Neuroscience Archives - Mindful Happiness

March 4, 2016 By Admin

The Miracle of Mirror Neurons

Mindful Happiness Explores – The Miracle of Mirror Neurons

Between 1996 and 2000 researchers (Gallese and Rizzolatti) at the University of Parme in Italy discovered what are now called mirror neurons. Neuroscientists speculate that mirror neurons (reportedly in the Broca’s area of the prefrontal cortex) activate perceptual responses for internal motor-emotional responses. Thus mirror neurons may activate personal reactions to the relational actions/intentions of others, especially those mediated via facial emotions and bodily gestures. These neural links between self and others respond immediately to perceived intentionality of other people; these interpersonal neural linkages include resonance with feelings, facial emotions, bodily movement, and projections of others. The list below notes various proposed functions of the mirror neurons, especially those functions related to face-watching in interpersonal encounters. For psychotherapists and educators, knowledge and sensitivity to mirror neuron processes may be highly valuable assets.

The Proposed Functions of Mirror Neurons

Perception of another person’s intentions and behaviors;
Possible adoption of another person’s point of view, perspective, or emotions;
Enhancing self-consciousness regarding awareness of others;
Linking visual, auditory, motor and interpersonal brain maps with perceived awareness of others;
Clarification of communicated language via sounds and the shape of the mouth and face;
Evolutionary – regarding receiving information via visual stimuli (inferior parietal lobule);
Enhancing imitation and, possibly, empathy;
Probable roles in attachment and healing processes as well as cooperation and opposition;
Improvement of limbic sensitivity to emotional intention of others;
Integration of gestural, facial and bodily communications pathways;
Utilization of Hebb’s rule – neurons that fire together wire together (plasticity); and,
Enhancing self-identification (identity, self-concept, etc.) via interactions with and introjections from others.

For more information refer to Ramachandran, V. S. (2011). The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes us Human, pp. 22-23, 137-149, 172-180, 208-209, 250-253, 260-262, and 290-291.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont

Author of Mindful Happiness

CLICK HERE or any image below to Order

November 8, 2015 By Admin

Meditation – Getting to Some Clarity about Consciousness

Mediation: Conscious or Not?

A true, in depth understanding about what human consciousness is and how it works has eluded mind and brain scientists for many years. A few very interesting ideas have been presented by Stuart Hameroff, professor emeritus and director of the University of Arizona’s Center for Consciousness Studies. Consciousness rests in the center of many brain-mind discussions. In it’s most basic form, consciousness is simply awareness – think meditation experience. Something changes in the dynamics of energy, and we become aware of it. The brain’s one-hundred billion neurons have much to do with this process of becoming aware. In their complex electrical-chemical processes, patterns, and interactions our brain’s neurons produce something experienced as aware consciousness. We are always conscious about something going on inside and/or outside of us. Thus, consciousness can be a double-edged sword – keeping us fully attuned to what the universe (small and large) is doing, but also maintaining a steady-state of mind-noise – endless flow of thoughts that may be either comforting or terrifying. Consciousness, itself, may be one reason why the human brain has so much difficulty relaxing itself. Let’s begin to review a few of Hameroff’s ideas.

1) Quantum processes in the human brain connect our brains to the quantum processes of the universe. We may be connected to others and everything in more ways than we could ever imagine.

2) Human consciousness may be as complicated as quantum superposition – that in the field of physics allows something to be in two states or places at the same time. This may refers to the particle-wave phenomenon in physics, when an atom/particle and it energetic location (wave of energy) cannot both be measured while being observed. The very act of simultaneous observation by a human brain (or machine made by human brains) becomes impossible. We cannot observe/measure both at once, even though they appear to be existing at the same physical dimension of time and place. So, this is to say that human consciousness is a highly complex phenomenon. Human consciousness may be the single most complex process we experience.

3) Today we know that photosynthesis – the sun-powered process that gives rise to plants and thus everything we eat – uses quantum coherence. What is even more interesting is that a laser also uses quantum coherence. So the very hard sciences dealing with quantum laser technology is also at work making the food we survive on. The raw requirements of consciousness exist everywhere in the universe, and effects almost all the things we know about (are aware of).

4) The mind-body system processes human consciousness within a two-second window of awareness. That is very, very fast. Some neuroscience research conducted by the Antonio Demasio suggested that there may be a process of backward time, in which subjects respond to a signal that has not yet been produced in their time-space experience. How can that happen? Perhaps our connectivity to all the energetics of the universe might explain this.

5) Research by Chrisof Koch at UCLA suggested that brain neuron firing in response to pictures of human faces actually occurred about a half-second prior to the actual perception (awareness) of the face being shown. More backward time perspectives. Or perhaps just a more powerful human brain than we ever imagined.

6) As Deepak Chopra has noted, consciousness is the fabric of all human experience in the universe. This coming together of science/physical and spiritual/classical understandings presents consciousness as something very important to human functions – and possibly our survival in the long term. What Vedic mystics called “locus locations” may also explain the fact that time-space realities may exist on different planes – thus different state of consciousness. The fact that human can perceive only 5-10% of the universe’s energies clarifies just how weak our human perceptual powers are regarding complete or higher consciousness.

7) Back to your meditation practice. Do you think that your meditation practice helps you handle energies better? Does meditation slow down or speed up energetic qualities of your awareness? After years of regular meditation practice, you may finally experience being nowhere and being nothing at the same time. Does this have anything to do with physical selflessnesss and the ultimate reality of Buddhist emptiness. In the final analysis, it is all empty of inherent origination and meaning. Or, is the meditation doing something very special to the brain’s consciousness processes? In such a state, bliss in the great void of existence may be possible. Keep meditating!

CONSCIOUSNESS – A conversation with Deepak Chopra and Stuart Hameroff

For more information refer to Noetic Now #13, August, 2011.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont

Author of Mindful Happiness

CLICK HERE or any image below to Order

September 8, 2014 By Admin

Total Human Experience in Brain Habits

Brain Habits – Helpful Vs Unhelpful

Nora Volkow, MD, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse ( video below) has noted that people suffering from addictions may experience some dysfunction in in brain areas related to personal motivation, reward recognition, and inhibitory controls. Neuroscientists have utilized various brain imaging techniques to document this possibility in addicted individuals. These finding bring us to a new look at ALL addicted behaviors as possible forms of brain-based disease (brain area, neuronal, neurotransmitter malfunctions, habitual behaviors, and their related plasticity). This more scientific research on addiction as disease moves well beyond common views noted in AA/12 Steps (it is a disease so it is not your fault); this more scientific research is specific to the brain’s role in developing and maintaining unhelpful, addictive habits. Such habits often follow the escape from pain and approach to pleasure principles so well established in scientific psychology. Core research has focused mainly on alcohol-drug addictions; however, a reinforced habit is a reinforced habit as far as brain functioning is concerned. It is true that chemical addictions add specific molecular realities to addicted behaviors – molecular basis for instrumental and classical conditioning of habitual behaviors leading to recognized changes in the brain’s reward centers. All addictive behaviors – all unhelpful habits – narrow personal motivation to the rewarding effects, enhance craving for the rewarding effects, increase fear of being without the rewarding effects, and reduce one’s ability to slow or stop the habitual behavior itself. Because people are self-medicating their moods and emotions, they tend NOT to learn more effective life coping skills (mindfulness, etc.), thus becoming even more dependent on the unhelpful habit for short-term relief of suffering and, perhaps, some intermittent joy. It is quite common for depression, anxiety, fear, trauma, and other serious life challenges to be the emotional bases for initial self-medicating behaviors.

To assist readers in their personal efforts to attain mindful, wise mind skills – thus reducing the impact and probability of unhelpful habits and addictions – I am expanding this post to include more on my conceptual process about CABS-VAKGO-IS-Rels. These letters represent: Cognition, Affect, Behavior, Sensorimotor, Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Gustatory, Olfactory, Intuitive, Spiritual, and Relational REALITIES on how humans function emotionally inside and outside of their own brain-mind and body. This is the reality in human functioning, both helpful and unhelpful. By focusing your attention on the various categories of human emotional experience (CABS-VAKGO-IS-Rels), you may be able to identify the areas of your brain that are helping you to maintain health and happiness AND the the areas that are moving you into poor health and more suffering. Try to problem solve by noting what areas are your working allies to remain safe, productive, and happy as well as what areas serve as your ENEMIES.

Yes, even if you derive some brief pleasure or respite from suffering from an unhelpful or addictive habit (via self-medication), this short-term emotional strategy ALWAYS leads to more suffering in both the original “thing” you are trying to escape AND in future addictions that simply add to your suffering and stress load. This is not difficult: find out which areas help you and which areas harm you; do more in the areas that help you, and do less in the areas that harm you. Obtain qualified, licensed professional help as needed.

This formula may be helpful:

Internal/External Cues/Stimuli (people, places, things, experiences) – LEAD TO } Thoughts, Beliefs, Emotions, Behaviors – LEAD TO } Consequences of the Selected Behaviors

If the consequences of the behavior are reinforcing (releasing dopamine in the brain’s reward centers) – you got what you wanted and the behavior is far more apt to continue until it becomes just about automatic (no other skills, neuronal sensitization, and brain plasticity).

Unhelpful Behaviors LEAD TO more suffering AND Helpful Behaviors LEAD TO less suffering/more happiness.

I hope you are able to use this information and wise mind skills to improve your emotional life – starting right now!