Crash victim in a vegitative state was fuilly conscious for

by hiorta Today at 7:09 am

.Crash victim misdiagnosed as 'being in a vegetative state' for 23 years,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/nov/24/locked-in-syndrome-belgium-research
Apart from the marvellous outcome and a mother's joy, this case points to 'When does consciousness recede'? Or does it? Or where to?

This young man was fully aware of his terrible predicament throughout, yet all the professional testing drew blank after blank. Suppose it had been decided to 'switch off' and use his body parts as transplants and he was entirely aware of all that was being proposed? Unimaginable!

Amaing story Hiorta thanks for that.

Gob Smacking story. What an awful way to have to live for all those years before they discovered he was in fact "Normal in brain function".

Great post Hiorta, Ta.

I am not sure it tells us much about where consciousness goes to. For a materialist the answer is simply that the part of the brain that translates thought into action has malfunctioned.

I can think of a reverse situation where people are walking around and talking with no apparent conscious intellect operating at all

obiwan wrote:I am not sure it tells us much about where consciousness goes to. For a materialist the answer is simply that the part of the brain that translates thought into action has malfunctioned.

I can think of a reverse situation where people are walking around and talking with no apparent conscious intellect operating at all

I've met a few of them.

zerdini wrote:

obiwan wrote:I am not sure it tells us much about where consciousness goes to. For a materialist the answer is simply that the part of the brain that translates thought into action has malfunctioned.

I can think of a reverse situation where people are walking around and talking with no apparent conscious intellect operating at all

I've met a few of them.

I should think most of us have

I think this shows how poor our concept human consciousness and current understanding of its nature. It also shows how small is our knowledge of the human brain.

Interesting that in the early days Spiritualism and Psychiatry became intertwined especially in the work of William James. The foundation of the Psychological Society by Cox also shows that they thought an understanding of the psychic faculties would lead to a better understanding of the brain and consciousness.

Admin wrote: they thought an understanding of the psychic faculties would lead to a better understanding of the brain and consciousness.

These days they'd have to start by recognising that psychic faculties exist

Ah but at that stage many of them did especially Cox and James

Quite so.

Wasn't aware of that. So, in a sense we are heading back to the future? Consciousness must be able to function in several ways simultaneously. How little we know about our own possibilities

Absolutely Hiorta how little we know.

Admin wrote:I think this shows how poor our concept human consciousness and current understanding of its nature. It also shows how small is our knowledge of the human brain.

Interesting that in the early days Spiritualism and Psychiatry became intertwined especially in the work of William James. The foundation of the Psychological Society by Cox also shows that they thought an understanding of the psychic faculties would lead to a better understanding of the brain and consciousness.

It seems to me that in the days you refer to 'Science' was not as specialised as it now appears to be. One could be a Mathematician and a physicist (closely related I know) and invent things and be an engineer and speak authoritatively on psychology and parapsychology and chemistry and even do a bit of medicine on the side.

Apart from the social inequality what a wonderful time Obi

Admin wrote:Apart from the social inequality what a wonderful time Obi

Plus ca change....