Post on 13-Jan-2016
description
UNDERSTANDING THE MIND UNDERSTANDING THE MIND
IN PEACE NEGOTIATIONSIN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
Beyond WordsBeyond Words
Eye contact & Body language: 55% of impact
Voice (tone/rate/volume): 35% of impact
Pheromones ? Physical contact ?
Words: only 10% of total impact!
A question of neuroscience: What factors A question of neuroscience: What factors will make the mind maximally receptive will make the mind maximally receptive
and innovative?and innovative?
A Shopping List…A Shopping List…
Gain trust….need to understand belief systems
The biological basis of the individual The biological basis of the individual mindmind
Newborn 3 Months 15 Months 2 Years
AREA OF BRAIN CONTROLLING AN INDIVIDUAL AREA OF BRAIN CONTROLLING AN INDIVIDUAL FINGERFINGER
A Pascual-Leone et al J Neurophysiology (1995) 74 3 1037-1045
A shift from SENSORY…
..to COGNITIVE experience
Developing And Losing Developing And Losing OneOne’’s Minds Mind……
……Reflected In Brain Reflected In Brain Cell branching Cell branching ((ConnectionsConnections))
Having a sensational
time…
Letting yourself go…..
THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF THE THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF THE MIND IS THE MIND IS THE
PERSONALISATION OF THE PERSONALISATION OF THE BRAINBRAIN THROUGH UNIQUE THROUGH UNIQUE
DYNAMIC CONFIGURATIONS OF DYNAMIC CONFIGURATIONS OF NEURONAL CONNECTIONS, NEURONAL CONNECTIONS,
DRIVEN BY UNIQUE DRIVEN BY UNIQUE EXPERIENCESEXPERIENCES
Harvey Whitehouse: Harvey Whitehouse: Neuronal connectivity Neuronal connectivity
established byestablished by
High arousal, low frequency
Low arousal, high frequency
Extreme ideologies are NOT based on unbridled
emotion….
……but on a collective story!
How is a narrative instantiated in the brain?
A Shopping List…A Shopping List…
Gain trust Adopt non-emotional stance
Mature prefrontal processing is Mature prefrontal processing is not complete until >20 yrs oldnot complete until >20 yrs old
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The case of Phineas Gage: Damage to prefrontal cortex led to
excessive recklessness
‘Intellectual manifestations feeble, being exceedingly capricious and childish… impatient of restraint or advice when it conflicts with his desires.... A child in his intellectual capacity and manifestations,.... His mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was ‘no longer Gage.’
Even chimps do not have our Even chimps do not have our brain capacity for post-natal brain capacity for post-natal
growth…growth…
The Evolution of the Prefrontal The Evolution of the Prefrontal CortexCortex
The prefrontal cortex facilitates cohesion of the
rest of the brain
‘‘HUMAN NATURE’? HUMAN NATURE’? Thinking symbolically…..
The Consequences of The Consequences of Symbolic ThinkingSymbolic Thinking
Words, images, and behaviours can stand for something, especially a self
That self can be have status, ie relate to others
The self can have a past and a future, ie a life story
In a life story, actions have irreversible consequences (unlike the computer screen)
Consequences entail ‘meaning’ over time and free us up from the sensory press of the present
(I) INVERSE ASSOCIATION (I) INVERSE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BMI AND BETWEEN BMI AND
PREFRONTAL METABOLIC PREFRONTAL METABOLIC ACTIVITY IN HEALTHY ACTIVITY IN HEALTHY
ADULTS.ADULTS.
Volkow ND, Wang GJ, Telang F, Fowler JS, Goldstein RZ, Alia-Klein N, Logan J, Wong C, Thanos PK, Ma Y, Pradhan K.
Obesity (2009) 17 pp 60-65.
(II) DECISION-MAKING IN (II) DECISION-MAKING IN OBESITY: A STUDY USING OBESITY: A STUDY USING
THE GAMBLINGTHE GAMBLING
Pignatti R, Bertella L, Albani G, Mauro A, Molinari E, Semenza C.
Eat Weight Disord. (2006) 11 pp126-132.
A common factor:A common factor: The press of the The press of the
senses?senses?
ArousalArousal
AddictioAddictionn
RewardReward
2 Basic Modes for the2 Basic Modes for theHuman Brain?Human Brain?
Prefrontal under-Prefrontal under-function?function?
Strong feelingsStrong feelings SensorySensory Here-and-nowHere-and-now External environment External environment
dominatesdominates Little ‘meaning’Little ‘meaning’ Reduced sense of selfReduced sense of self No time-spaceNo time-space Infants and childrenInfants and children MoreMore
Prefrontal activation?Prefrontal activation? Thinking dominatesThinking dominates CognitiveCognitive Past / present / fantasyPast / present / fantasy Internal perceptions Internal perceptions
dominatedominate Personalised ‘meaning’Personalised ‘meaning’ Strong sense of selfStrong sense of self Clear time-space Clear time-space
referencereference Older children and adultsOlder children and adults LessLess
Electrophysiology fMRI
Linking the macroscopic
and the microscopic?
Linking the macroscopic
and the microscopic?
How might we monitor the How might we monitor the inhibitory effects of inhibitory effects of
dopamine on prefrontal dopamine on prefrontal cortex on the rest of the cortex on the rest of the
brain?brain?
Neuronal assemblies formed/disbanded in Neuronal assemblies formed/disbanded in less than a secondless than a second
Grinvald et al., 1994
1 mm
Effect of anaesthetic depth on assembly dynamics
Deeper anaesthesia20 ms after stimulus
depolarisationhyperpolarisation
Introducing the Concept of:Introducing the Concept of:
Space Resolution:microns (fMRI
mm)
Time Resolution:msec (fMRI sec)
video clip time = 30 msecarea = 2 mm sq
Introducing the Concept of:Introducing the Concept of:
Space Resolution:microns (fMRI
mm)
Time Resolution:msec (fMRI sec)
video clip time = 30 msecarea = 2 mm sq
EnrichedControl
2 mm
Effects of an ‘Enriched’ EnvironmentEffects of an ‘Enriched’ Environmenton neuronal assemblieson neuronal assemblies
STATES ASSOCIATED STATES ASSOCIATED WITH A SMALL WITH A SMALL
ASSEMBLYASSEMBLY
Childhood: modest connectivity Dreaming: weak sensory stimulus Schizophrenia: abnormal modulation Fast paced sports: competing
assemblies Raves: drug action; no cognitive
content
A ‘SMALL ASSEMBLY’ A ‘SMALL ASSEMBLY’ CONSCIOUSNESSCONSCIOUSNESS
FACTORS INFLUENCING FORMATION FACTORS INFLUENCING FORMATION OF NEURONAL ASSEMBLYOF NEURONAL ASSEMBLY
Intensity of senses: Degree of neuronal activity ‘Significance’: Extent of pre-existing associations Arousal: Availability of modulators (eg dopamine) Predisposition / mood: Availability of other modulating chemicals Distraction: Formation of competing assemblies Narrative: Input from prefrontal cortex
A Shopping List…A Shopping List…
Gain trust Adopt ‘logical’ stance Shift to a new perspective
The Neuroscience of The Neuroscience of CreativityCreativity
Premium on de-constructing to abstract sensations
Unusual and idiosyncratic associationsBUT ALSO These new associations activate
more extensive connections (‘have a meaning’) in self/others
A Shopping List…A Shopping List…
Gain trust Adopt ‘logical’ stance Shift to a new perspective Identification of a shared need/value
UNDERSTANDING THE MIND UNDERSTANDING THE MIND
IN PEACE NEGOTIATIONIN PEACE NEGOTIATION Preparation of
optimal mind-set Avoid ‘small
assembly’ mode Active prefrontal
cortex Novel but non-
arousing environment