Ramachandran for brain enthusiasts

June 3, 2005 3:57 AM

Phantom limb illusions Dr. Ramachandran is an investigator of the senses. His explorations on synesthesia, phantom limbs, and human consciousness are revealing excursions into sensory awareness. And his reader-friendly books, such as A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness and Phantoms in the Brain (both from Amazon) are a pleasure to read. His greatest gifts appear to be a childlike simplicity, coupled with straightforward empiricism. His writing is easy-to-understand, often sparked with unpredictable humor. Recommended for all mind & brain enthusiasts who may not have heard of him yet.
posted by ember (10 comments total)

I believe Oliver Sacks often startling, scary and amusing book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, also featured some phantom limb case studies. The more division we find in human volition, the more we can safely discard poorly formed ideas of "free-will".
posted by Jason Malloy at 8:39 AM on June 3, 2005

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2003/
Here's a link to his lectures
posted by farishta at 8:39 AM on June 3, 2005

cannot believe any mind enthusiast would not have heard of Ramachandran.
posted by NinjaPirate at 8:41 AM on June 3, 2005

Here's another fun nose "illusion." It may or may not work for you.

(Remove your glasses, if you wear them.) Cross your fingers and close your eyes. With your fingers crossed, touch the bridge of your nose so that both your index and middle fingertip touch each side of the bridge. Now move your crossed fingers up and down, so that you are rubbing both sides of the bridge. After a few minutes of this, it should feel eerily as if you are rubbing two noses. Enjoy.
posted by jennanemone at 9:47 AM on June 3, 2005

Thanks, definately going on my summer list.

and the book Jason Malloy refers tothat book was was just boat loads of fun.
posted by es_de_bah at 9:54 AM on June 3, 2005

Thanks, definately going on my summer list.

and the book Jason Malloy refers to was was just boat loads of fun.
posted by es_de_bah at 9:54 AM on June 3, 2005

oops, sorry
posted by es_de_bah at 9:55 AM on June 3, 2005

NOT to troll, but there are various things that can, temporarily or permanently, relieve a person of the phantom limb phenomenon (temporary = drugs; permanent = lobotomy, electroshock, and other nasty stuff).

I just wonder if other kinds of contra-reality-body-image conflicts (feeling like having been born the wrong gender, feeling overweight when dangerously thin, or the newest and wierdest: feeling like you should be missing a limb) would be effected in the same way. Could point to a common mechanism.
posted by dreamsign at 4:53 PM on June 3, 2005

I believe Oliver Sacks often startling, scary and amusing book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, also featured some phantom limb case studies. The more division we find in human volition, the more we can safely discard poorly formed ideas of "free-will".

I'm not sure how those things connect. And why do you seem to think it's a good thing to discard the idea of free will?
posted by Sangermaine at 5:07 PM on June 3, 2005

farishta beat me to it.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 11:07 PM on June 3, 2005