I wonder how many on the list are watching this series.
http://www.pbs.org/the-brain-with-david-eagleman/home/
<http://www.pbs.org/the-brain-with-david-eagleman/home/>
On 11/2/2015 9:39 PM, ag wrote:
<http://www.pbs.org/the-brain-with-david-eagleman/home/>
An experiment was described which seemed to prove that free will
doesn't exist. If I have time, I'll describe it. AG
IIRC, a subject seated in front of a computer was told to do something
very specific when the screen was red, and something else when it was
blue, to decide beforehand exactly what he/she would do, wait a short
time after viewing the screen, and then do it. In the interim,
sometimes but not always, some focused radiation would impinge on a
certain portion of the brain (and there is a name for this procedure
which Eagleman gives, which I cannot recall). The apparently
invariable result was that the subject would NOT do as he/she had
decided in advance, but something else, and only if the radiation was
applied, remaining convinced he/she had just changed his/her mind when
the radiation was applied. When the radiation wasn't applied, the
subject would do as he/she planned in advance. ERGO, no free will. It
seemed convincing.
--
*/IF/* you think that "you" consist only of your /*conscious*/ mind.
Imagine the same experiment but instead of focused radiation, which you
do not /*consciously*/ perceive, there was an announcement that if you
changed your mind you'd be given $1000. Then there would be no mystery;
you changed your mind because some outside influence affected you. The
focused radiation did the same thing. It's just that the little part of
you brain that produces consciousness didn't get the memo.
You can see the relevant segment here
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365564819 at about 47:00
I'd say the conclusion is that "you" are more than your consciousness.
Brent
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