The Human Mind *Powerfull workhorse or Fraud*

[Hannibal]

Alright, here we go. Gonna jump in the water here, and try a topic for you guys to rip into. It might be a little.. um.... less philosophical then you guys are used to, however perhaps some will find interest in it.

At any rate, my question pertains to the human mind. Just how powerfull do you think the human mind is? Are suddenly cured cases of blindness the work of God *assuming there is one*, or the work of the human mind and the belief that it can be cured? I once had an interesting pyramid theory on the mind and how powerfull it could become, but I am quite interested to get other ideas and thoughts on the human mind...
**off hand, does anyone know what percentage of the brain we use?**

If a person were to harness all brain power at once, would this make them godlike?


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[zelazny]

rather not!
(about the brainpower)
imagine you using 100% of your brain and therefore continually using the part of your brain that has the motorfunction for your sphincster or bladder

as to the amount of brain used, you have certain "area's" in the brain that can be used for different things, such as motor functions, perception, speech, thought.
As far as i see you can only use a part of the total brain at once since you do not want to do all these things at the same time.
Also, from an evolutionary viewpoint, a brain that only uses part of the power needed instead of a brain that works 100% and consumes 100% power is more effective.

And the curing of the body? i think there were some cases known of psychosomatic blindness.
During tests with some blind people it turend out that their eyes AND optical nerves were still working.
They could recieve impulses from the eye but still claimed to be blind (even though they weren't blind all their life).
so it could also be that it's not the brain that's curing the body, but merely thinks it was sick, and as soon as it 'thinks' it's healed will allow optical imputs again.

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Sure the universe is a great place, but if it wasn't here, no-one would miss it.

[Hannibal]

Alright... I feel silly and uneducated now and for this, I thank you . But really what you say is quite, well, common sense. Or so it sounds and seems, and right now i'm going "Man, why didn't I think of that, I should've known that.." In which case is similar to some psychological thing I learned about in class the other day. I can't remember what the name of it was however.
And about the blindness comment however, I meant to include all cases such as that, the blindness, what about the lame walking once more? The deaf hearing? The mute speaking? I suppose that your response could once more fall into all those for the most part, well except for the walking, but.. i'm interested to perhaps collect a bit more elaboration on that part... and any thoughts on God, gods, or anything of the sort..

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[SHATOUSHKA]

ok ok....enough of this 'lets congratulate zela on his award-winning speech' stuff...

ok, zela, here's your oscar.

now exit stage left.

hmmmm.......how would i answer this question. eegads! i can not!!! no matter what i say, it is based on some other (useless) information attained over the years by (questionable) authority.
ok, here goes....

i agree with zela.

moreso, i think we use all (100%) of our brains although not simulatneously--er, that is not to say that we don't use two or more parts together--but not all 100% at once.

i have always wondered who started that awful myth.

anyway, with the SUDDENLY CURED illness(es). again i agree with zela. (YIKES!)

in a case where the brain and/or tissue of said injured area is totally destroyed, i would question whether or not the person was psychosomatic.

it kinda reminds me of those psychic networks...or even worse, evangalists.
(*raises hand* don't go there.)

you know how people who have had arms amputated claim to have the (dum dum dum) PHANTOM ARM!!!!!! well, its similar. its all about the brain.

...or IS it????????
(dum dum dum)



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General Philosophy

[zelazny]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
now exit stage left.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

you were expecting snaglepuss?

Back to the topic, i have to agree that i doubt most of those "sudden" healing/cures.
We have our own little miracle worker here in holland. And she cured someone on TV.. from blindness.... even though the person only had a nasty knee

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Sure the universe is a great place, but if it wasn't here, no-one would miss it.

[SHATOUSHKA]

*gasp*

ZELA!!!!!!!!

don't make me edit your post!!!!!

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General Philosophy

[zelazny]

whoops, sorry about that, i just had the cartoon figure from yogi bear shows in my mind instead of a certain notorious poster.

just wanted to say one thing about the brain: if it there is some braindamage, the area's around the damaged tissue are able to take some functions that were previously performed by the damaged part.
And certain parts of the brain keep growing! the part that stores 3d/position data.
So to say : the more places you go and the more you see, the bigger that part of the brain

lol, with that reasoning i might even be able to get a deduction on my trip to france since it's 'educational'

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Sure the universe is a great place, but if it wasn't here, no-one would miss it.

[SHATOUSHKA]

you just wanted to say one thing about the brain??

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General Philosophy

[SHATOUSHKA]

who doesn't?

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General Philosophy

[Alex]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by zelazny:

As far as i see you can only use a part of the total brain at once since you do not want to do all these things at the same time.
Also, from an evolutionary viewpoint, a brain that only uses part of the power needed instead of a brain that works 100% and consumes 100% power is more effective.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think it's time you come clean....

....this quote was lifted word for word from the Couch Potatoes Guide to Peaceful Co-Existence with Busybodies.


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-Alex

[This message has been edited by Alex (edited September 18, 2001).]