ID: The Quest For Identity In The 21st Century by Susan Greenfield, to be published by Sceptre on May 15

An adaptation is linked from the Drudge Report, May 10th.
The REAL brain drain: Modern technology – including violent video games – is changing the way our brains work, says neuroscientist. By SUSAN GREENFIELD
The Daily Mail, May 9, 2008

When I say “shaped”, I’m not talking figuratively or metaphorically; I’m talking literally.
At a microcellular level, the infinitely complex network of nerve cells that make up the constituent parts of the brain actually change in response to certain experiences and stimuli.

The brain, in other words, is malleable – not just in early childhood but right up to early adulthood, and, in certain instances, beyond. The surrounding environment has a huge impact both on the way our brains develop and how that brain is transformed into a unique human mind.

Electronic devices and pharmaceutical drugs all have an impact on the micro- cellular structure and complex biochemistry of our brains. And that, in turn, affects our personality, our behaviour and our characteristics. In short, the modern world could well be altering our human identity.

[Harvard Medical School Research] But what was truly astonishing was that the group who had merely imagined doing the piano exercises saw changes in brain structure that were almost as pronounced as those that had actually had lessons. “The power of imagination” is not a metaphor, it seems; it’s real, and has a physical basis in your brain. Alas, no neuroscientist can explain how the sort of changes that the Harvard experimenters reported at the micro-cellular level translate into changes in character, personality or behaviour. But we don’t need to know that to realise that changes in brain structure and our higher thoughts and feelings are incontrovertibly linked.

My own musings follow regarding the power of prayer, faith and scientific research amalgamated in “Intelligent Design”. “Idea determines form” is no longer merely the 19th Century hypothesis by Liszt but a fact substantiated in brain matter. We are all born with the ability to imagine. What we do with that imagination determines our lives, what we desire and make of ourselves within the confines of the physical world. Though we may all have the same general opportunity or ability to imagine, we may not all have the same general inclination to exercise faith in intelligence beyond our present capacity to fully comprehend. The empirical scientific mode is stunted by ignorance when it censors the power of imagination, just as literalist Christian fundamentalism is stunted by ignorance when it censors scientific study. That observation aside, Western atheists and Christians do share a common beginning in culture and genes, and as such, should appreciate each other’s accomplishments for what they are without complete censorship one way or the other, and without complete endorsement one way or the other. It is too vain and foolish to project oneself to be absolutely without fault.

“If Christians really believed in the mystery of God, we would realise that proper talk about God is always difficult, always tentative – cardinal”

Speak for yourself bud, I have no problem talking about God. The mystery is real not tentative

Axiom: A self-evident or universally recognized truth

Math and physics are filled with axioms. For instance: “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” is a theory.

Most accept this theory as a truth. We build jet planes based upon faith that this theory is true. It seems true to me but unlike many scientifically minded people I accept the possibility that this phenomenom may not be eternal. Perhaps matter will wind down with time and behave differently.

Some will not accept this possibility. That is blind faith. Most will live their lives assuming Newton’s law is true because it is the most reasonable course of action. This is reasoned faith. Deep down inside, most of these reasonable people believe with all their hearts that Newton’s law will be true forever. That is the hidden faith.
Hard wired. Built in.

Many in America believe with all their hearts that some truths are self evident. For some reason, even some atheists believe that certain truths are self evident.

Newton’s law can be observed with hard data but the self evident truths of the spirit are coming out of the same internal faith as the belief in God.

I am honest about my self evident trusisms. I see the pattern of acceptance of certain truths by faith in every human being as evidence that we are hard wired (Created) to accept these truths.

The first step to recovery is the get the scientific atheist to examine his own beliefs and accept that he too is a creature of faith plus reason. Otherwise we perpetuate the illusion that scince is divorced from intuition

“If Christianity gave European thought the impression that God can be conceptually determined and pinned down and proved as a hypothesis, then it is hardly surprising that there has been resistance, as science and culture have developed, to worshipping this idea of God.”

That is why I find this preacher confused since God is an axiom, not a hypothesis. It is a self evident truth or not

What if one is a masochist?

You know the old joke about the difference between a sadist and a masochist, right?
.
The masochist says, “Hurt me.”
.
The sadist says, “No.”
.
Heh.

Right. Treat people the same as you would want to be treated.
Nothing wrong with that.

Travis1 on May 8, 2008 at 11:32 PM

What if one is a masochist?

This is one of the more civilized religion/atheist threads, at least so far.
Entelechy on May 8, 2008 at 11:22 PM

I hope for civilized discourse always. Let’s just hope it continues.
thuja on May 8, 2008 at 11:26 PM

AP is testing the waters here with a completely uncontroversial religion thread to see if we will behave ourselves.

pedestrian on May 8, 2008 at 11:43 PM

Hope it does continue, and hope the civility of this thread (if it continues) will be remembered later. Mighty tired of going on religion threads trying to have a respectful conversation and seeing the personal bashing coming from both sides. Y’all know who you are. ;)

Connie on May 8, 2008 at 11:55 PM

absolutely.

I think I have read that before ; ” Do unto others……”

Johan Klaus on May 9, 2008 at 2:10 AM

That is my personal philosophy. Do unto others … … before they get a chance to do unto me.

Tomorrow provides a public display of religion (witchcraft) demonstrated loudly on the streets of Berkeley outside of the Marine Recruiting Center, Friday. “Women are coming to cast spells and do rituals and to impart wisdom to figure out how we’re going to end war,” Zanne Sam Joi of Bay Area Code Pink told FOXNews.com

ght. Treat people the same as you would want to be treated.
Nothing wrong with that.

Travis1 on May 8, 2008 at 11:32 PM

I think I have read that before ; ” Do unto others……”

Hammas spokesman Ahmed Yousef said in a recent interview: “We like Obama and hope that he will win the election.”

Obama responded, “This is offensive, and I think it’s disappointing,” “And then to engage in that kind of smear, I think, is unfortunate, particularly since my policy toward Hamas,” “For him to toss out comments like that, I think, is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination. We don’t need name-calling in this debate.”

That’s right, above all, don’t call someone by name! No name-calling! To toss out the olive branch like that is a smear tactic, plain and simple.
/

I know, I know. Inversion of characters in the play, all in good humor, playing Obama’s game on him. In reality, Obama is a big cry baby and can’t debate even when his life depends on it. Wah, wah, wah from the DNC kitchen. Give him a dose of Chef Ramsey. Obama commits his tried and true campaign recipe once again, depricating his opponent with the accusation of being what Obama is himself, FOUL.

deliver us from evil

The religious/politico alignment is obvious. That Obama can’t stand this blaring reciprocity being public will be his own downfall so long as the GOP public keeps throwing it in his face.

“Believers need to recognise that they have something in common with those who do not believe. But it is no less true that unbelievers might benefit from recognising that there is something of the believer in every person.

“Believers and non-believers need to recognise and understand each other better, more accurately, more appreciatively.”

On the public level

He warned against a `privatisation of religion’ and said that public life could not be a `God-free zone’.

We cover each other’s back in battle for our mutual survival against Islamofascism and Communism. It never hurts to have all the help you can get when times are dire.

Hidden from even Itself.

And requiring a second mind to reflect it.

If anyone thinks humans thought up this election season yer nuts!

Limerick on May 8, 2008 at 11:02 PM

Limerick, give credit where it’s due, and leave the gods out of this.

Entelechy on May 8, 2008 at 11:05 PM

Who says Lim was talking about God? ;-)

THE leader of England’s Catholics has urged the faithful to treat atheists and agnostics with `deep esteem’.

Whadda ya know, a Christian. Might just work.
Christianity flourished at a time when multiple pagan religions dominated and Christians probably weren’t nearly so technically proficient in Bible science.
Maybe paying attention to the basics is better.

- – Texas Rainmaker

doubleplusundead, you’re such a good bad candy :)

Entelechy on May 9, 2008 at 12:36 AM

Nice. doubleplusundead is indeed a good Bad Candy. :)

This is one of the more civil religion/atheist threads

It’s the Obama/Change/Hope thing, now that he’s clinched the nomination.

I hope for civilized discourse always. Let’s just hope it continues.

thuja on May 8, 2008 at 11:26 PM

May all you Gawdless heathens be cast into the the fiery furnace of Hell, where your soul will burn in anguish for all eternity and demons pluck out your eyes…

What? That wasn’t civil?

(yes, I’m joking for the comically disabled)

I thought the “golden rule” is that those who have the gold, rule :)

Entelechy on May 9, 2008 at 12:19 AM

That has been my experience. Guns are good too though.

windansea on May 8, 2008 at 11:50 PM

Sorry. Forgot to paste who you are and what you said.

Right. Do you remember “Little Golden Books?”