I have known our brains evolved for many years, ever since my early psychology lessons at college: However I have never understood the implications of this until now. The evidence is right there for an evolved brain. The smallest part of the brain, at the centre contains all the goodies needed for a simpler life form to function, like the hypothalamus. Around it, the Old Mammalia, features everything you need for mammals to function, like dogs and cats. Lastly at the front of brain lies the neocortex giving us our human higher brain functioning, so called because it’s one of the last parts of the human brain to appear.
The evolved brain isn’t a recipe for stability, although it’s made humans what we are. Today I found two parts of my brain disagreeing about how I should feel about a radio program. A radio play had a controversial theme and it triggered two very strong, opposing emotions: almost as if I held two opposing and contradictory ideas at the same time.
I would personally describe my higher brain function as cultured, social and rational. The more Mammalian parts seem focused on intuition, self orientation and emotional. I would like to add I have found that many choices are decided in the Mammalian part of the mind and then rationalised in the frontal cortex part of the brain, but this isn’t always the case.
In response to this radio program the higher part of my mind was embarrassed, shocked and horrified at the text: Featured in the radio play was a strong faux pas that, in our society is totally abhorrent.
The mammalian part of my mind was simultaneously very attracted to the beauty of the play, I felt empathy with the characters; I felt their loneliness and I felt the desire felt by the main character.
I have been preoccupied as of late with what I am. I, of course have a standard knowledge of antinomy but I’m unsatisfied with the philosophical theories of mind I have read. I know the brain evolved in three main parts (as discussed earlier), each of which has undergone fine tuning through evolution, but with human beings being such a new species we have yet to find a paradigm; a standard and perfect human, where as you may be able to find a perfect standard shark.
The cells in my brain will be renewed around every 2 weeks. Memory, like all complex neural circuitry being a living, changing and dying structure that strengthens through use and decay’s through isolation. Human beings, like all life are created from the most beautiful mathematical fractal algorithms that correlate with the laws of physics; truly nature must have learned and copied the secret’s we take such pride in having found. The human race, though conscious, has yet to achieve a fraction of what nature has: and what we have achieved seems sometimes short sighted, inefficient and hugely dangerous to our own survival. We are like children in Leonardo da Vinci’s work shop, burning his papers & scribbling on his master works. Has a human ever improved a spiders web by touching it?
The horse, as they say has bolted; and here we are, without the higher rationalism of the Gods and without the nervous intelligence of plants, breeding and fighting and using nature & earth’s bounty as a utility like any other. A bull in a china shop.
My brain is thousands of different computers, each with their own language and roles. At it’s best my mind’s an orchestra, with each piece working together to create great beauty, at it’s worst… it’s a dull, confused and vulnerable thing that others seek to take advantage of. Ultimately it’s those beautiful symphonies of thought that are mankind’s best chase of survival; and what makes life so wonderful; or at-least bearable.