Some scientists say humans can read minds

msnbc ^ | ET April 27, 2005 | Ker Than

[demlosers]

Mirror neurons may generate ability to empathize

Empathy allows us to feel the emotions of others, to identify and understand their feelings and motives and see things from their perspective. How we generate empathy remains a subject of intense debate in cognitive science.

Some scientists now believe they may have finally discovered its root. We're all essentially mind readers, they say.

The idea has been slow to gain acceptance, but evidence is mounting.

Mirror neurons In 1996, three neuroscientists were probing the brain of a macaque monkey when they stumbled across a curious cluster of cells in the premotor cortex, an area of the brain responsible for planning movements. The cluster of cells fired not only when the monkey performed an action, but likewise when the monkey saw the same action performed by someone else. The cells responded the same way whether the monkey reached out to grasp a peanut, or merely watched in envy as another monkey or a human did.

Because the cells reflected the actions that the monkey observed in others, the neuroscientists named them "mirror neurons."

Later experiments confirmed the existence of mirror neurons in humans and revealed another surprise. In addition to mirroring actions, the cells reflected sensations and emotions.

"Mirror neurons suggest that we pretend to be in another person's mental shoes," says Marco Iacoboni, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. "In fact, with mirror neurons we do not have to pretend, we practically are in another person's mind."

Since their discovery, mirror neurons have been implicated in a broad range of phenomena, including certain mental disorders. Mirror neurons may help cognitive scientists explain how children develop a theory of mind (ToM), which is a child's understanding that others have minds similar to their own.

[B-Chan]

My former business partner, a very sober, nondrinking, nosmoking family man, once told me that he knew a person in college who coud fly under his own power. For years I tried to get him to admit he was pulling my leg or joking, but he always assured me most solemnly that he himself had seen this person fly without the use of technology of any kind on more than one occasion. To this day he maintains that the story is true. I'm inclined to believe him.

[agooga]

"Wrong reason then. "

Of course, there IS a reason why this happened.

Pick one:

1. Incredibly improbable coincidence.
2. Friend is a liar.
3. Thought processes naturally "synced up."
4. Legitimate case of ESP.

I am not going to absolutely say it's one or the other-- I can't because I don't know. But I do NOT rule out number 4.

[agooga]

That's really hard to believe. But, it's hard to flat out say to a person you've known and trusted all your life "you're a liar."

[pissant]

I prefer hot as in temperature. Reminds me of high school when people would put Icy Hot sports cream in your jockstrap! Oh the memories!

[silverleaf]

ping

[Darksheare]

"He had the most wonderfulk eyes I'd ever seen... too bad for him they were in a jar next to my bed."


Hmm.. weird.

[King Prout]

a waste is a terrible thing to mind

[King Prout]

I may be mistaken (possible: I am quite knackered) but I do not believe the author is suggesting literal extra-sensory perception when using the phrase "read each others' minds"

rather, I believe the author means that there is a specialized structure in the brain which evaluates subtle or subliminal visual, auditory, and even olfactory cues given off by another person, compares these stimuli against its own template of emotion-driven physiological responses, and then conveys to the cognitive synthesis (the conscious mind) of the observer an impression of the emotional state of the person being observed.

[DBrow]

Quantum entanglement works at the particle level, not a lot of energy in a jiggling particle, and I'm not sure the theory allows for information transfer.