enrich your life and work is simply knowing how to push yourself? Using the science habits, riveting stories and surprising facts from some of the most famous moments in history, art and business, Mel Robbins will explain the power of a "push moment." Then, she'll give you one simple tool you can use to become your greatest self. It take just five seconds to use this tool, and every time you do, you'll be in great company. More than 8 million people have watched Mel's TEDx Talk, and executives inside of the world's largest brands are using the tool to increase productivity, collaboration, and engagement. In The 5 Second Rule, you'll discover it takes just five seconds to: Become confident Break the habit of procrastination and self-doubt Beat fear and uncertainty Stop worrying and feel happier Share your ideas with courage The 5 Second Rule is a simple, one-size-fits-all solution for the one problem we all face—we hold ourselves back. The secret isn't knowing what to do—it's knowing how to make yourself do it. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial}
The Brain's Way of Healing
Author: Norman Doidge, MD
Publisher: Scribe Publications
ISBN: 1925106373
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 432
Book Description
Based on astonishing case studies, this is a brilliant and beautifully written follow-up to Dr Doidge’s record-breaking bestseller The Brain That Changes Itself. In his first book, Norman Doidge described the most important development in our understanding of the brain in four hundred years: the discovery that the brain can change its own structure and function in response to mental experience — what we call neuroplasticity. Now The Brain’s Way of Healing shows how this amazing discovery really works, significantly broadening the field from traumatic brain injury to all manner of diseases and conditions in which brain functioning is a factor — including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and dementia. He describes how patients have retrained their brains and learned to walk, speak, or hear, while others have reset the brain’s energy patterns and circuits to overcome or reduce chronic pain or alleviate anxiety, trauma, learning disorders, and many other impairing syndromes. As he did so lucidly in The Brain That Changes Itself, Norman Doidge presents exciting, cutting-edge science with practical real-world applications, and illustrates how anyone can apply the principles of neuroplasticity to improve their brain’s performance.
Publisher: Scribe Publications
ISBN: 1925106373
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 432
Book Description
Based on astonishing case studies, this is a brilliant and beautifully written follow-up to Dr Doidge’s record-breaking bestseller The Brain That Changes Itself. In his first book, Norman Doidge described the most important development in our understanding of the brain in four hundred years: the discovery that the brain can change its own structure and function in response to mental experience — what we call neuroplasticity. Now The Brain’s Way of Healing shows how this amazing discovery really works, significantly broadening the field from traumatic brain injury to all manner of diseases and conditions in which brain functioning is a factor — including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and dementia. He describes how patients have retrained their brains and learned to walk, speak, or hear, while others have reset the brain’s energy patterns and circuits to overcome or reduce chronic pain or alleviate anxiety, trauma, learning disorders, and many other impairing syndromes. As he did so lucidly in The Brain That Changes Itself, Norman Doidge presents exciting, cutting-edge science with practical real-world applications, and illustrates how anyone can apply the principles of neuroplasticity to improve their brain’s performance.
Discovering the Brain
Author: National Academy of Sciences
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309045290
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 195
Book Description
The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309045290
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 195
Book Description
The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."
The Self-Assembling Brain
Author: Peter Robin Hiesinger
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691241694
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 384
Book Description
"In this book, Peter Robin Hiesinger explores historical and contemporary attempts to understand the information needed to make biological and artificial neural networks. Developmental neurobiologists and computer scientists with an interest in artificial intelligence - driven by the promise and resources of biomedical research on the one hand, and by the promise and advances of computer technology on the other - are trying to understand the fundamental principles that guide the generation of an intelligent system. Yet, though researchers in these disciplines share a common interest, their perspectives and approaches are often quite different. The book makes the case that "the information problem" underlies both fields, driving the questions that are driving forward the frontiers, and aims to encourage cross-disciplinary communication and understanding, to help both fields make progress. The questions that challenge researchers in these fields include the following. How does genetic information unfold during the years-long process of human brain development, and can this be a short-cut to create human-level artificial intelligence? Is the biological brain just messy hardware that can be improved upon by running learning algorithms in computers? Can artificial intelligence bypass evolutionary programming of "grown" networks? These questions are tightly linked, and answering them requires an understanding of how information unfolds algorithmically to generate functional neural networks. Via a series of closely linked "discussions" (fictional dialogues between researchers in different disciplines) and pedagogical "seminars," the author explores the different challenges facing researchers working on neural networks, their different perspectives and approaches, as well as the common ground and understanding to be found amongst those sharing an interest in the development of biological brains and artificial intelligent systems"--
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691241694
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 384
Book Description
"In this book, Peter Robin Hiesinger explores historical and contemporary attempts to understand the information needed to make biological and artificial neural networks. Developmental neurobiologists and computer scientists with an interest in artificial intelligence - driven by the promise and resources of biomedical research on the one hand, and by the promise and advances of computer technology on the other - are trying to understand the fundamental principles that guide the generation of an intelligent system. Yet, though researchers in these disciplines share a common interest, their perspectives and approaches are often quite different. The book makes the case that "the information problem" underlies both fields, driving the questions that are driving forward the frontiers, and aims to encourage cross-disciplinary communication and understanding, to help both fields make progress. The questions that challenge researchers in these fields include the following. How does genetic information unfold during the years-long process of human brain development, and can this be a short-cut to create human-level artificial intelligence? Is the biological brain just messy hardware that can be improved upon by running learning algorithms in computers? Can artificial intelligence bypass evolutionary programming of "grown" networks? These questions are tightly linked, and answering them requires an understanding of how information unfolds algorithmically to generate functional neural networks. Via a series of closely linked "discussions" (fictional dialogues between researchers in different disciplines) and pedagogical "seminars," the author explores the different challenges facing researchers working on neural networks, their different perspectives and approaches, as well as the common ground and understanding to be found amongst those sharing an interest in the development of biological brains and artificial intelligent systems"--
Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain
Author: Lisa Feldman Barrett
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
ISBN: 0358157145
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 197
Book Description
From the author of How Emotions Are Made, a myth-busting primer on the brain, in the tradition of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
ISBN: 0358157145
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 197
Book Description
From the author of How Emotions Are Made, a myth-busting primer on the brain, in the tradition of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Livewired
Author: David Eagleman
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307907503
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
"Eagleman renders the secrets of the brain’s adaptability into a truly compelling page-turner.” —Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner “Livewired reads wonderfully like what a book would be if it were written by Oliver Sacks and William Gibson, sitting on Carl Sagan’s front lawn.” —The Wall Street Journal What does drug withdrawal have in common with a broken heart? Why is the enemy of memory not time but other memories? How can a blind person learn to see with her tongue, or a deaf person learn to hear with his skin? Why did many people in the 1980s mistakenly perceive book pages to be slightly red in color? Why is the world’s best archer armless? Might we someday control a robot with our thoughts, just as we do our fingers and toes? Why do we dream at night, and what does that have to do with the rotation of the Earth? The answers to these questions are right behind our eyes. The greatest technology we have ever discovered on our planet is the three-pound organ carried in the vault of the skull. This book is not simply about what the brain is; it is about what it does. The magic of the brain is not found in the parts it’s made of but in the way those parts unceasingly reweave themselves in an electric, living fabric. In Livewired, you will surf the leading edge of neuroscience atop the anecdotes and metaphors that have made David Eagleman one of the best scientific translators of our generation. Covering decades of research to the present day, Livewired also presents new discoveries from Eagleman’s own laboratory, from synesthesia to dreaming to wearable neurotech devices that revolutionize how we think about the senses.
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307907503
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
"Eagleman renders the secrets of the brain’s adaptability into a truly compelling page-turner.” —Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner “Livewired reads wonderfully like what a book would be if it were written by Oliver Sacks and William Gibson, sitting on Carl Sagan’s front lawn.” —The Wall Street Journal What does drug withdrawal have in common with a broken heart? Why is the enemy of memory not time but other memories? How can a blind person learn to see with her tongue, or a deaf person learn to hear with his skin? Why did many people in the 1980s mistakenly perceive book pages to be slightly red in color? Why is the world’s best archer armless? Might we someday control a robot with our thoughts, just as we do our fingers and toes? Why do we dream at night, and what does that have to do with the rotation of the Earth? The answers to these questions are right behind our eyes. The greatest technology we have ever discovered on our planet is the three-pound organ carried in the vault of the skull. This book is not simply about what the brain is; it is about what it does. The magic of the brain is not found in the parts it’s made of but in the way those parts unceasingly reweave themselves in an electric, living fabric. In Livewired, you will surf the leading edge of neuroscience atop the anecdotes and metaphors that have made David Eagleman one of the best scientific translators of our generation. Covering decades of research to the present day, Livewired also presents new discoveries from Eagleman’s own laboratory, from synesthesia to dreaming to wearable neurotech devices that revolutionize how we think about the senses.
The Self Illusion
Author: Bruce Hood
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199969892
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
Most of us believe that we are unique and coherent individuals, but are we? The idea of a "self" has existed ever since humans began to live in groups and become sociable. Those who embrace the self as an individual in the West, or a member of the group in the East, feel fulfilled and purposeful. This experience seems incredibly real but a wealth of recent scientific evidence reveals that this notion of the independent, coherent self is an illusion - it is not what it seems. Reality as we perceive it is not something that objectively exists, but something that our brains construct from moment to moment, interpreting, summarizing, and substituting information along the way. Like a science fiction movie, we are living in a matrix that is our mind. In The Self Illusion, Dr. Bruce Hood reveals how the self emerges during childhood and how the architecture of the developing brain enables us to become social animals dependent on each other. He explains that self is the product of our relationships and interactions with others, and it exists only in our brains. The author argues, however, that though the self is an illusion, it is one that humans cannot live without. But things are changing as our technology develops and shapes society. The social bonds and relationships that used to take time and effort to form are now undergoing a revolution as we start to put our self online. Social networking activities such as blogging, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter threaten to change the way we behave. Social networking is fast becoming socialization on steroids. The speed and ease at which we can form alliances and relationships is outstripping the same selection processes that shaped our self prior to the internet era. This book ventures into unchartered territory to explain how the idea of the self will never be the same again in the online social world.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199969892
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
Most of us believe that we are unique and coherent individuals, but are we? The idea of a "self" has existed ever since humans began to live in groups and become sociable. Those who embrace the self as an individual in the West, or a member of the group in the East, feel fulfilled and purposeful. This experience seems incredibly real but a wealth of recent scientific evidence reveals that this notion of the independent, coherent self is an illusion - it is not what it seems. Reality as we perceive it is not something that objectively exists, but something that our brains construct from moment to moment, interpreting, summarizing, and substituting information along the way. Like a science fiction movie, we are living in a matrix that is our mind. In The Self Illusion, Dr. Bruce Hood reveals how the self emerges during childhood and how the architecture of the developing brain enables us to become social animals dependent on each other. He explains that self is the product of our relationships and interactions with others, and it exists only in our brains. The author argues, however, that though the self is an illusion, it is one that humans cannot live without. But things are changing as our technology develops and shapes society. The social bonds and relationships that used to take time and effort to form are now undergoing a revolution as we start to put our self online. Social networking activities such as blogging, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter threaten to change the way we behave. Social networking is fast becoming socialization on steroids. The speed and ease at which we can form alliances and relationships is outstripping the same selection processes that shaped our self prior to the internet era. This book ventures into unchartered territory to explain how the idea of the self will never be the same again in the online social world.