11 replies to this topic

[rwac]

Botox May Deaden Not Just Nerves, But Emotions, Too

Sure, Botox can banish crows feet, smooth those wrinkles, and lift those frown lines, making the client look more youthful–and somewhat expressionless. But the treatment may have effects that are more than skin deep. A new study suggests that by paralyzing the frown muscles that ordinarily are engaged when we feel angry, Botox short-circuits the emotion itself.

In the now-common cosmetic treatment, a doctor injects botulinum toxin, sold under the brand name Botox, under the skin. The toxin kicks in, temporarily paralyzing facial muscles, smoothing skin out, and making a person look less wrinkly as a result. That paralysis, however, seems to interfere with a known feedback loop, in which smiling adds to your happiness and frowning multiplies your sadness . And tamping down a person’s emotions seems to interfere with the ability to read emotions in others. Says study leader David Havas: “Botox induces a kind of mild, temporary cognitive blindness to information in the world, social information about the emotions of other people”.

http://blogs.discove...t-emotions-too/

How strange. Inhibiting the expression of an emotion affects the emotion itself.

[niner]

Botox May Deaden Not Just Nerves, But Emotions, Too

Sure, Botox can banish crows feet, smooth those wrinkles, and lift those frown lines, making the client look more youthful–and somewhat expressionless. But the treatment may have effects that are more than skin deep. A new study suggests that by paralyzing the frown muscles that ordinarily are engaged when we feel angry, Botox short-circuits the emotion itself.

In the now-common cosmetic treatment, a doctor injects botulinum toxin, sold under the brand name Botox, under the skin. The toxin kicks in, temporarily paralyzing facial muscles, smoothing skin out, and making a person look less wrinkly as a result. That paralysis, however, seems to interfere with a known feedback loop, in which smiling adds to your happiness and frowning multiplies your sadness . And tamping down a person’s emotions seems to interfere with the ability to read emotions in others. Says study leader David Havas: “Botox induces a kind of mild, temporary cognitive blindness to information in the world, social information about the emotions of other people”.

http://blogs.discove...t-emotions-too/

How strange. Inhibiting the expression of an emotion affects the emotion itself.

That's fascinating. It actually makes perfect sense, if you think about it, but the part that I find weird is the way it interferes with your ability to read emotion in others. Now that is strange. I would have thought that to be a cognitive process involving mirror neurons. Maybe mirror neurons are wired into our facial proprioception? Animals are pretty amazing, aren't we? Would "anti-botox" be helpful for autistic people?

[Athanasios]

Maybe mirror neurons are wired into our facial proprioception?

That mind-body connection, with mirror neurons, sure does feel like it is there.

[Sillewater]

I remember a study in my psychology class about emotions or something. Something about paraplegics having less emotions or something. Its the physical reaction that causes the emotion, not the emotion causing the physical reaction.

[rwac]

That brings up a really interesting question.

How human will an uploaded human be, if all our emotions are directly tied to our physical body.

[niner]

That brings up a really interesting question.

How human will an uploaded human be, if all our emotions are directly tied to our physical body.

That's a really good question. Maybe they could be fixed with a software tweak. A little amplification.

[TheFountain]

I remember a study in my psychology class about emotions or something. Something about paraplegics having less emotions or something. Its the physical reaction that causes the emotion, not the emotion causing the physical reaction.

Classic behavioural psychology. How stupid. According to this theory, and all it is is a theory, humans are mere puppets controlled by their environment. While I do agree that humans are machines who do have a certain degree of environmental force waged against us I take Ouspenskies view more seriously than that of behavioural psychologists. That is, that we can control every aspect of our personal existence, and even to a large degree, prevent accidents from occuring. Besides I remember reading about how EEG readings occured as a result of thought, I.E as an effect of thought rather than a corresponding physical causation. The actual CAUSE of thought is still a mystery to us.

[Delorean]

The actual CAUSE of thought is still a mystery to us.

I thought it was just a chain reaction like everything else in the universe?

[TheFountain]

The actual CAUSE of thought is still a mystery to us.

I thought it was just a chain reaction like everything else in the universe?

We don't know.

[platypus]

There are people on this forum who have refrained from smiling in order to avoid getting wrinkles. This study shows again that they are necessarily experiencing less positive emotions due to this extreme practise.

[rwac]

That's a really good question. Maybe they could be fixed with a software tweak. A little amplification.

That would mean that we would have to understand the working of the brain, as opposed to simply duplicating aspects of it.

[nanostuff]

The actual CAUSE of thought is still a mystery to us.

I thought it was just a chain reaction like everything else in the universe?

We don't know.

We know beyond reasonable doubt. Not knowing is exclusive to yourself. Whatever it is you read about EEG is therefore necessarily bullshit or you have mis-interpreted the results.