Are Our People Infected? Are Parts Of Their Brain Shut Down Or Impaired?

Scientist Shut Down Parts Of The Human Brain And People Lose Ability To Detect And Respond To Threats!

Interesting here and chilling. It also reminds me of what toxoplasmosis does to mice. Could it be that up to a 3rd of our population which has toxoplasmosis are already "switched off"? This could explain some of the polar opposite worldviews people have on many issues.

So, If they shut down the parts of your brain that usually "detect and respond" to threats, you seem to lose common sense! You lose your natural ability to recognize and respond to threats and lose touch with God / belief in God!

This so reminds me of toxoplasmosis infection in mice... they loose their ability to detect and respond to the threat of cats forever and get slaughtered!

www.smithsonianmag.com...

Once a Toxoplasma Parasite Infects Mice, They Never Fear Cats Again Toxoplasma is estimated to infect nearly one-third of humans worldwide, but what these results mean for humans remains to be seen

www.express.co.uk...

A bizarre experiment claims to be able to make Christians no longer believe in God and make Britons open their arms to migrants in experiments some may find a threat to their values.

Scientists looked at how the brain resolves abstract ideological problems.

Using a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), researchers safely shut down certain groups of neurones in the brains of volunteers. Placing a large electromagnetic coil against the scalp which creates electric currents that stimulate nerve cells in the region of the brain involved in mood control.

"We wanted to find out whether a brain region that is linked with solving concrete problems, like deciding how to move one's body to overcome an obstacle, is also involved in solving abstract problems addressed by ideology."

The scientists targeted the posterior medial frontal cortex, a brain region a few inches up from the forehead that is associated with detecting and responding to problems.

We decided to remind people of death because previous research has shown that people turn to religion for comfort in the face of death.

"As expected, we found that when we experimentally turned down the posterior medial frontal cortex, people were less inclined to reach for comforting religious ideas despite having been reminded of death."

"When we disrupted the brain region that usually helps detect and respond to threats, we saw a less negative, less ideologically motivated reaction to the critical author and his opinions."

The research, published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, suggests our brains use the same basic mental pathways to solve practical problems such as following directions or ideological issues such as immigration and religion.

We need to test our drinking water to see if any kinds of drugs are in our water making us docile. . . .

a reply to: infolurker

Good find, F&S! It does seem a little more laborious
than just making sure everybody's getting 3-5mg/L
of sodium fluoride in their tap water-- sarc/
but I'm a real proponent of covert, full-spectrum
poisoning /sarc

a reply to: derfreebie

They can turn a religious, anti-immigration person into a non-religious, immigration supporter by shutting down parts of the brain! Is it possible that toxoplasmosis has already done this to a large part of the population?

Seriously!

Also, think of the ramifications if they decide this is a form of "treatment" for people that are determined "need" this already available medical procedure.

a reply to: infolurker

If you pull the wings off a fly, does it become a walk?

a reply to: infolurker

So tell me... if they discovered a way to shut down our ability to consider or carry out violence to other living beings, it had zero side-effects, and it was proposed to be applied to every single human in existence, would you support it?

This isn't a scenario where you can say "well only some would get it and you know it". I'm talking about a hypothetical scenario where you were assured that every human would be exposed.

a reply to: Abysha

Hell no.

Partial lobotomy is a no go.

Would never willingly become one of the walking dead.

Plus, that is impossible. That treatment would only be for the "non-special" people.

OMG who would let someone experiment with their brain? I wonder how willing these subjects were, or if they fully knew what would happen.


You would have to be brain dead already to allow it.

a reply to: misskat1

My first thought is anyone who suffers from severe depression, maybe Parkinson's, etc.

A side find from experimental brain research. How horrifying!!

Very interesting. On the opposite scale, you have hyper vigilance which can often occur after an encounter with a threatening situation. I wonder what the ramifications would be if someone with this infection experienced and survived a life threatening situation would be. Would they be better able to hand such a situation, or less able?

a reply to: calstorm

From the story, it appears even with images of death, they are "numbed and dumbed" down. Less sensitive and aware to threats.

They are turning off a part of the brain used for solving problems and detection and response to threats.

Partial lobotomy, or at least major impairment of natural brain function.

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: infolurker


So tell me... if they discovered a way to shut down our ability to consider or carry out violence to other living beings, it had zero side-effects, and it was proposed to be applied to every single human in existence, would you support it?

This isn't a scenario where you can say "well only some would get it and you know it". I'm talking about a hypothetical scenario where you were assured that every human would be exposed.

Nope because I can only think of an Eloi and Morlock scenario. The ones in power would never have the treatment and if we all had no fear or ability to fight we would be dominated by any animal or species (including what we currently think of as aliens or Sasquatches and the like) and be more cattle-like than we are already. Fear and violence is a part of our survival skills, however, if there was a way to reduce the ability for the desire to wage violence in an offensive mannor rather than a defensive one, then that may be a step forward. Also if we could reduce/remove the ability to be cruel this would stop all torture, animal abuse, child abuse and nastiness that we as humans sadly are capable of. I would definitely be up for that.

a reply to: infolurker

Reading the Express has the opposite effect to the reported study lol

There's more to be learned by reading the study itself.

It's reported that participants read two letters from two immigrants - one positive and one critical of the US. The subjects with their posterior medial frontal cortex dialled down had a less emotional response to the critical letter as those with normal cortex activity. This is interpreted by you as a negative outcome that shows lack of existential fear in the face of immigration. However, maybe the letter deserves a less emotional response when the context of cultural nationalism or religious superiority is removed from the analysis?

I'm not saying one way or the other because I can't access the paper. The readership of the Express might actually benefit from having their xenophobia dialled back for a while. Who knows?

The investigators asked participants to respond to both negative and positive emotional aspects of religion and of nationalism. Specifically, they rated belief in the Devil, demons, and Hell, in addition to God, angels, and heaven. All potential participants were pre-screened to make sure that they held religious convictions before beginning the experiment.

Eurekalert

Is that a bad thing? Would we see the world in a different light if these beliefs were temporarily removed from the workings of our perception? It would be interesting to see conflict in all its naked horror instead of being dressed up in silk and sackcloth by our beliefs.

Imagine an Islamic State guy busily hacking off the heads of moderate shi-ites? Would he pause or stop altogether if his mental, religious constructs were dialled back or removed? Same for a skinhead happily stamping on the head of an Asian youth.

It's great being able to detect and respond to threats. We need to be more careful that what we perceive as a threat really is one.

originally posted by: infolurker
a reply to: calstorm

From the story, it appears even with images of death, they are "numbed and dumbed" down. Less sensitive and aware to threats.

They are turning off a part of the brain used for solving problems and detection and response to threats.

Partial lobotomy, or at least major impairment of natural brain function.

For whatever reason, I spent some time reading about beta blockers.
These are popular among musicians, performing artists.

One thing that stuck with me was that beta blockers literally quell the normal fight or flight response. It's not a far reach to suppose the subject would have difficulty resolving disturbing (threatening) portrayals of events, leading to potentially chronic cognitive dissonance.

# 519

I've used beta blockers, in competative horse events, and found it useful.

I think we can be at extremes in the way our body reacts to the world, and when that happens, it is not necessarily a bad thing to find ways to even out better.

With beta blockers, I was able to stay focused and acting, whereas without them, I fall into a paralyzed rabbit mode- where I cannot think, or move. I can't even answer simple questions like "what is your name?" This causes a build up of cortisol in my body that literally takes me days to recover from.

With beta blockers, I might throw up, get sweaty palms, and be nervous, but my brain continues to feel clear, and I can still make my body move and perform.

I can imagine someone who doesn't have the problem of extreme reaction to pressure and stress, like me, might find the effects to be less than helpful.
This makes me think that the same sort of principle might apply here- I have an aunt who suffers mental illness, and is a religious fanatic. She used to tell me I was going to hell when I was a little girl, no matter what I did, because I had to pay for the sins of my ancestors.(specifically, because my mother was not a virgin when she married). I was born cursed.

This woman has really hurt people, including herself, her own child, because of this extreme religiosity, probably born of an overactive sense of threat. Maybe turning down the dial on that fear, to a more "normal" level, would tone down that religious fervor. I doubt it would make her lose her faith, but maybe it would become more benign, less dangerous to others?

As mentioned, there's the case of religious fanatics who do actually kill people because of their faith- and no one considers that that might be beneficial to tone them down a bit?

Incidently, I always found it funny that in France it is presumed, when you are pregnant, that you have already had a Toxoplasmosis infection in the past, so don't need testing (once you are seropositive, you cannot get infected again, your pregnancy is out of danger). Unlike in the states, it is assumed you probably haven't and monthly testing is necessary.

The US has something like seropositivity in 14 % of the population, while France has 45%.
Okay, okay, I hear the jokes already.... that's why they're sissies and keep getting invaded

But to consider- in Switzerland it is 52.4 % (80 % in people over 65). In women of childbearing age (between 20 and 40 ) it is 40%.

They seem to do fine without being paranoid reactive religious fanatics.

a reply to: chr0naut

Haha ha. I loved that joke when I was a kid. I never did the pull the wings off thing but it was a funny joke.

a reply to: infolurker
It is easy to do, parents do it every day. It is simply quelling the fear and making us feel safe because we have someone who is going to sort it out for us. The NANNY state in action.
Denial is the strongest emotion in existence, they have learned to turn off this denial or turn it on when they want.
Propaganda is the delivery method and keep calm and carry on, we have your back covered is the key.

Divide and conquer.

originally posted by: infolurker
You lose your natural ability to recognize and respond to threats and lose touch with God / belief in God!

So because a lot of us don't believe in your god our brains aren't working properly? Alrighty then...

You had me until you started the Christianity bullsh$t. Keep your religion to yourself and stop trying to jamb it down everybody's throat. I am a recovering catholic. I spent years de-programming myself from the complete delusion that is religion.