Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Phantoms in the Brain

What would you say about a woman who, despite stroke-induced paralysis crippling the entire left side of her body, insists that she is whole and strong--who even sees her left hand reach out to grasp objects? Freud called it "denial"; neurologists call it "anosognosia." However it may be labeled, this phenomenon and others like it allow us peeks into other mental worlds and afford us considerable insight into our own.




The writings of Oliver Sacks and others have shown us that we can learn much about ourselves by looking closely at the deficits shown by people with neurological problems. V.S. Ramachandran has seen countless patients suffering from anosognosia, phantom limb pain, blindsight, and other disorders, and he brings a remarkable mixture of clinical intuition and research savvy to bear on their problems. He is one of the few scientists who are able and willing to explore the personal, subjective ramifications of his work; he rehumanizes an often too-sterile field and captures the spirit of wonder so essential for true discovery.


PART ONE




PART TWO




Phantoms in the Brain is equal parts medical mystery, scientific adventure, and philosophical speculation. Whether you're curious about the workings of the brain, interested in alternatives to expensive, high-tech science (much of Ramachandran's research is done with materials found around the home), or simply want a fresh perspective on the nature of human consciousness, you'll find this to be an interesting documentary.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

this video is off sync.

Anonymous said...

This was a fantastic book by the way, and if anyone enjoyed this documentary, I highly suggest you read the book "Phantoms in the Brain" by V.S Ramachandran.

Anonymous said...

Part Two = Part One?

Anonymous said...

I found this really interesting but the second video is also the first. I'm not sure I"m making myself clear. The first part is shown twice. I would really be interested in seeing the second part.


thanks

crashtestskater

Anonymous said...

thnx gr8 video!
but both video links are the same :(

Unknown said...

Great choice, but both parts are the same

Anonymous said...

you can find the second part of this on guba! Great stuff.