The Brain, A Decoded Enigma Part 14

The working principle of democracy should be somewhat modified, i.e. a democratic system protects only those who respect democracy. Thus, the individuals who fight against democracy should not be protected by the democratic system.

Conclusion: The evolution of society is based on symbolic models. Those who have not the capacity to follow this trend will 'run for shelter' into image models. Slowly a break will occur between 'symbolic' and 'image' people. The 'image' people, who are not those who push the society forward, will see that, from their point of view, society goes into a wrong direction. One of the extreme answers to this situation is terrorism.

Warning: The individuals based on image models do not accept logical argumentation, because logic is an exclusive characteristic of symbolic models.

ETA 11: Problems of human brain evolution

This problem is already developed in the general theory. A few additions will be given here. As we know from the general theory, we have an ability to build and operate image models [I], and one to build and operate symbolic models [S]. Generally speaking, [I] increased up to about the year 1800. [S] had a first increase with the spoken language. It increased further with the emergence of the written language. An important step was the development of geometry as a symbolic model by Euclid, about 2300 years ago. Then [S] stayed unchanged about up to the year 1666, when Newton's Mechanics marked the evolution of the brain, as the second important fundamental symbolic model appeared. From that moment, [S] started an accelerated increase which continues.

In spite of the fact that [I] decreased in percentage compared to [S], in an absolute mode, it continued to increase due to the support of [S].

Unfortunately, this evolution, which is true e.g. for Europe, is not true for some other cultural regions. Some nations refuse basically symbolic models, but are forced to use them.

There is a risk of splitting the world, due to the more and more reduced capacity of communication between the two parts of it. The same situation may happen inside one country with groups of people.

The two parts are not symmetrical. The ones based on [S] are the vectors of progress and power, in any sense. The others are unable to maintain a rhythm of evolution, but are, however, helped by the [S] nations, for stability reasons, and due to the lack of other solutions. The [I] nations accept this help, especially for practical reasons and opportunism. On long range, this problem has no solution within the frame of the generally accepted democratic system.

Within the [S] countries, a structure exists as well. Thus, some persons have a higher [S] than others.

In general, the [I]-type people in a structure of [S]-type detain the power. The time when the [S] people would have control is not within view. ([S]-type people are called technocrats).

Due to the large dispersion between [I] and [S] levels, there is no hope at the moment that a unique symbolic model will ever exist to describe correctly the whole social structure. As a consequence, the technocrats (the [S] people in an [S] type society) are not efficient yet, except in relatively narrow domains. The politicians of today are those who have qualities in both image and symbolic areas. They can cover approximately the whole society. However, the development of the society will force them to redirect more and more to symbolic models.

The basic problem a.s.sociated with any society is the too wide dispersion between the [I] and [S] levels, and its increase as the society evolves.

Some explanations for this dispersion, based on MDT, are given below:

1. The models are built chaotically. The structure of models, including PSM, contains important and less important models. This is also a problem of education in early childhood.

2. Education and a.s.similation of new knowledge continues to be based on a too large scale on [I] models.

3. The structure of models, including PSM, is almost invariant and, as a consequence, the brain has not the flexibility required by a fast evolution of the society.

4. Education is chaotic. Too many image models are built in the period of development, and the symbolic models are not adequate to reality. For instance, mathematical calculations are prefered to the construction and operation of general symbolic models. Even worse, the students are not taught to think based on symbolic models. Terms like image model (a.n.a.log) and symbolic model are not known at the level of general formal education. Image models should be taught starting in first cla.s.s, and symbolic models with eight cla.s.s. Even worse, those who work with symbolic models are not always aware of it. Many physicists are not aware that Newton's Mechanics is a symbolic model.

5. The design deficiencies of the brain are not shown or recognised, and as such, can't be compensated for (see general theory).

Conclusion: The brain evolves from image to symbolic models. The dispersion between the [S]-levels of people, countries and cultural zones is increasing. This increasing dispersion, together with the design and technological problems, creates fundamentalism (some can't continue their evolution). Fundamentalism is a threat for the world as a whole. The possible solutions are unacceptable within the frame of the democratic principles.

ETA 12: The rattlesnake

The rattlesnake produces a continuous strong sound when it is attacked or is attacking. It is also known that it has no hearing. MDT explains this attack and defense facility. The basic function of any brain (including animal) is to build automatically models based on the information from external reality. A repeated sound will activate continuously an image model, which will try to predict the occurence of any new sound. It is reminded that this hardware function is active, and maintained active automatically, by any brain. There is no possibility to ignore, or not hear these sounds.

The sound produced by the rattlesnake will activate repeatedly (hundreds of times in a second) a sound receiving model at the animals around. These animals will use a lot of energy to update the model. Thus, the animals will have difficulties to build and activate a model, either for attack or defense.

The phenomenon is the same for humans. The sounds repeated or not- diminish our capacity to do any intense intellectual activity.

ETA 13: The main psychiatric illnesses: paranoia and schizophrenia

The terms paranoia and schizophrenia have no definition in psychiatry. They have only descriptions. MDT is able to generate normal definition for these deficiences.

In a scientific theory, the definitions are generated by the model and, as such, can't be compared to the descriptive definitions from present psychiatry. However, as in the common language we meet these two terms, as we do not want to invent new terms, they have been kept, but with the definitions as generated by MDT.

The general theory does not define, in fact, the diseases. It defines only status and parameters. A status is considered pathological, if some parameters have values beyond certain limits, more or less conventionally imposed.

Example: In MDT, the schizophrenia parameter of a normal brain occurs at any time having a different value. The value can be lower (better) or higher (worse), at different moments. Sometimes this parameter can reach the limit considered pathological, even if the person is not sick. The illness is declared if this parameter is permanently and significantly in the pathological zone.

We'll describe and then, define the two fundamental illnesses, as they appear in MDT.

Schizophrenia The characteristics from lighter to severe cases are: XS1: not enough long-range models exist in order to understand the external reality. The individuals interact normally with external reality, but the context to understand the primary facts is missing sometimes (missing long- range predictions). These individuals succesfully integrate in society, not by all means in unfavoured positions (on the contrary, as we will see later).

XS2: Bad understanding of what is going on in front of their eyes, due to the fact that the necessary models are poor quality or inadequate. The capacity to build and operate short-range models is maintained. These individuals are mostly able to be integrated in society, if they have a model of interest for the society.

XS3: The person has no adequate long-range model for the external reality, short-range models are scarce.

Example: The person does not know where he/she is, even if in his/her own room.

Such a person uses only very low quality models, most of them being components of PSM. The chances of integration in society are very limited.

On static a.n.a.lysis, XS1 is situated in the non-pathological zone, XS2 is on the border, and XS3 is pathological.

The schizophrenia parameter is variable in time. A normal person can be temporarily in XS2 status, and if drunk, sedated or tired, even in XS3, without being declared pathologically schizophrenic.

We'll a.n.a.lyze XS1 in detail; two situations can occur:

XS1A: The person has several models, including long-range, a.s.sociated with some domains of activity. These allow him to be integrated in society in a good positions. For such a person, some models a.s.sociated to laws/rules of integration in an advanced society, based on long-range symbolic models, are missing, or of low quality. The absence of these models can lead to anti- social acts, of which the person can't be aware. Social problems occur when this type of individuals is in a large number in a society.

XS1B: The person can build long- and short-range models a.s.sociated to any external reality, but in current life, he needs only very few of them. Thus the capacity to build long-range models is diminished. The long-range models exist, as imposed from the outside, by education. This is a society-induced schizophrenia. As long as the requirements of the society do not change, the individual is integrated perfectly in the society. If the requirements of the society change, the person has to acquire new long-range models, as they are generated by the society, to reintegrate into it. The capability to build own models is diminished to zero.

For both XS1A and XS1B cases it is characteristic that the capacity to build long-range models on their own is extremely reduced. The persons can in both cases a.s.similate external long-range models. While XS1A has a reduced capacity to both build and a.s.similate models, XS1B had initially these facilities, but they were lost in time due to lack of use.

Induced schizophrenia (XS1B) is a great advantage for a person integrated in a stable society, as it ensures adequate models to that society. At any change in the society, the individuals are forced to acquire new models, as they have a reduced capacity to build their own.

Example: Driving style in an advanced country Authorities enforce the traffic laws for generations. Any personalised style of driving is punished. Thus, the capacity to build own models is reduced to disappearance. If the environment is non-aggressive, the drivers will have less and less self-protection capacity at mistakes made by others. Chain accidents are a direct consequence of induced schizophrenia (XS1B).

There are 2 possibilities: 1. We accept induced schizophrenia, and we build safer and safer cars and infrastructures. 2. We accept personalized driving (aggressive style is not punished anymore).

An aggressive environment stimulates the development of intelligence and, as such, the capacity of building and operation of long-range models. The aggressivity of the environment makes most drivers better or more capable to react correctly to impredictable situations, including others mistakes. If the inexperienced drivers will feel aggressed, they become either experienced or they will give up driving. Society will come at some point to a.n.a.lyze both variants, with their advantages and disadvantages.

Now the method used is schizophrenic: we solve the problem which already occured, with the hope that it won't reoccur in the future. This method is unable to predict what other long-range problems might occur after the change operated. Its only advantage is that is gives a personal a.s.surance (including legally) to the peson who initiated the solution.

The theory shows the existence of a basic dilemma connected to the problem described above: optimisation or capacity to face an aggressive environment.

The tendency of induced schizophrenia occurs in an optimised structure with slow changes. The individuals have optimal reactions as long as the environment is stable. At a change of the environment, they have a reduced capacity to become compatible with the changed environment. In a new environment, the favorised are the aggressive ones, as they have the capacity to build and operate their own long-range models.

We continue with the induced schizophrenia (XS1B). When one of these life styles is followed for a long time, the person is going to be affected by schizophrenia induced by the environment, which in time can become pathological. This negative phenomenon can be attenuated to a certain extent, because of the permanent changes in society. These changes are forcing the population in advanced countries to come up with new models every day. Even though society forces people to build and operate new models every day, some do not have the capability to do this. Because evolution is based on symbolic models, some people may not be able to build symbolic models of good quality. Thus, there might be a group of people that cannot fit anymore in the society, might isolate themselves or even oppose to the society.

This way, induced schizophrenia (XS1B) might build shielding models, which could act against society. If this group gains enough power, it could try to destabilize the society.