Degrees of Separation

This week’s lecture on the relationship between neuroscience and art was very insightful. Life is a culmination of obscurities and the unknown and at the forefront stands the mysteries of the mind. Professor Vesna, in her lecture, made a very good point: where does the brain stop and the mind begin? Where is the endpoint of the biology and beginnings of the consciousness?

Different regions of the brain (with different functions!)

These are all questions posed well before my time by many wiser – and by the sheer number of dissections, bolder – than I am. Gall was able to discern the natural compartmentalization of the brain and even created his “phrenology,” perhaps in an attempt to solidify his findings (The History of Phrenology on the Web). Regardless, Gall was able to create a hypothesis that was far ahead of his time, with nothing more than a scalpel.

Jung took analysis even further, insisting on his archetypes and stating that dreams – and the unconscious – were the source of creativity (Mostert). Even Freud, whose readings many of my psychology friends consider enjoyable, albeit outdated, has left a lasting impression in the neurosciences and, by extension, the psyche (Simple Psychology).

LSD-25 chemical structure

Neurochemicals, widely regarded as dangerous, was a surprisingly natural step to take in trying to decipher the mind. Through the various advocates of cocaine and LSD 25, it can be said that there presents an out-of-body experience when under the influence (LSD History).  

Perhaps, then, the mind and the body are not as separate as everyone believes them to be. If the body, influenced by neurochemicals, can induce hallucinogenic experiences that are most effective in the mind, the two should inevitably be linked. I enjoyed learning about the progression of neurosciences and tracking the development of the interpretation of the mind-body relationship over years of research.

Neuroculture - MRI butterfly-brain superimposed

I believe that, while the mind and body are surely linked, there still remains a certain void, a degree of separation, that lays between the two. I myself am not really sure how distant my mind is from my body, and just even beginning to think about it leaves me more confused than I was when I started. Artists such as Anker try to bring into reality the role of the brain by using examples like neuroculture, whereas scientists try to find conserved proteins in other species for potential analysis. Regardless, one thing is clear: the mind and body, while often considered individual entities, rely upon each other heavily for maintenance and well-being.

Frazzetto, G., and Anker, S. (2009). Neuroculture. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 10, 816-821.

"LSD History." History of LSD. Web. 18 May 2015.

Mostert, J. P. The Spiritual Problems of Modern Man in the Approaches of C.G. Jung and M. Eliade. [KwaDlangezwa]: [U of Zululand], 197. Print.

"The History of Phrenology on the Web." The History of Phrenology on the Web. Web. 18 May 2015.

"Sigmund Freud's Theories | Simply Psychology." Sigmund Freud's Theories | Simply Psychology. Web. 18 May 2015.