Bi-cameral brains in depth
Mark Kohut
mark.kohut at gmail.com
Wed Feb 3 04:02:56 CST 2016
That there anarchy that keeps popping up in P's work, it's embodied here.
Sent from my iPad
> On Feb 2, 2016, at 9:54 PM, John Bailey <sundayjb at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Yes and as far as I know the people who made the list have nothing to
> do with it now. It's not only unmoderated, it's not possible to do
> things like remove people from it. Which is pretty anarchic,
> rhizomatic, decentralised.
>
>> On Wed, Feb 3, 2016 at 11:29 AM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>> The P-list has a long proud tradition of being unmoderated, with its
>> resultant grand flame wars and relentless trolls. Bove won't change that.
>> He has been mild in comparison.
>>
>> David Morris
>>
>>
>>> On Tuesday, February 2, 2016, Mark Thibodeau <jerkyleboeuf at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Q: Why is Bove still allowed to participate here? His first message to
>>> this group was essentially a single-sentence hate-utterance, and he
>>> OBJECTIVELY wallows in his ignorance as though parading in his glory.
>>>
>>> He's a classic troll. Time to fumigate the bridge.
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>> Jerky LeBoeuf, esq.
>>>
>>>> On Tue, Feb 2, 2016 at 9:52 AM, Keith Davis <kbob42 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Check out this video: http://youtu.be/s1ZoEE9Kgu0
>>>>
>>>> Www.innergroovemusic.com
>>>>
>>>> On Feb 2, 2016, at 3:40 AM, Ian Livingston <igrlivingston at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Not sure where you're getting your fluff there, Bove. I never said
>>>> anything
>>>> about anything Al Huang said or did. Your attempt to dismiss the current
>>>> hard science on how the central nervous system works by looking for
>>>> holes in
>>>> a few casual statements sounds a bit like a drunken spiel. Why houses?
>>>> Because I felt like saying houses, that's why. Now pick up a few good
>>>> current texts on neuroscience and do some reading before you get too far
>>>> into your next fifth.
>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 8:27 PM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Bove,
>>>>>
>>>>> By illogical, I would cite your obvious arrogance, opposing so much
>>>>> that
>>>>> you have never even tried to experience. This realm of reality is known
>>>>> best
>>>>> by personal experience. "My back doesn't hurt" is just the first layer
>>>>> of
>>>>> that kind of experience, as wonderful as is that kind of healing. But
>>>>> the
>>>>> first step in the path of experiencing that reality is humility, which
>>>>> you
>>>>> lack in spades. Your choice.
>>>>>
>>>>> David Morris
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Monday, February 1, 2016, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>>>> From: David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>
>>>>>> Date: Monday, February 1, 2016
>>>>>> Subject: Bi-cameral brains in depth
>>>>>> To: john bove <malignd at gmx.com>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Your faith in Science above all other knowledge is illogical.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 10:47 PM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Bove,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You somehow think your measure of reality is superior because it is
>>>>>>> somehow "objective?" But your objectivity discounts multitudes of
>>>>>>> eons of
>>>>>>> subjective observation. Call it what you will, but it is deep in the
>>>>>>> genes.
>>>>>>> Your standard is modern, but not inherently superior. It has its
>>>>>>> benefits,
>>>>>>> but its horrors are also rife. A real scientist would look at the
>>>>>>> eons of
>>>>>>> other esoteric sciences and be less hostile. They don't threaten you.
>>>>>>> They
>>>>>>> don't care about you. Truth will prevail.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> David Morris
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 5:39 PM, john bove <malignd at gmx.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm not picking a fight. I'm in fact doing the opposite, trying to
>>>>>>>> take
>>>>>>>> this seriously. But Chunlian Al Huang said or did this, and
>>>>>>>> Spinoza
>>>>>>>> thought that in the 15th century and even Nietsche gave it a green
>>>>>>>> light ...
>>>>>>>> The two houses of the brain ... (Why "houses"?), natural wisdom, a
>>>>>>>> helix
>>>>>>>> curved ... By any standard this is laughable non-science, and so
>>>>>>>> you have
>>>>>>>> to fall back on the argument that science misses important keys of
>>>>>>>> knowledge
>>>>>>>> or undiscovered pathways or the wisdom of the ancients or whatever.
>>>>>>>> If you
>>>>>>>> can't do better than that or, instead, offer up anecdotal evidence
>>>>>>>> ("my
>>>>>>>> backache's gone!"), it's on the level of astrology.
>>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, February 01, 2016 at 2:20 PM
>>>>>>>> From: "Ian Livingston" <igrlivingston at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>> To: "ish mailian" <ishmailian at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>> Cc: "pynchon -l" <Pynchon-l at waste.org>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: Bi-cameral brains in depth
>>>>>>>> Keith, my teacher's teacher was Chunliang Al Huang. It is a less
>>>>>>>> martial, more simply chi-oriented style that resembles dance more
>>>>>>>> than
>>>>>>>> combat-training--but, then, tai chi chuan resembles dance in
>>>>>>>> individual
>>>>>>>> practice anyhow, doesn't it?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Joseph, there is indeed support for the linear / holistic activities
>>>>>>>> for recognizing a division of labor between the two houses of the
>>>>>>>> brain.
>>>>>>>> Language is associated with the left brain, so pretty much all we
>>>>>>>> express in
>>>>>>>> linguistic terms (remembering that mathematics is a language, as may
>>>>>>>> movement be) is dominated by left-brain activity. That, of course,
>>>>>>>> implies
>>>>>>>> that even the most finely-honed linguistic approaches to expression
>>>>>>>> also
>>>>>>>> engage the broader, synthetic functions of the creative, visionary
>>>>>>>> areas of
>>>>>>>> the right brain. I look forward to reading The M & Em.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> And pain, yes. Some of the neurons associated with pain messages
>>>>>>>> extend
>>>>>>>> the entire distance from the mid-brain to the tip of the big toe.
>>>>>>>> That can
>>>>>>>> be a 7' long neuron. Don't know where I'm going with that, but,
>>>>>>>> hey--it's
>>>>>>>> just one of those remarkable factoids contained within the fact of
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> non-duality of the body and mental activity. It still fascinates me
>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>> Spinoza postulated that argument so effectively in the 15th c.
>>>>>>>> That's quite
>>>>>>>> a stretch for a lens grinder! For all his eagerness to dismiss
>>>>>>>> Spinoza for
>>>>>>>> his methods, even Nietzsche embraced the rightness of his thought.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Fri, Jan 29, 2016 at 3:47 AM, ish mailian <ishmailian at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> In this brief and simple piece some of the ideas discussed here
>>>>>>>>> recently are addressed. One of the ideas is the Natural wisdom we
>>>>>>>>> have, of our bodies, bodies that are not separate from our heads or
>>>>>>>>> minds, not divided. . We got here without much of modern
>>>>>>>>> medicine's
>>>>>>>>> miracles. The miracle of conception, of two sharing the energies of
>>>>>>>>> life, the double, is a black hole, is a helix curved.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Does Lamaze “Work”?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3431777/
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> https://www.timeshighereducation.com/content/book-review-black-hole-by-marcia-bartusiak
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/12/lifes-greatest-secret-story-race-genetic-code-matthew-cobb-review
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Fri, Jan 29, 2016 at 12:09 AM, Joseph Tracy <brook7 at sover.net>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> Just caught your reply tonight. Thanks for the feedback. Your
>>>>>>>>>> experience with accupuncture, where the healing takes place
>>>>>>>>>> overnight, is
>>>>>>>>>> typical of several people I have talked with and my own
>>>>>>>>>> experience. Makes me
>>>>>>>>>> think pain works in the brain in a self-reinforcing cycle. I find
>>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>>> sending consciousness and , in my imagination, breath/chi to an
>>>>>>>>>> aggravated
>>>>>>>>>> or painful area while doing qigong exercises has reliably good
>>>>>>>>>> results.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> As far as the hemisphere differences, McGilchrist often repeats
>>>>>>>>>> what
>>>>>>>>>> your studies are saying that complex processes engage more than
>>>>>>>>>> one
>>>>>>>>>> hemisphere. But it does seem irrefutable that when there is for
>>>>>>>>>> instance a
>>>>>>>>>> stroke that severely impairs one hemisphere or the other the
>>>>>>>>>> disabilities
>>>>>>>>>> are dramatically different for each and fall into distinct
>>>>>>>>>> patterns of
>>>>>>>>>> effect that point both to the kinds of things that each hemispere
>>>>>>>>>> is likely
>>>>>>>>>> to handle and to the way each side processes personal experiences
>>>>>>>>>> and mental
>>>>>>>>>> tasks. Of course what is hard to tell by that means would be
>>>>>>>>>> something that
>>>>>>>>>> initiates in one hemispere and is sent to the other for the bulk
>>>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>>>> processing. But his extensive citations show he is not alone in
>>>>>>>>>> his leanings
>>>>>>>>>> about some general and specific differences between the
>>>>>>>>>> hemisperes.
>>>>>>>>>> McGilchrists mastery of the current reasearch is not of a
>>>>>>>>>> pop-science
>>>>>>>>>> quality, but the expression of a life devoted to brain research
>>>>>>>>>> and its
>>>>>>>>>> interpretation in a larger context.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> On Jan 27, 2016, at 4:00 AM, Ian Livingston
>>>>>>>>>>> <igrlivingston at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> A single accupuncture treatment cured my sciatica a decade ago
>>>>>>>>>>> after I had thrown useless hundreds away on massage therapy and
>>>>>>>>>>> chiropractic
>>>>>>>>>>> treatment. The next step was to be weeks of bed rest I could not
>>>>>>>>>>> afford
>>>>>>>>>>> combined with pain meds. Would've cost thousands in lost work
>>>>>>>>>>> and expenses.
>>>>>>>>>>> On a whim, because I figured I had nothing to lose, I stopped at
>>>>>>>>>>> an
>>>>>>>>>>> accupuncture school in Santa Cruz, Ca, where I lived at the
>>>>>>>>>>> time, and got a
>>>>>>>>>>> low-cost treatment from an advanced student. That night the pain
>>>>>>>>>>> was
>>>>>>>>>>> incredible, but I eventually fell asleep and woke in the morning
>>>>>>>>>>> pain-free,
>>>>>>>>>>> with full range of motion. True story. I took up tai chi chuan
>>>>>>>>>>> as a
>>>>>>>>>>> maintenance plan, and have had no flare-ups of the pain I
>>>>>>>>>>> experienced while
>>>>>>>>>>> trying to climb trees (I was a full-time arborist then) and
>>>>>>>>>>> carry heavy logs
>>>>>>>>>>> and limbs, and generally bend, lift and twist 8 hours a day.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I do not understand all the energy theories. I've been at the
>>>>>>>>>>> fringes of all that stuff for decades, on and off, of course,
>>>>>>>>>>> but I've
>>>>>>>>>>> mostly worked in heavy labor and played in book-learning. It was
>>>>>>>>>>> shortly
>>>>>>>>>>> after the incident with the sciatica that I took up a serious
>>>>>>>>>>> Zen meditation
>>>>>>>>>>> practice, which did wonders for helping me to stop smoking and
>>>>>>>>>>> quit caffeine
>>>>>>>>>>> without anxiety or cravings. I went on to study Chinese alchemy
>>>>>>>>>>> as a result
>>>>>>>>>>> of reading Jung on the subject, and found myself in agreement
>>>>>>>>>>> with him that
>>>>>>>>>>> alchemy is indeed a psychological pursuit of integrity on a
>>>>>>>>>>> relatively
>>>>>>>>>>> subtle level. There's a terrific little intro book used in
>>>>>>>>>>> Traditional
>>>>>>>>>>> Chinese Medicine schools here in CA, The Web That Has No Weaver.
>>>>>>>>>>> Worth a
>>>>>>>>>>> look.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> In direct response to your query, Joseph, my profs were cautious
>>>>>>>>>>> about the left-brain / right-brain differentiation primarily
>>>>>>>>>>> because recent
>>>>>>>>>>> work with fMRI studies shows that, when complex problems are
>>>>>>>>>>> presented, the
>>>>>>>>>>> whole brain lights up, with higher activity levels in some areas
>>>>>>>>>>> than in
>>>>>>>>>>> others. Also, the role of the corpus collosum appears to be that
>>>>>>>>>>> of making
>>>>>>>>>>> sure that action potentials carry effectively between the two
>>>>>>>>>>> cerebral
>>>>>>>>>>> lobes. Furthermore, it would be false to say that the entire
>>>>>>>>>>> brain is
>>>>>>>>>>> divided by the corpus collosum. Only the cerebral cortex is thus
>>>>>>>>>>> divided and
>>>>>>>>>>> united, as it were. The why of that is the study of a great many
>>>>>>>>>>> lifetimes.
>>>>>>>>>>> Maybe humans will someday know. One of the darkest areas of
>>>>>>>>>>> brain research
>>>>>>>>>>> is still to do with neurotransmitters. Research reveals how they
>>>>>>>>>>> work in
>>>>>>>>>>> synapses, but how many operate within the brain is still
>>>>>>>>>>> anybody's guess,
>>>>>>>>>>> and the functions of only a very few are known. Folks are
>>>>>>>>>>> discovering new
>>>>>>>>>>> ones all the time.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I'll leave off with a wonderful quote from one of my neuropsych
>>>>>>>>>>> texts: "The number of possible synaptic connections in a normal
>>>>>>>>>>> human brain
>>>>>>>>>>> exceeds the number molecules in the known universe." I suspect
>>>>>>>>>>> it'll be a
>>>>>>>>>>> while before we fully understand an organ with that level of
>>>>>>>>>>> potential
>>>>>>>>>>> complexity.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> On Tue, Jan 26, 2016 at 6:44 PM, Joseph Tracy <brook7 at sover.net>
>>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> The Chinese have been working with energy flow for thousands of
>>>>>>>>>>> years and have developed a medical system based on it that is
>>>>>>>>>>> very
>>>>>>>>>>> effective. The west too is beginning to study the flow of low
>>>>>>>>>>> level electric
>>>>>>>>>>> charge in the body. Many would have mocked mindfulness
>>>>>>>>>>> meditation as
>>>>>>>>>>> having any value a decade ago. Now, based on clinical trials, it
>>>>>>>>>>> is being
>>>>>>>>>>> incorporated into western medical practice. Tibetan herbs are
>>>>>>>>>>> being used in
>>>>>>>>>>> medical operations in Israel to minimize drug side effects and
>>>>>>>>>>> improve the
>>>>>>>>>>> speed and comfort of healing. Such herbs are being studied in
>>>>>>>>>>> Switzerland
>>>>>>>>>>> and Germany for the treatment of high cholesterol.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> At 64 i have personally only found increased flexibility, better
>>>>>>>>>>> posture, improved non drug -dependent energy levels, and other
>>>>>>>>>>> sometimes
>>>>>>>>>>> dramatically positive effects from yoga, acupuncture, tai chi
>>>>>>>>>>> and qigong. I
>>>>>>>>>>> teach a small class on qi-gong and tai chi and others report
>>>>>>>>>>> similar
>>>>>>>>>>> positive results.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I understand and practice skepticism. I see from a friends post
>>>>>>>>>>> that the Dalai Lama is going in for prostate surgery. No
>>>>>>>>>>> Kundalini bolt up
>>>>>>>>>>> the spine for me so far. I don’t so much believe in energy
>>>>>>>>>>> meridians as
>>>>>>>>>>> hold them in my mind as a map, and pay attention to my actual
>>>>>>>>>>> experience
>>>>>>>>>>> with qigong practices. Accupuncture can be simply amazing for
>>>>>>>>>>> things that
>>>>>>>>>>> doctors can’t seem to treat. Myself and several very rational
>>>>>>>>>>> friends have
>>>>>>>>>>> seen severe chronic pain from an injury disappear overnight
>>>>>>>>>>> through
>>>>>>>>>>> accupuncture.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> On Jan 26, 2016, at 4:38 PM, john bove <malignd at gmx.com>
>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> And you too? The Kundalini awakening??? Good luck.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, January 25, 2016 at 4:33 PM
>>>>>>>>>>>> From: "Joseph Tracy" <brook7 at sover.net>
>>>>>>>>>>>> To: "P-list List" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: Bi-cameral brains in depth
>>>>>>>>>>>> Very interesting response in that I am myself very engaged
>>>>>>>>>>>> currently with trying to learn to meditate with particular
>>>>>>>>>>>> interest in the
>>>>>>>>>>>> Kundalini awakening. For years I have done yoga and for the
>>>>>>>>>>>> last 3 years
>>>>>>>>>>>> have shifted my interest to qigong and tai chi. But for a
>>>>>>>>>>>> couple months now
>>>>>>>>>>>> I have been trying to meditate and doing some breath
>>>>>>>>>>>> practices. If you have
>>>>>>>>>>>> any personal thoughts or advice or suggestions for reading or
>>>>>>>>>>>> online info, I
>>>>>>>>>>>> would be interested. With qigong I am experiencing very
>>>>>>>>>>>> discernible warmth
>>>>>>>>>>>> and tingling in my arms and hands and have been able to
>>>>>>>>>>>> profoundly and at
>>>>>>>>>>>> least for 2 months now, completely relieve some muscle knots
>>>>>>>>>>>> in my left
>>>>>>>>>>>> shoulder and neck - knots that had been with me for probably
>>>>>>>>>>>> cloose to a
>>>>>>>>>>>> decade.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> In general it seems that asian philosophies and practices have
>>>>>>>>>>>> much greater emphasis on balance. The idea/knowledge base that
>>>>>>>>>>>> the central
>>>>>>>>>>>> channel has no power of its own is something I had missed but
>>>>>>>>>>>> really fits
>>>>>>>>>>>> with role of emptiness in Taoism and Tibetan Buddhism. Anyway
>>>>>>>>>>>> thanks, David.
>>>>>>>>>>>> This one went right past the conversation at hand to hit dead
>>>>>>>>>>>> center of my
>>>>>>>>>>>> own interests and pursuits.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Jan 25, 2016, at 4:00 PM, David Morris
>>>>>>>>>>>>> <fqmorris at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> In Eastern meditation/spiritual schools there is a concept
>>>>>>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Kundalini energy that is the life-source of all animated
>>>>>>>>>>>>> flesh. This model
>>>>>>>>>>>>> is part of the ages-old Chakra system that illustrates the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> pathways of
>>>>>>>>>>>>> something called the "subtle body." In that model chakras
>>>>>>>>>>>>> are nodes of
>>>>>>>>>>>>> energy passage, crossings along the vertical main highways
>>>>>>>>>>>>> of the three main
>>>>>>>>>>>>> energy channels: the Right side (Bingala Nadi), the Left
>>>>>>>>>>>>> side (Ida Nali),
>>>>>>>>>>>>> and the Central channel (Sushumna Nadi). In some ways it
>>>>>>>>>>>>> might be said that
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the goal of meditation when it come to the workings of the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Chakra system, is
>>>>>>>>>>>>> to achieve a balanced blending of the right and left energy
>>>>>>>>>>>>> channels into
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the central channel, achieving a synthesis greater then the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> sum of the two
>>>>>>>>>>>>> sides, because the central channel has no power of its own,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> only that
>>>>>>>>>>>>> supplied from the two sides. But when the two sides unify
>>>>>>>>>>>>> into the center,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> that is when transcendence happens.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I expect the bicameral structure of the brain might be also
>>>>>>>>>>>>> mapped to this ancient system.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.freemeditationnz.com/our-three-energy-channels.html
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> David Morris
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Monday, January 25, 2016, Ian Livingston
>>>>>>>>>>>>> <igrlivingston at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> My neuropsych profs were eager to caution that we have now
>>>>>>>>>>>>> reached such a deep understanding of the brain and its
>>>>>>>>>>>>> functions that we can
>>>>>>>>>>>>> at last say with confidence that we know almost nothing
>>>>>>>>>>>>> about it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 8:47 AM, Joseph Tracy
>>>>>>>>>>>>> <brook7 at sover.net> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes I read those reviews. What I am finding so far is that
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> book is very careful to build its picture of how the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> hemispheres work from
>>>>>>>>>>>>> data. Every step of the way, he draws on research and is
>>>>>>>>>>>>> very careful so far
>>>>>>>>>>>>> not to overreach and to include differing takes on that
>>>>>>>>>>>>> data. One of the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> things he points out is that brain science is with current
>>>>>>>>>>>>> technology and
>>>>>>>>>>>>> perhaps will always be a matter of intelligent
>>>>>>>>>>>>> interpretation since it deals
>>>>>>>>>>>>> with qualities and actions for which quantification makes
>>>>>>>>>>>>> little sense, like
>>>>>>>>>>>>> empathy, unjustified self confidence, manual grasping
>>>>>>>>>>>>> behaviors etc. Also it
>>>>>>>>>>>>> is almost impossible to really track the mechanisms
>>>>>>>>>>>>> involved( if they really
>>>>>>>>>>>>> are of a mechanistic nature) because they take place in a
>>>>>>>>>>>>> living organism.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> So brain scans give correspondences between activities and
>>>>>>>>>>>>> brain metabolism
>>>>>>>>>>>>> but not clearly detailed causal relationships. Also many
>>>>>>>>>>>>> mental processes
>>>>>>>>>>>>> draw on both sides of the brain which he frequently reminds
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the reader.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Stlll, I think any reader will be surprised and amazed at
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> wealth and specificity of the data and how much can be
>>>>>>>>>>>>> meaningfully and
>>>>>>>>>>>>> confidently understood about the hemispheric differences. I
>>>>>>>>>>>>> know I am.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> It is true that he is trying to say something
>>>>>>>>>>>>> philosophically
>>>>>>>>>>>>> profound and that is always dangerous terrain, though I have
>>>>>>>>>>>>> not gotten to
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the heart of that part of the text. The question is whether
>>>>>>>>>>>>> there is enough
>>>>>>>>>>>>> data to support it. So far the data base is so rich that the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> book cannot
>>>>>>>>>>>>> fail to leave a powerful imprint and sense of enriched
>>>>>>>>>>>>> understanding for me.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Jan 25, 2016, at 10:22 AM, Paul Mackin
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <mackin.paul at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> One of a number of favorable reviews, this one glowing.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> However a couple of reviewers according to Wikipedia
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cautioned against
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> culture and psychology conclusions getting too far ahead
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of hard brain
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> science.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/jan/02/1
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 6:39 AM, Mark Kohut
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "You're gonna want your cause and effect, eh?"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Since his first book is entitled Against Criticism, I hope
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> he
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> isn't IN GR--
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> but I'll mic drop in advance. ......
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Just a little metajoke there, heh, heh.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Sun, Jan 24, 2016 at 8:10 PM, Joseph Tracy
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <brook7 at sover.net> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I am currently reading Iain McGilchrist’s The Master and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> his
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Emissary
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> One of the most scientifically, psychologically and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> philosophically profound books I have ever read. It really
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> has me reeling
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> with information and insight and makes sense of so much
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that seems
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> inscrutable in human history and personal behavior. I came
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> across the title
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and a description with a brief quote while doing research
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> on another book.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It seemed the more intriguing book so I got it from the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> library. Will be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> looking for a used copy.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The topic is the roles of the 2 hemispheres of the brain
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> he brings together an unexpected wealth of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> medical/scientific research, both
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> contemprary and historic to build a very powerful picture
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of the nature of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> each hemisphere, as well as the evolutionary logic of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> their differentiation.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Both from the introduction and from some peeks ahead I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> know he has a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> philosophic intention that argues for a greater balance in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> our cultural
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> biases, and greater awareness of the brain-structure
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> origins of those
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> biases.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From a Pynchon reader POV McGilchrist takes on the brain
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> structure basis of major themes and historic tendencies
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that appear
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> throughout the body of P’s work. Essentially it is about
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the division in the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> brain between left hemisphere’s tendency to seek and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> produce control
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> achieved through manipulable units of thought,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> communication, structure,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> manufacture and the right brain’s holistic,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> individualistic and socially
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> empathic style. ( there is no way to adequadetly summarize
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this or the pages
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of precise information derived from scientific research).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This struggle
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> appers in all P books and with profound starkness in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Pynchon’s essay on CP
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Snow, and the GR theme of mechanistic control vs
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> nature/pursuit of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> bliss/personal freedom, humane solidarity.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The writer’s background for this book is about as good as
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> possible. Professional Psychiatrist specializing in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> physiological brain
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> issues, a researcher in neuro-imaging and an Oxford
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> English teacher 3 times
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> elected Fellow at All Souls College. Of equal or greater
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> importance is the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> originality of his brilliance and the humane depth of his
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> quest to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> understand how our brain structure fits into our historic
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> development, and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> his sense that understanding these things might free us to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> find a better way
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> forward.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Has anyone else read it?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 462 pgs of text and over 100 of end notes etc.-
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?listpynchon-l
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>>>> -
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