Hey guys,
Just some food for thought...last Thursday I left the room feeling really confused. I walked into class ready to argue that because the teenage brain was not fully developed, teenagers don't always act rationally. However, after listening to the discussion in class I started to wonder, does the brain influence the mind/ our actions? Or does the mind influence the actions and re-actions of our brains?
If the brain can control our motor and sensory functions, doesn't it have the capability of controlling our psychological views as well?
Sigmund Freud separated the unconscious mind into three different layers, the id, the ego, and the super-ego. The id is considered to be the irrational and emotional part of the mind. In an article I was reading (http://wilderdom.com/personality/L8-4StructureMindIdEgoSuperego.html) the id was referred to as the primitive mind. The ego is responsible for the rational part of the mind through which one reacts to the world. The super-ego is considered the moral part of the mind. What if these divisions of the mind are controlled by the divisions of the brain?
Neuroscience shows that the brain can be separated into, again the "primitive" brain and then a superior and more complex are known as the neocortex. The primitive brain consists of the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum which control your basic physical functions such as movement and respiration. However the primitive brain also contains structures such as the amygdala, the hippocampus and the pons. The amygdala is responsible for producing emotions, especially fear. The hippocampus deals with memories and learning. The pons deals with levels of arousal, consciousness, and sleep.
So your primitive brain is said to produce feelings and emotions. How does this spur a response? Neuroscientists aren't sure. However the neocortex, specifically the frontal lobe, is responsible for planning and executing decision making processes. Maybe the interaction between the primitive brain (the id) and the neocortex (the ego) are responsible for our psychological responses?
^^ That's just a discussion of the different structures of the brain that may influence our thought processes. Throw in the different chemical neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, that have an affect on our emotions and that makes this debate exponentially more complex.
Nushi
Just some food for thought...last Thursday I left the room feeling really confused. I walked into class ready to argue that because the teenage brain was not fully developed, teenagers don't always act rationally. However, after listening to the discussion in class I started to wonder, does the brain influence the mind/ our actions? Or does the mind influence the actions and re-actions of our brains?
If the brain can control our motor and sensory functions, doesn't it have the capability of controlling our psychological views as well?
Sigmund Freud separated the unconscious mind into three different layers, the id, the ego, and the super-ego. The id is considered to be the irrational and emotional part of the mind. In an article I was reading (http://wilderdom.com/personality/L8-4StructureMindIdEgoSuperego.html) the id was referred to as the primitive mind. The ego is responsible for the rational part of the mind through which one reacts to the world. The super-ego is considered the moral part of the mind. What if these divisions of the mind are controlled by the divisions of the brain?
Neuroscience shows that the brain can be separated into, again the "primitive" brain and then a superior and more complex are known as the neocortex. The primitive brain consists of the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum which control your basic physical functions such as movement and respiration. However the primitive brain also contains structures such as the amygdala, the hippocampus and the pons. The amygdala is responsible for producing emotions, especially fear. The hippocampus deals with memories and learning. The pons deals with levels of arousal, consciousness, and sleep.
So your primitive brain is said to produce feelings and emotions. How does this spur a response? Neuroscientists aren't sure. However the neocortex, specifically the frontal lobe, is responsible for planning and executing decision making processes. Maybe the interaction between the primitive brain (the id) and the neocortex (the ego) are responsible for our psychological responses?
^^ That's just a discussion of the different structures of the brain that may influence our thought processes. Throw in the different chemical neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, that have an affect on our emotions and that makes this debate exponentially more complex.
Nushi
I had the same realization in class on Thursday as you, originally believing that the brain's development causes teenagers to act irrationally, but later realizing that there is much more that affects our behaviors than simply our brains. However, I didn't even think to consider Freud's id, ego, and superego theories. I think this point brings up a lot of really valid arguments for a discussion, and I hope we can discuss this further as a class.
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