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epeck's picture

I am still wondering where

I am still wondering where thoughts fit into the nervous system.  I recognize that thoughts are internal and are therefore could be thought of as part of the more internal workings of the nervous system, but several ideas discussed in psychology lead me to think of ideas as an input, or at least as an output that then cycles back and is an input (like how moving your arm may be output, but seeing it and feeling it move is input).  Once we are aware of a thought, isn't it input?

-Thoughts can influence the behavior of an individual - this would make it seem that thoughts are input to the nervous system, since behavior is an output, but since behavior can also be an input maybe thoughts are an output.  Are there any physical or psychological inputs that couldn't also be output?

-I'm having trouble differentiating silent thoughts and spoken thoughts.  According to the model we discussed in class, a silent thought would not be input, but would a thought spoken-aloud be input?  If there is no audience for the spoken-aloud thought, what differentiates it from a silent thought?  This issue reminds me of split-brain patients, who sometimes must vocalize what they see in order to internalize it (for example if an object is in a field of view where only one eye can see it, and the "thought" of the object being there must be vocalized in order for the other half (that doesn't see the object) to understand that the object is there) - just because they have to vocalize their thought doesn't make it any less of a thought, but an observation that is spoken and influences thought definitely seems like input. 

-Basically, I'm unclear on how to distinguish input and output.  The more I think about it, the less I am able to distinguish the two...

 

- Here's the article I mentioned in class about neurological differences that lead to seeing things in multiple ways..it's a short and easy read (I think this link might actually only be a summary of the original article) - http://gizmodo.com/5629780/why-your-brain-flips-over-visual-illusions

 

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