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Neural Function...
In understanding the working of our mind, the key conceptual
connections from our discussion of physics are the multiplicity of time,
and the breakdown of the principle of uniticity.
Both axons and dendrites are coated, in their passive state, with
electric charge. They are limned in calcium ions. Signals are transmitted
along the connections when the cell membrane is locally depolarized.
Furthermore, the nervous system as a whole has a classical pattern.
Accounting for size and sexual differences, our nerves run through the
same channels in every person.
If an electron can interact simultaneously with all of the electrons in
a doubly-slit screen to produce an interference pattern, it stands to
reason that our nervous systems are like antennae. While normally the
charge patterns of the calcium ions interact locally, when we focus our
apprehension on another's state, and quiet our own, my experience is that
we can become entangled in their neural dynamic.
One other point is important: the synaptic connections between dendrite
and axon become sensitized through repeated use. This means that our
thoughts travel in channels, of a sort. The more we reflect on an
experience or idea, the more likely we are to find ourselves thinking of
it again. In some cases, such as a musical genius, this channeling is an
advantage. To the individual traumatized by violence or abuse, however,
the channeling is dysfunctional. They will find, over time, that their
continued obsession will cause every strong stimulus to become associated
with their trauma. Unless a concerted effort is made to break that
channeling, the endpoint is a complete failure of the personality.
Finally, it is my sad duty to report that
internal conflict is a condition to which we are all born. The conflict
arises in the structure of our brains. As Freud first observed, we are of
several minds. The brain stem arose in the reptiles, the limbic system in
mammals, and the cerebrum found its full expression in homo
sapiens. At each evolutionary stage, the significance of their
function meant that evolution of the brain had to preserve what came
before. For that reason, these centers are not fully integrated, and often
are at war.
Fortunately, the brain is wonderfully adaptive. As I have worked to
master my mind, I have come to understand it as any other tissue. It gets
stronger with exercise, probably by increasing the capillary density, but
presumably also through tissue modification. There are also procedures
that seem to channel energy in the mind. Among the obvious are sensory
controls: covering our ears or closing our eyes. But there are also ways
of creating rhythms in the mind, and intensifications that relate to
mental state.
The mind is an endlessly fascinating tool to explore, and success in
that exploration, I believe, is the only way that we can establish and
maintain control over our lives. Perhaps ominously: energies that we fail
to manage will be managed by others. |