Busy Brain

I have just finished reading David Eagleman (2011) “Incognito: the secret lives of the brain”. It is recommended reading for the University of Birmingham, MOOC course “Good Brain, Bad Brain”. I have signed up for the first two parts – ‘Basics’ and ‘Parkinson’s Disease’: each last 3 weeks and they will be online in June and July.

Eagleman never fails to inspire me with his writing and speaking. His concept maps are rooted in the cosmic zoom and he covers various aspects of the hard and soft sciences, philosophy, ethics and the implications of brain science for the legal system. (I hesitantly remember him using the word consilience, if he doesn’t he could)

‘I’ enjoy far reaching thoughts and being at cutting edges. I particularly enjoy the notion of laying down the objective self-conscious and picking up the subjective unconscious. The unconscious is ‘un' but its nature and existence can be imputed (at least in theory) from its products which, in my case, include - poems, songs, tunes, artwork, doodles, photos, journal entries and blogposts.

These products arrive when the mindbrain is non-egoic and action is in ‘flow’. The mind state can also deliver the driving of a car, the riding of a bike, a washing of the dishes, and a wide range of other behaviours that are difficult in the early stages but, after practice, can be performed “without thinking”.

Meditation also offers clues to the workings of the unconscious. One technique involves non judgemental witnessing of what comes to attention and soon leaves again. Easy come and easy go.

Another meditation technique involves counting the breath. When the mind strays, gently bring it back to the breathing. And know that the unconscious is churning out the thoughts, feelings and moods.

When I am neither operating in flow nor noticing what appears ‘I’ am a Zombie on autopilot driven hither and thither by thoughts, feelings and moods which have been generated by the unconscious.

Eagleman uses the analogy of the mind being like a frenetically busy government with many actors having many agendas affected by ever changing interactions from nature and nurture. The function of the brain after all is to organise fast reactions to changes in the physical and cultural environments – no wonder that I have a busy brain.