Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

There's a good chance you hallucinated this week without ever knowing it
Inverse ^ | October 11, 2019 | By Jack Barton on

Posted on 10/14/2019 10:45:03 AM PDT by BenLurkin

In the 1950s, researchers stumbled upon a new class of drugs that provided relief for those suffering from schizophrenia. These drugs were known as antipsychotics and, as the name suggests, they reduced symptoms like hallucinations and delusions — primarily by reducing the levels of dopamine in the brain. This led clinicians and scientists to argue that dopamine was linked to the experiences of psychotic symptoms, and a concerted research effort ensued, seeking to solve the puzzle of why excess dopamine might produce hallucinations.

Although it was later shown that increasing dopamine could produce hallucinations, establishing a consistent link between them, it has not been clear why.

They achieved this by taking advantage of a simple fact: Your brain is lazy. It makes shortcuts to understand the deluge of information that bombards it daily. If you’re presented with consistent information, consistently, your brain adjust its expectations of reality in turn. This is the basis of Bayesian theories of how we perceive the world – that is, the brain makes inferences about the world around us based on statistics and probabilities on what is likely to occur.

[I]ncreasing dopamine made it more difficult for participants to adjust their perception — an effect comparable to how the hallucinators had struggled. Moreover, the extent to which participants struggled was strongly associated with the severity of hallucinations — but not with any diagnosis of schizophrenia. In other words, the difficulty appeared to be associated with a symptom, not a diagnosis.

Using brain imaging, the researchers also showed that an increased capacity for dopamine release, from a part of the brain known as the striatum (an area involved in schizophrenia), was associated with the severity of hallucinations. Together, these experiments showed that excess dopamine was associated with difficulty in accurately predicting reality.

(Excerpt) Read more at inverse.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: dontreadthetag; dopamine; hallucinations; hearingvoices; jayaubreyjones; koalaoil; laurel; molassesmaiasma; monkeyfacerules; pangolin; penguinhumor; psychosis; schizophrenia; undeadthread; undeadthreadhere; unghandmoose; yanni; yannilaurel; yourbrainondrugs
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 161-180181-200201-220 ... 4,341-4,353 next last
To: ArGee

What a relief!


181 posted on 10/28/2019 2:41:22 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Down with the ChiComs! Independence for Hong Kong!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 178 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick; ArGee
What a relief!

Hey..

That's a line from that famous hit song that starts "Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz. Oh what a..."

182 posted on 10/28/2019 7:59:40 PM PDT by NoCmpromiz (John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 181 | View Replies]

Correct answer: Neither

It's called "hamburger."

183 posted on 10/28/2019 11:27:34 PM PDT by NoCmpromiz (John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 182 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick; fanfan; ColdOne; Cyber Liberty; null and void; Anoreth; Monkey Face; ...

184 posted on 10/29/2019 2:09:42 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Down with the ChiComs! Independence for Hong Kong!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 181 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick

That Morning Floof is so cuddled! And looks so at peace.

My daughter and her Rob’t added a new tuxedo kitty to their herd. It ran straight for them when they opened the door to go out during the snow storm yesterday. Maybe two months old, and thin. No word on a name, yet, but she should fit in just fine with Merlin (marmalade) and Binxx (solid black.)

First thing this morning, I had to sort my pills. Now I’m tired. Go figger.


185 posted on 10/29/2019 2:23:47 AM PDT by Monkey Face (Diplomacy is telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.W.Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 184 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

It’s good for a kitten to have a friend. I hope the new one works out well for your daughter. Snowstorm, Gah.

Drama Queen got in from work just a little while ago. She says she’s scheduled for 40 hours this week.


186 posted on 10/29/2019 2:25:34 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Down with the ChiComs! Independence for Hong Kong!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 185 | View Replies]

Currently 31° headed for a low of 23°. The high will be 52°. I need to buy thick gloves this year. The ones I have are like no gloves at all.


187 posted on 10/29/2019 3:00:00 AM PDT by Monkey Face (Diplomacy is telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.W.Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 185 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

I get the 2-pairs-for-$1 knit gloves at Walmart, because we always lose everything.

Maybe I’ll ask my Christmas buyer to get me some actual warm gloves.


188 posted on 10/29/2019 3:23:39 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Down with the ChiComs! Independence for Hong Kong!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 187 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

Back from putting gas in the Avalon for That Other Driver. She should be out of debt to the Organization by the end of November, and then I’ll start charging her the full rate for her auto insurance. Zot!

But only a mini-zot compared to what Tom the Son is going to find when he has to get his own policy for his own car.


189 posted on 10/29/2019 4:44:04 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Down with the ChiComs! Independence for Hong Kong!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 187 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

Vlad and I finished the Wall Street Journal crossword. It was hard, for a Tuesday, because several of the long DOWN items had only “See Header” for the clue.

We need to leave in 15 minutes for WW, because I need to get gas in the van.

It will probably be Thursday before I can get together with Asuncion regarding ideas for purple jewelry. Meanwhile, if you want to Google “purple bead jewelry,” you might see something that appeals to you.


190 posted on 10/29/2019 5:16:30 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Down with the ChiComs! Independence for Hong Kong!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 187 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick

Ask your Christmas Buyer to get you “ski gloves.” They’re the only ones that will keep my hands warm.

I have the 2-pairs for $1 and they are worth just about a dollar when it comes to warmth.


191 posted on 10/29/2019 5:19:44 AM PDT by Monkey Face (Diplomacy is telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.W.Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 188 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

Off to WW. Seeya later!


192 posted on 10/29/2019 5:29:47 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Down with the ChiComs! Independence for Hong Kong!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 191 | View Replies]

To: NoCmpromiz

I believe that commercial was also famous for introducing heart-shaped meatloaf.


193 posted on 10/29/2019 5:38:51 AM PDT by ArGee (Excellence or diversity? Ask for diversity, you get diversity. Ask for excellence, you get both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 182 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick; Monkey Face; NicknamedBob; NoCmpromiz; null and void; no-to-illegals; Silentgypsy; ...

Happy Tuesday.

Kitteh is treating the day the way it should be treated. For those of us who can’t cuddle a stuffed animule all day I got nothing to offer. I wish I did.


194 posted on 10/29/2019 5:40:19 AM PDT by ArGee (Excellence or diversity? Ask for diversity, you get diversity. Ask for excellence, you get both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 184 | View Replies]

To: null and void

I see three Beatles and a VW. You seein’ dead folks?


195 posted on 10/29/2019 5:54:41 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: Larry Lucido

Sometimes...


196 posted on 10/29/2019 6:10:53 AM PDT by null and void (Convicted spies are shot, traitors are hanged, saboteurs are subject to summary execution...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 195 | View Replies]

To: ArGee

I’m back. What did I miss?


197 posted on 10/29/2019 7:39:01 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Down with the ChiComs! Independence for Hong Kong!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 194 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick
I’m back. What did I miss?

Not sure. What were your targets?

It's been a truly unexciting Tuesday morning here, which isn't such a bad thing. It has, however, made the crawl to post 200 a little slower.

198 posted on 10/29/2019 7:56:40 AM PDT by ArGee (Excellence or diversity? Ask for diversity, you get diversity. Ask for excellence, you get both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 197 | View Replies]

Next person to drop by will win.


199 posted on 10/29/2019 7:57:08 AM PDT by ArGee (Excellence or diversity? Ask for diversity, you get diversity. Ask for excellence, you get both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 198 | View Replies]

To: ArGee

HA!


200 posted on 10/29/2019 7:58:41 AM PDT by Monkey Face (Diplomacy is telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.W.Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 199 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 161-180181-200201-220 ... 4,341-4,353 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson