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favouritemistake t1_j7954b7 wrote

Reply to comment by Feudamonia in Political views can be predicted by differences in brain activity. Study says political differences don’t just emerge when it comes to how we interpret reality around us; our brains actually ‘see’ different things depending on our politics. by mossadnik

How is “brains are all capable of changing based on our experiences” different from “ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli”? (Other than the obvious fact that nervous system involves more than just the brain)

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VoltaicSketchyTeapot t1_j7986p2 wrote

Because the former is consciousness and the latter is biology.

Yes, you can change your opinions, but that's not neuroplasticity at play. Neuroplasticity is the ability of individual neurons to form new pathways when necessary. Neuroplasticity is your brain reteaching itself to feel pain after a stroke cut off that original pathway.

We don't know enough about consciousness to know exactly which neurons play what role in consciousness (our ability to form opinions). Maybe neuroplasticity plays some role, but consciousness is way more complicated than a few electrical impulses figuring a new route to the same destination.

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favouritemistake t1_j79h5jd wrote

Why do you guys think I meant consciousness or the mind when I said brain?

Edit: actual question. What am I missing here, or was I just misunderstood due to something about the word choice?

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Feudamonia t1_j79f8ck wrote

It's about understanding the difference between the mind and the brain.

Think of it like a train and its cargo. The tracks, the engine and the boxcars take the cargo from station to station. You can change the train by swapping out the engine, changing the order or location of stations and still deliver the same cargo. Alternatively you can have identical trains travelling the same route yet carry different cargo.

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favouritemistake t1_j79gcyq wrote

I don’t totally get your analogy but I’m aware of the difference between mind and brain. I said the brain changes, not the mind. Beyond just the brain, yes, the rest of the nervous system changes too.

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Feudamonia t1_j79jg85 wrote

But the brain doesn't change when you change your beliefs, and neither does the nervous system. We can see different neural activity but the mechanism that creates that activity doesn't change.

Imagine the brain is a DJ's beat box. Different thinking would be like a different song being played but the beat box doesn't change.

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favouritemistake t1_j79tzdc wrote

It can change on a structural level through learning; why would learning beliefs be any different? (Over time through repetition, not a one-off thought causing permanent changes.)

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-2794886#toc-types-of-neuroplasticity

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Feudamonia t1_j79xw9r wrote

Now you're talking about a different kind of neuroplasticity. Structural neuroplasticity encompasses the types of changes we see when new pathways are built like when you learn to ride a bike or learn a new language. The type of bike you learn to ride or the language you choose to learn won't make any physical difference to the brain; it's the learning of a new skill that causes the change, not the topic so to speak. If we don't continue to use the new skill the pathway is pruned.

Beliefs are different. We develop them from experiences and how we feel about them. They are the product of thought, not a physical thing.

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Feudamonia t1_j7a6urb wrote

I got a notification for a comment but can't seem to find it. Do you mind if I dm you?

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