The Brain and the Mind

Interesting chat with my friend KMan on "The Brain and the Mind"

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Gurudutt: Recently read a book called "The Emerging Mind" by an Indian NRI writing for the BBC Series on TV.

KMan: how was it and wht is it about ?

Gurudutt: Quote : "Mr X has the strange affliction that when he looks at his mother, he says 'this person looks like my mother but she's an imposter' i.e. He's able to identify the person but is unable to identify with her!!"

KMan: which is causing this ?

Gurudutt: Mr. X's brain has a part which is involved with identifying
images with people. This is working properly.

KMan: hmm

Gurudutt: However this part feeds info to the emotional part of his brain which invokes feelings about the person.
The linking part is damaged. Hence no emotional feelings even though identification is perfect.

KMan: cool

Gurudutt: Feeling is believing!!

KMan: yes

Gurudutt: I think You might be really interested in another story from the book.....

KMan: tell me..

Gurudutt: There are many people in this world who associate Numbers with Colours!!

KMan: hmm

Gurudutt: If you were to show such a person a number say 3 he would see it in say Red colour. This is known as Synaesthesia....

KMan: ok

Gurudutt: 2 or more senses.... Actually (the author) says to perform the kiki or boo-boo test on a person to find out if he's synaesthetic....

KMan: what's that?

Gurudutt: Imagine an image which is really spiky with sharp angles to it.
Now, imagine another image which is round with arms like an amoeba....
Each of these things has a name either Kiki or BooBoo. Choose the name.

KMan: just like that
Gurudutt: Yeah.

KMan: see, kiki has more edges and booboo is more smooth so natural inclination wud be to associate kiki with sharp and spikey

Gurudutt: Exactly!! Most people on this earth will answer the same. This is nothing but a kind of synaesthia. Audio and Video ....
The colored numbers are doing the same but with an abstract concept like a Number and Color.

KMan: so does it mean that we too are synaesthetic?

Gurudutt: Actually if you listen to the sounds for the words - 'sharp' and 'smooth' don't they indicate somewhat the concepts....
Definitely. It's just a property of the brain. (Not to be confused with the earlier story about Mr. X, which is an injury)

Gurudutt:
The Emerging Mind :
http://www.open2.net/reith2003/index.html
Purple Numbers and Sharp Cheese :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2003/lecture4.shtml

KMan: got it

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