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comment by humanodon

I need an auxiliary brain for reading. Imagine that: an auxiliary brain that would subconsciously inform the main brain. Our prejudices, preferences, opinions and beliefs are already formed by things we take in consciously as well as subconsciously. It might drive a person crazy, but it might be worthwhile to see how it plays out. You know, once.





user-inactivated  ·  4184 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Positive schizophrenia. Would make a damn good Philip Dick short story.

user-inactivated  ·  4183 days ago  ·  link  ·  

you're not allowed to write Philip K Dick's name without the K

humanodon  ·  4184 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I like the idea of that phrase. To riff on it a bit, make it a bit more medical sounding: benign schizophrenia. To make it a bit scarier: benevolent schizophrenia.

I guess it could be the name for a '90's tribute band: the Benevolent Schizophrenics.

user-inactivated  ·  4184 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Benevolent makes me think kind schizophrenic robotic overlords; benign makes me think comatose vegetable schizophrenics whose subconscious is more active than their mind. Either would make a good story.

Complexity  ·  4183 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Truth continues to be stranger than fiction, humanodon: http://www.tulpa.info

humanodon  ·  4182 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I have heard the word "tulpa" before, but always described as an imaginary friend that one convinces oneself is real. I have heard of something similar, where someone who has amnesia will sometimes display a distinctly different personality than their pre-amnesiac persona, or even people who have suffered some sort of mental or physical trauma and for some reason they then begin to speak in a different accent.

I know it's unethical to experiment on the human mind (and I would not advocate such a thing), but I do wonder if subjecting ourselves to certain stresses with the intent of adapting the mind in desired ways might be possible.

Complexity  ·  4182 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Is it unethical if one is doing so oneself? From what I understand people are taking the development of these personality fragments into their own hands (and at their own risk). I supposed it touches on the same field of pros and cons are the arguments for and against experimentation with entheogens / hallucinogens.

humanodon  ·  4182 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I don't think so, though it would be kind of gray to suggest that someone play with their mind so that it could be studied.