On Sun, 14 Jul 2002 11:53:58 -0700, Laurent wrote:
> On Sat, 13 Jul 2002 20:05:48 GMT, Scott Powell <teraten at descil.cjb.net>
> wrote:
>> Why is a human mind, purportedly a massively parallel neural network,
>> only capable of focusing on one thing (or a very finite number of
>> things) at a time?
>>>> This is something that's been bothering me for quite some time.. if you
>> know another newsgroup that might be a better place for this question,
>> please let me know.
>>> I just wanted to add a piece of my mind : it seems to me that what is
> done subconscientiously looks like recursive actions, like walking while
> whisseling (very well- known actions). Couldn't that mean that the brain
> starts those actions as self-running threads and stops them when
> something "unusual" appends (like activations of emotions) ?
>> I mean : those actions are so well-known that it doesn't need any
> thinking to run.
>> Is there any counter-example ?
>> Laurent.
Pattern oscillators in the muscles themselves, perhaps.
But it is interesting to note that... let me demonstrate.
Think about breathing. Draw in a breath. Let it out. Now don't breathe
while you read these next couple of sentences. Try to start the pattern
oscillating in your lungs again, without thinking. Can you do it? Go
ahead, try..
I'm curious. I can't do it. I have to maintain muscle control over my
lungs, consciously considering each intake of breath, each compression
and expansion of my lungs. But as soon as I think of something else, my
breathing continues, as if it had never been an unconscious behavior.
So what's going on?
(I left this post here, but I suggest we move the topic to
bionet.neuroscience, since in content if not origin, it belongs there,
more - agree?)
Scott Powell
without thinking about something else.
