Science and the self/Self

This was posted at ZFI, another wonderful TED talk. This is one more area (aspects of sub-atomic physics is another, world ecology another) where Buddhism's idea of a Selfness beyond our little "selfs" meets science's models for how we are not only what we think we are. That comes in from about the 6 minute mark ...

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Neurologist Dr. Vilayanur Subramanian, Director of the Center for Brain and Cognition, Professor in the Psychology Department and Neurosciences Program at the University of California, San Diego, and Adjunct Professor of Biology at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, PhD (Trinity College, Cambridge), elected to fellowships at All Souls College, Oxford, and the Royal Institution, London, says:

"there's no real independent self aloof from other beings inspecting the world and inspecting other people ... there is no real distinctiveness from your consciousness from someone elses consciousness ... it emerges from our understandig of basic neuroscience."

MIrror (or 'Ghandi') neurons "break down the boundary between ourselves and the people we are watching".

See the short TED video here:
The neurons that shaped civilization

http://www.ted.com/talks/vs_ramachandra ... ation.html

Wow! Thank you for sharing that!
Now my wife wants to numb my arm and try stuff o_O!

Gassho
Shohei

Another great presentation.

The thing about "phantom limbs" has always fascinated me.

Hi.

Now. after having seen the video, ask yourself did you watch it or did it watch you?

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dirk

Now my wife wants to numb my arm and try stuff o_O!

Gassho
Shohei

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Do it! :twisted: Then report back.