Friday 30 January 2009

The physical basis of meaning and paradigm shifts.

Mathematical neuron?

Or, a function, or even a group of functions in a neuron, or neurons, that perform mathematical processing?

The thought just came to me, as I was grappling with a task, a mathematical task, and found myself unable to comprehend the meaning contained within.

I further connected my inability, with a lack in my mind, of the necessary mental structures to employ and derive appropriate responses to this kind of stimuli. I did not have the appropriate mental tools in order to elucidate and achieve meaning pointed by the particular stimulus. Therefore these stimuli, despite being present were either totally ignored or not being given appropriate attention, or even being given an incorrect treatment, resulting in incorrect responses.

Stimuli, that represent every minute detail in our environment, are taken in and processed accordingly, only if there are appropriate mental structures built, in our minds. Mental structures amassed by learning. The enormous amount of information around us precipitates the necessity for continuous lifelong learning.

For each minute detail, the individual should have its very own way of approaching it, of dealing with it. It even points towards the notion of the human individual being a blank slate, a tabula rasa, since its birth and constantly inscribing, all through its lifetime records of its life events and ways to deal with them.

Which in the neuron level of our brains is translated into having the necessary synapses between the relevant neurons. Neural pathways created by synapses, and by being activated via synapses hence synaptic pathways.

These thoughts give 'meaning', as it is sought by individuals, a physical basis, which might be the only basis there is, none other. Based on brain states achieved as synaptic pathways are continuously created, a thought pointing towards constant learning, as the human individual never ceases to learn. A deeply felt process that leads to a state of fulfillment that invigorates the individual.

A human attribute epitomized in the phrase

'Γηράσκω αεί Διδασκόμενος'

attributed to the Athenian statesman and lawmaker, Solon (ancient Greek: Σόλων, c. 638 BC–558 BC), often credited with having laid the foundations for Athenian democracy, which literally means 'I constantly learn as I grow old', nullifying any notions of an individual going through its life time without searching the reasons for just 'being'.

Certainly that what is supposed to be regardless whether individuals adhere to it or not, for whatever reason this might be.

Which by itself, it might give rise to a deeper understanding of what a paradigm shift represents, in the context of the human mind, and by that analogy in all cases that paradigm shifts apply. As the old thought patterns instantiated as habits and guide the behaviour of a human individual, are abandoned. The processes employed to deal with stuff encountered in life, drastically change.

In the same way, (chaos self-similarity principle(?)) while an individual learns new knowledge, it means that the brain creates new synapses, new synaptic pathways. the old synaptic pathways which were used to deal with a particular situation are destroyed. As such it cuts off the synaptic pathway, there is no synaptic pathway to instantiate the particular train of thoughts any longer and all the previous modes of thinking cease to exist, which amounts to, completely forgotten.








around in itself points towards the necessity for each individual to amass an enormous amount of information to deal with each and every step of the mental processes it employs to deal with stuff in life.