In a neuroscience class, I am writing a paper on the neurophysiology of drug use, and it’s got me thinking about their philosophical implications. In particular, in my philosophy of mind class we have been talking about ‘folk psychology’, and reading philosophers who doubt its truth. Now, when people take drugs, they experience the world totally differently. Time and space are percieved differently, logic doesn’t function the same way, even beliefs and desires are warped into something entirely different. For instance, there is often the belief that one is controlling someone else’s actions, or something else’s. If we can be put into a state such that we believe this, isn’t also possible that we are in a similar state with respect to ourselves at all times? Couldn’t our consciousness be misinterpreting our actions as willed, when in reality we are just confabulating?
First, define “willed.” Then do what psychologists call “reality checking” and other scientists call “testing.”
It’s like comparing a working clock with a broken version of the same model. While the gears are the same, their movements are not coordinated properly, and the output is therefore irregular and . . . well, let’s say less than optimal.
You may learn a lot of interesting things about the mind by learning about how the brain reacts to certain drugs. However, you will also run the risk of seriously damaging your test subjects. And putting a brain back together isn’t as easy as fixing a clock.
A similar way to learn about the brain is through studying people with neurological problems. It’s very interesting to see how people with brain legions, for example, act in certain situations. Other studies have shown that people with split-brain surgery exhibit very unusual and unexpected behavior. For example, one side of the brain may see something, but the person cannot describe it because the information does not make it to their language center. One half of the body reacts, and the other side of the body has no idea why.
Confabulation occurs when the half with the language center is not shown the stimuli, and the other half reacts to the stimuli. The person is asked why they reacted. Since the language center does not have access to the information, the person just makes something up. When asked why a split-brain patient waved, he said, “oh, I thought I saw somebody I know.” The fact was, he waved because the other side of his body was instructed to wave by the scientists.
does it really matter? if we are experiencing things totally differently then they actually happen, (basicly were crazy) theres nothing we can do and no point in thinking of it anyway. its kinda like saying we have no free will.
Hi Carleas,
There are about 6.5 billion realities going on in human terms…which one of those are the drug takers perceiving differently ?
We seem to have a general reality that we live in. Example - We use words like cup, car, house, building etc., to explain objects within this general reality, but if I was to say ‘cup’ to you, you would no doubt bring to mind an image of your favourite cup…as I would. These two cups are more than likely to be vastly different except for the ability to hold hot and cold liquid.
Looking back to your drug takers - which part of the world are they experiencing totally differently ? Do they no longer recognise a cup, car, house etc., ?
Ock.