You should by now have your two readers Anthropologist on Mars (AoM) and Memory Observed (MO). Please read the last hippie from AoM.
You should by now have ordered or received your cognitive text book. Please email me if this is not the case as you will have difficulty in completing the upcoming assignments.
After reading the last hippie, please respond to the following questions.
What did you think about this reading? Why? What are three things you will remember from what you read in the reading? Why? What was one thing that you really liked that was in the reading? Why? What was one thing that you disliked that was in the reading? Why? What do you now know about your brain that you didn't know before the reading? Has this reading made you think about other issues about the brain?
I thought that this reading had a lot of information and even though Greg was suffering, it was interesting to learn more about his disorder. I also thought this reading did a really good job at explaining how the brain functions are disrupted when certain areas are damaged.
The first thing that I really liked about this reading was learning about Greg's inability to store memories. "Greg can repeat a complicated sentence with complete accuracy and understanding it the moment he hears it, but within three minutes, or sooner if he is distracted for an instant, he will retain not a trace of it, or any idea of its sense, or nay memory that it ever existed." I enjoyed reading about this part of the reading because I feel many people don't realize how much they use their own memory and many of of us take it for granted. Learning about a person who is unable to recall or remember events, stories, faces, ect. is interesting to me. The second idea that I enjoyed reading about in this story is that almost all of us have unstable short term memory experiences. "on occasion, suddenly lose a perception or an image or a thought we had vivdly in mind "I've forgotten what I wanted to say!", but only amnesiacs is this precariousness realized to the full." I enjoyed this reading about this because it helped me understand why at times we can't recall a name,song,place ect. However, amnesiacs experience this on a daily basis in a more severe way. The last thing I really enjoyed about this reading although it was sad to learn was Greg's lack of knowledge regarding his Father's death. "Greg had no memory of the conversation we had had, of the news I had given him, no idea that his father had died." Reading about this particular event really helped me understand the severity of Greg's disorder. It is heartbreaking to know that Greg can't comprehend that his Dad is longer alive and that he never had to chance to say goodbye or have closure to the loss.
One thing that I really liked about this reading the part of the story where Phineas Gage's situation was related to Greg's disorder. In previous psychology classes that I have taken, I've learned about Phineas Gage's accident and his disorders that occurred after the frontal lobe damage. I liked reading about this part because it helped me understand Greg's situation better.
There wasn't anything that I didn't like about this reading. The story seemed a little long at times or dragging on but the information was almost always interesting and had new information or me to learn about.
I learned a lot more about my brain after reading this. I mainly learned and understood a lot more about the functions of the frontal lobes after this reading. Although there are still uncertainties about all of the functions and roles that the frontal lobes play a part in, I learned a lot more about the disorders that can occur when this brain structure is damaged.
This reading makes me wonder more about the damages that occur to certain brain structures and the disorders that will follow. Also, after reading this story I wonder if the size of the frontal lobes play a role in some people being more forgetful than others. Overall, this reading opened my eyes to the disorders that are caused by brain structure damages and what structures control emotions, motor functions, and more.
This section or rather "chapter" was very well written. Compared to the last one it was a lot easier to read and a lot easier to follow. You really got a feel for Greg and how he was percieved by others around him. When I was reading the one about the painter I was really just reading it, but with this one I felt like I had an actual connection with Greg and I really felt bad for him.
If anyone has seen 50 first dates with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore a comparison can be made between her character's disease and the disease displayed in the book. A major difference though is that he is blind. When I was explaining what I was reading to someone and how he could not remember events from a time that was recent the person commented, "why not just take lots of pictures and show them to him," but therein lies the problem...he is blind. He could be told multiple times about something, but does not really have any hard evidence he can "see" that really proves something. This is the difference between the comedy 5o first dates and this chapter, Greg can't be given a visual update.
A really great moment in the reading was the incorporation of the phineas gage and lobotomy examples brought in as a comparison to his disorder. Most psychologists know about phineas gage, and the studies based on his brain were really telling. The information provided by both of these events in history have progressed our knowledge on the brain's inner workings. I wasn't sure of the real figures of lobotomy procedures done on people (I knew it was a lot) but was really shocked by the numbres. It is sort of sickening that this was done to so many people and that we thought it was so groundbreaking and amazing... but not everyone can be right, right?
Memory is still something that we can make wide strides in learning about. People like Greg, even though a tragic situation, help to open up the possibilities for learning. It was really interesting how he referred to things throughout the book, one instance being his understanding of seeing. When he watched tv he explained watching and listening and then imagining the pictures. While it is heartwrenching to have to listen to his struggles with understanding (his fathers death, his blindness, ect) it is interesting to see his coping mechanisms in play (walking around the room saying he has lost something, refusing to learn braille by the fact that he thinks he would be the first to know he was blind).
The thing I really liked about the reading is also the thing I really disliked about the reading. I loved how real Greg was and how we could almost picture him, but it also made it really hard to read about his struggles. I really enjoyed the part when he went to the concert and heard all the songs he rememberd, but it was very difficult (my empathy kicked in) when the writer mentioned him the next day forgetting about the whole thing. It is really hard to make no progress at all, and this is how it was with Greg. He could learn...but only for a while or only a tiny fragment.
I have taken biopsych and a few courses like that, so I know a little bit about the frontal lobes and the hippocampus which was damamged by his tumor. I didn't learn TOO much extra in this chapter, but it definetly added to my past experience with these brain areas. I think it is really interesting how the brain can adapt to missing parts and still function while not still whole. When we lose a part of the brain, we can still sometimes function pretty close to normal, or the brain can adapt in a way that takes over pervious lost functions.
Short term memory and Long term memory and really interesting to me, and I would like to learn more about the conversion process. In the reading it would talk about little bits of learning he would have (like learning where places where and people's names) and I wonder what the capacity of this learning was, how much could he have really learned? Had he even gotten close to his full potential? Do you think he could have eventually gotten to a greater ability of remembering if he had practiced more and more? I would like to learn more about memory and different parts of the brain in charge or helpful to this subject.
The reading in AM was pretty straight forward. It felt pertinent in the regard that it was based around memory, and the lack thereof. It was also a reading about the adaptations people make. I will remember the reactions of Greg to learning news about his father's death (even though he soon forgot), how his parents reacted when they heard about his "many enlightenments" and how quickly they reacted when they got excessively concerned. The last, and probably most important thing I'll remember is the ignorance of the people involved. I mean, it took three years for his parents to become concerned. The monks told him it was entirely natural for him to be losing his eye sight slowly. Greg himself didn't do anything about it until it was too late. It's just intriguing to me what people will talk themselves into believing. I really liked that even though Greg lost his ability to create new memories, he still had the capacity to show emotion. One thing I really didn't care for, or wish I hadn't noticed, was the inability for people to notice certain things when they are outside their best interest. In this case, the well-being of Greg was ignored for the "enlightenment" or "better person" he was becoming. I didn't necessarily learn anything specific about how the brain worked, but the reading did reaffirm things I already knew. I knew that the brain was essential in information processing, I also knew that different parts of the brain were responsible for different cognitive functions. Memory was the most discussed topic in the assigned reading and I'll continue to be thinking about how the brain functions as a whole unit, but has the ability to adapt and different parts will be able to activate at different times.
I found this reading to be very interesting. It amazes me the things the brain is capable of, even after enduring damage. I also found this reading to be very sad. It was hard reading about all of Greg’s experiences and how there was no way he could ever remember them.
The first thing from the reading that I really found interesting and will remember is when the doctor was asking questions to pinpoint exactly what time period Greg’s brain would let him remember. I found it very fascinating how selective his memory was. Similar to this, I also found his storytelling skills to be interesting as well. Especially when told a story, then retelling it with no resemblance to the original but still thinking it is an accurate account of what he had just heard. While reading, I was also very curious about how it was possible that Greg slowly was able to remember the names of those who worked at the hospital or came to see him regularly. This question of mine was answered later on. The chapter mentions that Greg may be able to have unconscious or implicit memories of certain events, thus, showing that he remembers these events or encounters through his performance or behavior. Finally, I will also remember some of the ways in which the author chose to describe Greg’s situation. At one point, he describes Greg’s blindness as though he has “lost the idea of seeing.” Later, he also describes his memory by saying that Greg “knew only presence, not absence.” At times during the chapter, it was a little hard to follow what exactly Greg’s situation was like in regards to his blindness and lack of memory. I found these specific descriptions to be quite helpful in better understanding his situation.
One thing I really enjoyed about this reading was the comparison it makes between Greg and that of Phineas Gage. Before the book even mentioned Gage, I was already thinking about the resemblance that Greg’s case had to Gage’s situation of identity change after damage to his frontal lobe.
The one thing I did not like about this reading was that it did not go into detail about how Greg developed the tumor in the first place. The reader understands how it was ignored and therefore grew to the size in which it began to damage Greg’s memory, however, I am also curious as to what caused the tumor to begin with.
Before reading The Last Hippie, I was aware of all the lobes of the brain, however, I was not aware that the frontal lobes are the most complex part of the brain. It was interesting to read of how this specific part of the brain can be damaged, and still, the individual’s sensation of movement, language and certain memory functions are still intact, yet it can cause substantial differences in that individual’s sense of self.
While doing this reading I also found one of the first footnotes to be very interesting. The footnote talked about those with Anton’s syndrome, which involves damages to the visual cortex. Individuals with this syndrome have no other problems other than not realizing that they are blind. It also interests me how much more severe frontal lobe unawareness can be, in which individuals not only do not realize they are blind but are also completely unaware of their situation all together. While this predicament is very saddening, I cannot help but think of the saying “ignorance is bliss” in regards to these situations. Wouldn’t it almost be better for these individuals to not realize the severity and tragedy of their situation?
I am severely disappointed in Oliver Sacks! How could he mention that Greg lived in a state something like sleep and not do an EEG! Sleep has a very characteristic EEG so that should have tempted him. Sacks described Greg "coming awake" when someone talks to him. Wouldn't it be interesting if he had compared Greg's "coming awake" with out waking up? It really is a pity he passed the chance.
All in all, I am very glad my frontal and temporal lobes are perfectly in tact. But I have to say, they are more useful than what I had originally been taught. I knew the temporal lobe is significant in hearing and has a little to do with memory, but I had not known that it was so critical in the STM-LTM conversion process. It is something you hear about in discussions about HM (which is another case, like Gage, that Sacks should have compared Greg to). He maintained damage to the Hypocampus very near--almost part of--the temporal lobe and experienced similar symptoms. He was unable to form long term memories.
I suppose HM's case is also critically different from Greg's. HM could form no new explicit memory. He had to learn everything all over again each time he was confronted with something new. Greg, on the other hand, could learn things perfectly well. I suppose it is not ordinary learning, but He could recognize Oliver Sacks after a time. He made friends and missed them. He knew his father visited him daily until he died. So Greg had some explicit learning capacity, though it was damamged. But I see that he was unable to remember facts and events rather than everything involved in a social setting.
It is also truly amazing how Greg could remember many things if they were somehow associated with music. Sacks was incapable of teaching him a hilarious rhyme. But he put music to it and Greg memorized it and recited it every time he saw Sacks after ward. It was mentioned in class that maybe music is involved in language areas. Perhaps these areas developed in Greg as a result of some of the damage he had. I must rebuke Sacks for not running a vocabulary test on him. Maybe Greg was able to enlarge his vocabulary exactly as he was able to enlarge his music repertoire.
This reading is a little more depressing than Mr. I.’s story. The fact that Greg was an entirely transformed person and that his parents had ‘lost’ their son. This story led me to questions about how the brain processes information. The alternative routes that the brain can use when there is something blocking the usual path.
The first thing I will remember about this reading is not necessarily cognitively based. I find it interesting how radically different people can live compared to the way they were brought up. I make goals for my life based off the good experiences I have had growing up. I also try and stray away from the bad experiences I have had growing up. In Greg’s case it seemed like he was raised in a good home, but fell into a 1960’s lifestyle of free-thinking/living.
The religion that Greg took part in seemed to be cult-like or, just a plain cult. During high school I wrote a research paper on the ability of a cult to take over one’s life. Cults take someone who is going through a transition in their life - they make the person feel welcome and included. Then after some time they cut off all outside contact for that person and become their only influence. This mirrors exactly what happened to Greg. His parents hadn’t seen him in four years and by that time it was too late. His condition had progressed to a point where it was irreversible.
The second thing I will remember and found the most interesting was Greg’s inability to understand time. We live in a world that is completely dependent on time. Even in cognitive class (the most interesting class ever) I find myself checking the time.
The third thing that I will remember is the brain's ability to lose or not store information - and the brain’s ability to store information in new ways. An example from the text would be when Greg said that he used to know a Connie in high school and now knew another Connie who was his music therapist. In reality they were the same Connie but Greg’s brain put Connie in a past memory.
One thing that I really liked about this reading was when Greg got to go to a Grateful Dead concert. The way that he was so coherent. He was back in his time - during the concert Greg was living in the present. It was interesting when Greg heard the songs that were done after his memory ‘stopped recording’. Greg said that it was like he was listening to the future. It gave us as readers the idea that Greg had made a connection and maybe he would remember that night.
One thing that I did not like about this chapter is the overall feeling. Greg’s parents had a fully functional son. I am sure as with many parents they had thoughts and dreams that they wanted their son to fulfill - for example grandchildren, someone to carry on the family name. Then they had to cope with the fact that none of those dreams would or could be realized. They had to let go of the son they once had and they had to try and get to know this new person this ‘changeling’.
One thing that I learned during this reading was the brains ability to retain information in different ways - again the plasticity of the brain. Again, going back to the Connie example. Greg put Connie in the past in order to retain the memory of her. Maybe it was the connection with music that allowed him to keep the memory. This chapter also mentions that Greg could remember the day’s date if it were presented with a tune/melody (this did not mean much because Greg hadn’t the ability to understand time - but he could remember).
This chapter makes me think about alternative ways of processing information - retrieving information too. I started thinking about music therapy when Greg was able to remember things that were related or included music. I wonder if people with learning disabilities would benefit from using alternative methods. Since Greg was able to remember songs I wonder if retrieving information - such as PTSD patients would be able to remember certain things too. For example if the same sounds were played for a patient or witness to recreate the environment of stress - would they remember what happened? Overall, this reading made me think about all the ways that the brain processes information and the different areas that memories can be stored in.
I found “The Last Hippie” to be pretty interesting, more specifically I enjoy hearing stories and anecdotes about peoples lives during this era so I was interested from the start. I was surprised to learn that Greg’s tumor was the size of a grapefruit and that was the cause of his rather bizarre behavior, especially because it was benign. His behavior must not have been that out of the ordinary in the environment he was in because no one seemed to think much about it for quite sometime. It’s a little alarming to know he was suffering from such a serious condition and his complaints were ignored. I wonder if something had been done early on, would some of the damage be reversible? It’s amazing that Greg was so disconnected from the world but his passion for the Grateful Dead remained. I’ve heard of cases where this had happened before. Someone had suffered from a traumatic brain injury and was basically a ‘vegetable’ but still expressed a passion for something or they still had a special talent or skill. Even though people may suffer from what appears to be the same type of injury, it’s nearly impossible to predict the outcomes and how the damage will manifest. For instance it may have appeared that a group of people had injured the same part of their brain but yet their symptoms don’t match or they don’t display the same deficits.
The most touching part of the reading was definitely when Greg went to the Grateful Dead concert. He may not have even remembered going when asked about it a few hours later but at the time he clearly was enjoying himself. Even though the concert was forgotten I think it still had a positive impact on him whether we know how or not. That’s why the brain is so fascinating; we aren’t always able to make sense of why things happen the way they do. We can’t always predict the outcomes and I believe that’s a good thing. I think the fact that Greg was unaware of the loss of his vision, was for a reason. It really makes no difference whether he knew it or not, he would still be in the same situation. For all we know, he may be perfectly aware he lost his vision, he simply enjoys the reactions he gets when he pretends he doesn’t know.
I learned a lot about the brain and how it functions. Prior to reading about Greg, I wasn’t overtly knowledgeable about the areas of the brain or remembered such information anyway, so it was a refresher for me to read about the functions of the diencephalon and frontal lobes. That type of jargon is hard for me to follow which is probably why I disliked those sections of the reading more than others. It’s a complicated subject in itself and I find it even more complicated. The reading also got me thinking about the days when psychosurgeries were performed and just how awful of a procedure it was. It represents how desperate people became to help ‘cure’ people from an illness.
When I started reading "The Last Hippie," I was confused at first at where the reading was going or why it was going to be related to our class. However, it quickly got into the story of what happened to Greg and how a tumor greatly affected his memory. The reading brought back many things I learned from other psychology courses. For example when Freeman was performing lobotomy procedures, I VIVIDLY remember watching those videos in class because the procedure was so gruesome. I enjoyed learning more about his specific memory and personality changes, but it was sad in the same sense because it seemed that he may never be able to "grow" as a person.
The first thing I will remember is how different Greg was compared to the other patients at the hospital. He was described as never really having a bad mood and not having any despair. He seemed cheerful and really enjoyed talking to other patients. I feel as though Greg may have brought a little hope to other patients and perhaps even the staff at the hospital. When I was reading this particular part I could not help but to think of the book "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and I found myself almost comparing Greg to McMurphy at one point in time (only due to the fact that he enjoyed the other patients).
Another thing that really stood out to me is the fact that Greg did not perceive himself as being blind. He had no awareness of this and was very insulted when they wanted him to learn Braille. The same thing was true when Greg broke his leg. He really forgot that his leg was broken until it caused him pain. This is something that truly surprised me. I never knew this was possible, and I guess that is something that I learned about the brain and how awesome it really is. Greg seems to have his own definition of what "seeing" and "watching TV" is and he thought everyone did it just as he did. This part of the story really awed me.
The last thing I will remember from the story is that even though Greg could not always retain information he could still learn new songs, jingles, and techniques on guitar. I'm not sure whether it was from his passion of music, repetition, or just because it was more mechanical than actually remembering information, but it showed that Greg could learn a little. Even when Greg went to the concert at the end of the story he was familiar with the "new" songs when the concert tape was later played for him. He even spontaneously mentions the smell of pretzels the next day, which he experienced while they were going to the concert. To me this is amazing because even though his brain is so damaged he is still remembering and learning new things even though it appears to Greg himself to be a very unconscious type of experience.
The one thing that I disliked from the story was when Greg was told about his father's death. I feel as though it was not handled in the best way and it really did affect Greg after learning about it. He may not have been able to mentally remember that his father died, but he showed the signs of mourning. It seemed as though he was more detached, he was not sleeping, and for some reason he no longer wanted to go home (which he loved doing before his father's death). I feel as though the staff almost seemed to give up on Greg at one point in time (when they started to mention they did not ask him to go to activities anymore and he was often left alone). Greg clearly like being around people and seemed to light up and be more enthused when around them. Even if the staff thought Greg was no longer going to progress I feel as though he still would have benefited from interacting with people.
Like I somewhat stated before I really did not know that people could be blind, but their brain could not perceive or accept that. This is something that really shocked me. In the story I received a good review of what specific brain parts did (like the pituitary gland, the hippocampus, the diencephalon, and specifically what the frontal lobe can affect). I think it is really interesting that Greg had a tumor the size of a grapefruit and had surgery on it and was able to function as well as he does. To me if someone would ask me what a tumor that large would do I would have guessed something a lot worse than Greg's condition.
After reading this story I am more curious about the correlation between the size of damage to the frontal lobe and the damage that occurs to the brain and person as a result. Obviously every condition will be a little different. I guess that overall I am just more curious about damages to different areas to the brain and what may come of them. I learned some things from biopsychology, but would like to review or learn more.
I have to admit from the very beginning that reading this chapter was not easy for me. Greg’s story and constant suffering touched me deep inside. Surviving after such a severe form of cancer might be considered a miracle, but the life he had after this… difficult question. The only positive moment here was that Greg did not realize the severity of his situation
What was the most interesting for me – the effects and symptoms caused by the tumor. Dramatic personal changes one might experience dealing with frontal lobes damage. Decease that brings intellectual problems, loss of short memory, ability to think, to react on stimuli properly, to enjoy life. Something that changes your character, soul, your inner “self”, probably just making you another person or even destroying you at all.
I have heard about similar cases but never actually realized the whole picture, never read about such patients. This was a new experience and interesting information about brain and cognition for me.
What I did not like about the chapter was the part about Egas Moniz and his “prefrontal leucotomy”. I have seen the pictures of his victims and read some material on the topic. I use the word “victims”, because many of his patients were not asked about the procedure, but just required to have it. For example, one of them was a boy about 10-12 years old who suffered from a light form of epilepsy or attacks; but he was actually brought to the procedure because he was a “difficult teenager” and misbehaved like all boys. Doctor Moniz promised to cure it with his new method. It worked at the very beginning as the boy was too weak and impeded after the operation, but nowadays, been a grown up man he believes that was the worst and totally unfair experience in his life.
The Last Hippie was easily one of the most interesting chapters I've ever read for a class. I thought it provided an interesting insight into how intricate the brain really is. I found myself sucked into Greg's story, hoping for a happy ending that I knew wasn't likely.
The first thing I will remember from The Last Hippie is Sack's discussion about Greg's inner life. He was described as lacking any sense of the past or the future, including feelings of anticipation or intentions. Sacks talks about how distinctions of time are normal, and they are what make up our consciousness and inner life. Later in the chapter he comes back to this topic when he begins questioning the extent of Greg's mental functioning when he's not stimulated by external sources. It brings up the topic of what defines a person or their personality. If the present is given meaning by the past as Sacks states, what does this mean in Greg's case? Is he capable of meaningful mental thoughts when unstimulated by his environment? I think you can broaden this out even further to discuss others with even different kinds of mental disabilities. It's such a mind numbing subject to think about. It's like a real-life example of the the phrase “living in the past.”
Another thing I will remember from the chapter was the part explaining implicit and explicit learning. A footnote in the chapter noted that amnesiac patients that are hospitalized for long durations of time become accustomed to their environment and develop a familiarity with their surroundings. Greg's case immediately reminded me of an example in the movie 50 First Dates. A guy appropriately nicknamed “Ten Second Tom” functions normally for ten second at a time before he forgets everything that occurred in that time frame. While this is an exaggerated example of the situation, Greg and Tom both shows signs of the implicit learning of the environment around them despite the inability for higher-order memorization. It's amazing how the most basic brain paths can work so successfully despite considerate damage to the major ones.
The last thing I will remember from the chapter is the descriptions of lobotomies and other neurological procedures. The visuals sparked by the reading made me curious enough to look up more information on the subject on my own. I've heard about accidental cases of brain damage like that of Phineas Gage mentioned in the reading but I haven't had much exposure to learning about these kind of cases. I was surprised when they said those undergoing these kind of procedures could go home a hour later with the possibility of nothing more than a black eye. I couldn't resist so I watched a few videos and hadn't been that grossed out since watching a circumcision video in a class last year.
The one thing I really liked in the reading was how music was related the case. Music is such a significant part of most people's lives and it's amazing how it relates to the brain. It was neat how Greg could remember the lyrics and music of all the Grateful Dead songs. It was also incredible when they went to the show at Madison Square Garden and Greg distinguish the new songs as Grateful Dead songs despite having no knowledge of the songs in his past.
I disliked the part describing Greg's father passing away. Initially it was just sad he would never remember his father's death when he was told but when he began walking around at night because he was looking for something missing, it was difficult to reading about.
I learned a little more about explicit and implicit learning as well as the importance each particular part of the brain has. The chapter was full of information on various parts and it was interesting how each was responsible for different part of Greg's condition. The coolest part of the chapter was about how the damage to Greg's brain made him ignorant of his own blindness. After reading the chapter, I'd be interested in finding out how different kind of damages to the same part of the brain affect people differently. The chapter had a few examples but the topic would be fun to explore further!
Reading “The Last Hippie,” helped me to better understand memory and how certain brain functions enhance and destroy memory. I was also able to reestablish what types of memories there are and how they differ from one another. I felt that this reading well informed me on how memory works and the true example of Greg made the topic of memory even more real. As I was reading I began to feel sympathy towards Greg’s situation and I became even more interested on how his brain activity and behaviors could be studied based on what psychologists and scientists know about memory. I have learned about much of what was mentioned in this chapter already, but it still was good to rehearse the information so that I could even ironically apply what I learned in this chapter to put into my long term memory. One thing I learned specifically was the functions of the frontal lobes and what types of things or behaviors change when damage is done to the frontal lobes. As in Greg’s situation and many others, who live with frontal lobe damage it is normal to see a complete change in what type of person they are. How they behave, talk, communicate, dream, and even live from day to day can be a whole lot different from their behavior and communication previous to their frontal lobe damage. Another thing I will definitely remember after reading this was how the brain was viewed in the past. In the middle of the 1800’s the brain was thought to be as unimportant as the liver. Even after examples like Phineas Gage who lived through tremendous destruction to his frontal lobes, scientists tended to support the idea that brain damage was not of huge significance to a person’s life. Later Gage’s physician went on to explain exactly what types of behaviors and actions that Gage had displayed post-brain damage that he had ignored. Gage was a real example of how frontal lobe damage can alter a person’s morals, indulgences, patience, desires, and intelligence in some ways. Another thing I learned was the difference between implicit and explicit memory. Implicit memory is based on behavior or performance. In Gage’s example even though he was not able to remember any details that he knew minutes before, he was slowly able to become familiar with the layout and routines in the hospital he lived in. Compared to explicit memory, implicit memory tends to be simpler in the ways it is extracted from the brain. Explicit memory tends to be much more complex in how it is stored and retrieved. Explicit memory involves either short term memory or long term memory. For information to be sent to long term memory many processes have to occur. Short term memory is the information that can be quickly forgotten because it has not been processed into long term memory. These are three main topics that I remembered because I have already been presented most of this information in other psychology classes.
One thing I especially enjoyed in the reading was how much personal effort Sacks put into helping and studying Greg. When I read that Sacks had taken Greg to a Grateful Dead concert knowing full well that Greg would probably forget the memory of the concert soon enough, I knew that Sacks was indeed trying to care for Greg to the best of his ability. The fact that Sacks took time out of his life to make another person happy only a few short hours was proof that Sacks not only studied Greg in a scientific way but treated him as a person who demanded respect.
What I disliked in the reading was the fact that Greg was unable to cope with learning Braille. It is understandable when I put myself in Greg’s shoes because he was unable to comprehend that he was even blind so what good would Braille be for him. Yet, I’m sure as doctors who were trying to help him it was very frustrating from their point of view. To me it’s mind blowing to read about a blind person who was able to create songs and pictures in his head and look at past memories so well that he was unable to tell he was even blind. His memory issues of course also could explain his rejection of being blind. In my opinion I disliked reading this section because from a psychological stand point it can be frustrating when patients are difficult to work with.
Overall this reading taught me more about how my own brain works. I was not aware before reading this that frontal lobe brain damage can alter how I dream. For example, it was said that Greg was able to somewhat dream while he was awake. During this time Greg displayed a childlike wit with freedom to live out brief fantasies.
This reading has me wondering about other regions of the brain and how damage to each part changes a person. It also has me curious to what parts of the brain can be damaged or removed and still allow the person to live a halfway normal life. I am also starting to look forward to how medications work with regions of the brain to either increase or decrease activity such as the example of schizophrenics and the activity of the frontal lobes.
I found this chapter to be very telling about the study and practice of Psychology. This chapter brought fourth many issues I personally have with the field of psychology in general. It invaded and aroused my mind in such a way it allowed me to think of issues that transcended cognitive psychology. Rousing questions such as, can psychological treatments ever really is ethical because of the lack knowledge in regards to the brain itself? “The Last Hippie”, also set grounds for a current debate that I find myself having in regards to eastern vs. western philosophy on medicine. Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with this chapter.
Things that stood out differed greatly; first being the brains ability to hold onto certain skills and gifts even after being damaged. What I found interesting was what skills it held onto. It seemed as if most of Sacks cases the victims had held onto some sense of creativity, only if they had some form of creativity before the damage. This made me wonder where exactly artistic abilities where located on the brain especially in regards to music. I can’t give an answer to that quite yet as I am saving it for my next blog.
The other thing that stood out to me had more to do with the history of psychology. When Sacks discusses the lobotomies and the irrational frenzy that took hold of the world of psychology, I was disturbed. Thousands of patients had fallen to unethical inhumane psychiatric treatments for which there was no cure. Sack goes as far to call it “psychic murder”. Leading me to once again question the psychiatric world and its constant movement towards biological reasoning’s for mental disorders. So much of psychology and psychiatry is based off of assumption and I would even say guess work. Often times, psychiatrist do not usually do any research themselves. Relying on instructors/professors and pharmaceutical companies to give them what they view as empirical statistics. And well this to me is a great FALLACY!! I find myself on the verge of a rant as I write this blog; anxiously worried about the ethical questions that arise from the popularization of neurology and medicinal therapy. I can almost see history repeating itself as we assume and line up behind our new sense of the brain. Unbalanced neurotransmitters appear as the most logical answer, and like lobotomy, medications are being ladled out in a whimsical state by psychiatrist who partake and reiterate the medical model myth. Bringing me to the question I have mentioned before, can we ethically apply treatment to the brain, when we know so little? But I have gotten way from the simple question “What will I remember”, and my simple answer is the constant smoke and fog that clings and hangs over our knowledge of the brain.
The third thing that stuck out in my mind deals with perception. What I seem to forget is that perception is shaped by what you know, what you believe and your memories. It’s totally subjective! Greg’s lack of perception and almost denial of his state of being especially his blindness was very interesting. And Sacks didn’t really have a way of explaining it; he shucked it off to being Greg’s lack of awareness. Which I feel only halfway explains it. I guess I would like to know more. Like does Greg have the ability to remember sight and images? Why haven’t they tested his ability to describe objects of his past? Things he may be able to fill in descriptively with the power of his own memory. I guess I am curious as to how perception plays a role in Greg’s state. How much of his lack of “awareness” is due to his inability to remember or what I feel is may be Greg’s way of dealing (or not dealing). Sacks points out that Greg wasn’t blissfully ignorant. That he would make comments that lead him to believe that Greg was aware of his bleak existence. I wonder how much Greg’s psyche shaped his perception. Removing logic and knowledge and filling it in with irrational emotions and reasoning as a way of coping with his reality by creating a new sense of one; one where he can see and his father isn’t dead.
What I found out about the brain was just the simple mechanics of it. I had never really understood how lobotomy had work and its real function (or lack of). What issues it really made me think about was the future of lobotomized victims. Brain damage in general and if it’s really as final as we all think it is. All around this chapter got me to think. To be honest there wasn’t anything that really stood out to me that I disliked besides the author’s writing style. Even though I was made to think, it took more effort on my part to engage myself in the book then the author’s uncanny ability to capture my attention.
I found this second chapter, The Last Hippie, from An Anthropologist on Mars, by Oliver Sacks very intriguing. This chapter was mixed with fascination and emotion. It was disheartening yet smile provoking. It filled me with both hopelessness and hope. I say this because I found myself longing for Greg to turn a corner and begin to improve, which didn’t necessarily happen. But also I can hope that someday progress will be made so that people like Greg can share in things they love, like music (like in Greg’s case).
The first thing I will remember from this chapter is that Greg could learn new songs, even pick up quirky jingles from watching TV (in commercials and such). He couldn’t remember or learn much else in life but this other remained intact, relatively unchanged. I found this astounding that he really couldn’t retain any new information, unless it was in the form of a song.
The second thing I will remember is the fact that Greg was just so socially charged. While reading this chapter I envisioned that while Greg was left alone he took on the qualities you imagine when you think of someone in a psychotic ward. Completely empty inside while occupying a wheelchair, sporting a robe, and blankly staring out the window. No motion, no speech, just living while dead. But then. . . the instant someone would approach him and begin a conversation, Greg would come alive, and almost seem completely normal, at least if you were still in the 60’s. This makes me wonder what is really going on with Greg while he is alone and even more so, what it looks like in his mind when he is socially engaged.
The third thing I will remember is Sacks saying that even though Greg was “damaged, (he) still had a personality, an identity, a soul (68).” Even though decades have gone by with this damage inside Greg’s head it seems possible that Greg still grew somewhat as a person, that somewhere in there was a person who thought independently. He could formulate his own opinions about things and though he may not be able to retain details he was still able to form associations. He couldn’t remember his father died, but he knew he didn’t want to visit his parent’s home any longer. All and all this just made me want to understand the workings of Greg even more.
In this chapter I didn’t like the footnotes as much as I did in the first chapter. Sometimes they didn’t really fit to me. Sometimes it hardly seemed worth mentioning, but it wasn’t bad by all means.
Before reading this chapter I knew that the damage to certain parts of the brain effected different parts of the body/mind, but it is easy to resort to black and white thinking: you are either brain-damaged or you’re not. So this chapter opens the eyes more to the fact that even with damage the brain is still an amazing and very complex thing!
I was torn between being intrigued by the story of Greg and really feeling sorry for a person who is in his present state. the nerdy scientist in me thinks "wow, to only be able to live in the present... what must that be like?!... and what a massive effect that tumor had, how could no one have realized sooner that something was wrong?" and then there is the side which is outraged at the fact no one did anything sooner, Greg could have been helped, or at least suffered less dibilitation from the tumor! I really enjoy the cognitive side of psychology, the workings of the parts and pieces, and I understand the value these sorts of case studies give when trying to make sense of how it all works. however, i find it heart wrenching sometimes that a person, a family, has to endure such loss for us science geeks to find a new breakthrough.
one of the things i think i'll remember from this is the extent of the damages a brain can suffer from a tumor growth and still function. It's interesting that when we look at cases like Greg's we see that when certain portions of the brain cease to work correctly, others continue on like there really isn't anything the matter. it's all nerons and electrical signals, but unlike cogs and sprockets in a machine where one goes out and the whole system fails, the brain has some way to divert around the problem and keep the signals more or less going where they were intended. another thing i will remember is the personality of Greg. he was described as so friendly and outgoing, I can see why he was recruited to join the cult and given a higher place among them, and why the hospital enjoyed having him around, when he was interacted with he sounds like he had such a powerful love for life and an infectious case of happiness. i will also remember the end of the chapter when Greg attended the concert in the park, he felt he could see the band, coming up with stories for how the members were behaving as if his sight still worked, and his reaction to the new music that seemed unfamiliar and futuristic to him. even though the doctors say he has no acknowledgement of his current state and disabilities, in those moments he seems to realize that something is very wrong, maybe even that he is frightened. I get the same sense when reading about his fathers death and the nightmares Greg suffered afterward.
I disliked the end of the chapter, I don't know what became of Greg, and I really want to. how long did he live in this state of presentness? did his condition improve?, worsen? while Sacks says he visits Greg and they listen to music together does he see Gregs being familiar with the newer grateful dead songs as a sign that something is getting through to his memory, is it a sign of improvement or just like those tv ad jingles that Greg use to repeat?
I liked the fact that music still played a central role in Gregs life and that Sacks says he and Greg are still avid music listeners together. Music is a wonderful form of communicationa and art and I hate to think what my life would be like if I lost the ability to remember my favorite songs or sing a melody to my children.
I suppose the biggest thing, for me, that this story taught me is that the brain is a very stubborn thing indeed. I always figured if you lost your sight, your memories, your hearing, whatever the case may be, that sooner or later you would notice it. much like the painter from the first chapter, he couldnt put his finger on it right away, but eventually he realized the color was gone. So what makes Greg's brain so much more stubborn that he does not realize that he is unable to see? is it that because he cannot create new memories he essentially is not blind long enough to realize he has lost his sight? if he spends all his time in the present and not for much more than a few moments at a time (such is the usual duration of short term memory) is it not enough time? I have read alot about the brains plasticity, maybe i just havent taken the time to grasp the full potential of how stubborn it can be.
I realize that this might be a streach, but I was watching a Ted Talks bit in another class about a woman who had a stroke and lost the use of the left side of her brain. She has gained the use of it again, but the most interesting part was that she was a nerologist. the account she gives of what it felt like to lose the left half, the analytical half, the past and future concentrated half of her brain was astoundingly similar to the everyday state of Greg. she was "in nirvana", a "peaceful energy, one with the universe" and so on and so on. we understand that Gregs tumor damaged many parts of the brain, but is there some sort of similarity to his euphoric states, and Jill Bolte Taylors? either way, check her out, its really kinda spiritual and flakey and really really interesting.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
Greg's story is certainly a fascinating one. Actually, it is somewhat of an epic saga. Influenced by peers and popular cultural ideals of his time, Greg started down a road of destruction after a typical upbringing. Siutations like these always intrigue me. Curious as to why so many of us follow what others decide is "what we should do". The reading as a whole was entertaining and left me several questions to ponder.
The first thing I remember is to be your own person. I know, this is a strange way to put it and rather shallow, but Greg was so absorbed by this religious influence, it ultimately led him to disregard a serious medical issue that could have been rectified. It is important to remember, no matter how appealing some ideas may seem, carving your own path has more depth than anything else.
Another thing to take away from this reading is to never disregard physical anomalies. Something as simple as some eye irritation like Greg had should never be disregarded, regardless of what anyone else tells you.
The most important thing I took away from this chapter is the information about the frontal lobes and how ours differ so much in comparison to other animals and mammals. I suppose there may have been a more philosophical lesson I may have ascertained from the reading, but this practical information was what I found to be most tangible.
Despite the sad story of Greg's condition and the fact that it was preventable, it is heartlifting that he is in such peace. While Greg obviously does not realize his condition, it is still somewhat comforting that he seems content.
It is hard to read a story that basically discusses an individual's life being severely altered because of a disregard from others. It is disturbing that people can become so disillusioned that they can become so ignorant to severe health issues even.
This chapter taught me a lot about the frontal lobes that I was unaware of before. I did not realize how much more developed they are in humans versus other animals and mammals.
This chapter definitely struck me a lot of different ways. Greg’s condition robbed him of the ability to recall almost any experience consciously, but it seemed like his brain never actually stopped trying to process these experiences in some way. It was somewhat relieving to know that instead of being constantly distressed about his condition, it was more common that he would seem zoned out, blissful, and even cheerful in the company of others. The saddest part of Greg’s story to me were the times that he alluded to sensing his own sadness, but had no means to understand why.
It was fascinating to read how layered memory is and how even if a crucial portion of memory is non-functioning, it is still possible to remember unconsciously. This chapter has also given further credence to why zealous faith is dangerous.
Before reading the chapter I had a rough understanding of brain structure but I have definitely learned something about higher brain function reading Greg’s story.
Reading Assignment-Week #2
The Last Hippie
The chapter titled, “The Last Hippie” was probably one of the most interesting chapters I’ve read so far. The story about Greg and his suffering and completely not understanding what was going on was weird, but fascinating. The whole story, from start to finish, was completely boggling of the mind. A hippie that joined a church “cult”, then later complaining about his vision and receiving the feedback from others that this was the feeling of getting close with Jesus. It’s crazy.
One thing that really opened my eyes to this story was that he was having some problems with his vision and felt as though something wasn’t right, and later we find out that he had a tumor and suffered severe damage to his vision. It really makes me kind of worried for the people out in the world that don’t do anything when they sense something is right. For example, my dad refuses to go to the hospital for anything. He puts himself through the suffering of whatever he thinks it is and that’s just how it is with him. Let’s say that it was something similar to the case of Greg, a tumor. It’s scary to think of something like this happening to someone who is important and close to me personally. Cause I know that my dad would never go to the hospital if there was supposedly something wrong, but if it wasn’t something serious, he wouldn’t say a word to anyone until all the damage was done. It’s sad to think that Greg had mentioned this to people and no one thought to have him go to the doctor and get checked out. But, then again, if someone I knew was complaining about something rare, I would just think that it is something that would just go away on its own. Just suck it up for a few days and it’ll be fine. So I guess, that’s similar to Greg’s case and the other church folk that told him the reasoning for whatever he’s feeling is closeness with God.
Another thing that I found completely fascinating was the fact that he completely forgot about everything that happened within the years of his stay at the church. He could remember things before the tumor took its effect, but nothing was remembered during the time at the church and the time that the tumor took its effect upon Greg. I wonder why the tumor blocked out these memories. And don’t you think that Greg should have been just a little bit more worried when he realized that his vision was going away and he couldn’t see anything? I know I would. I would seek medical attention at the first sign of vision loss.
Thirdly, I thought that the whole church situation should have been maintained a little better. To explain, Greg’s parents came to see him after 4 long years of no contact with your son. First, I want to point out, don’t you think that they should have been a little more worried about the current situation with their son. They only communicated with the church, and listened to what the church was telling them about their kid. I sure wouldn’t have let that go on for four years before I decided to do something about it. But when they did come to see him, they mentioned that they hardly recognized their son. His normal lean figure had turned into a twenty-four year old fatty. I would have been quite impressed with the church (they must have good food). I would also be devastated that my child was locked up in a room in the church without any activity or physical exercise to keep his body growing the way it should. I would have been furious with the church members for letting Greg continue the way he was after many complaints from him about his vision and such. Something should have been done. The damage from the tumor should not have been let go on for so long.
Some things that I learned about my brain that I didn’t know about before are that a tumor is made out of the abnormal growth of cells which grows and looks like a swelling. Also, I didn’t know that the effects of a tumor can cause you to forget everything that is going on during the time of the tumor damage. Greg forgot everything happening in the current time. Even after he was admitted into the hospital, he couldn’t remember names and faces and such. He made friends with a couple people that later went away and he never mentioned anything about them, which I’m assuming, he forgot ever making their acquaintance. Another thing that was cool and seemed like progress was that Greg could remember Oliver Sacks name. The author, Sacks, explained this by saying that repetition allows for Greg to remember them. Connie (a lady working at the hospital) was also a name Greg remembered, although he kept saying that he remembered a Connie from his past that had the same attributes as the Connie working in his hospital.
In reading The Last Hippie, I thought that it really made you think. It makes you think about the precariousness of our own thoughts, memory, and even our own personality. It also shows what an amazing piece of tissue our brain really is.
While I was reading, I was truly struck by Greg's amazing imagination. Despite serious brain damage, he could think of imaginary scenarios. Like his inability to remember verbatim the story of the lion and the mouse. He created a new story, all the way up to a mutant giant mouse eating a mutant dwarf lion. Even if its nonsensical, many of his quips and comments show a surprising amount of thought, despite the damage to his prefrontal cortex.
I also thought that his inability to acknowledge his blindness was amazing too. He repeatably said that if he was blind, he would be the first to know. Obviously he isn't. I do wonder if he simply doesn't remember sight, or if his brain uses his other senses to “see.” His imagination is still in good working order, and his hearing is just as good. The example used was T.V., but I wondered about when he went to some of his favorite places. In spite of being blind and having impaired ability to create memories, he remembered where they were. I wonder if he used both his remaining senses and imagination to create a “vision” of these places.
Greg's brain had a serious problem with creating new memories. I was touched when he learned that his father had died, but could not remember it. However, what surprised me was somehow he seemed he was unconsciously aware of it. He no longer went home, he had trouble sleeping and was sad; he seemed to feel he had lost something. I wonder if this is some kind of survival mechanism with brain damage; to make associations between things even if the brain cannot hold the memory. Another example was the footnote with the man who stuck a pin in his hand and shook it with an amnesia patient and the patient no longer shook hands with him.
I liked how this chapter alternated with humorous, then rather sad examples and stories. My main problem was the author's pity for Greg. Sympathy is another animal, but pity seems to be more demeaning. His parenthesized thoughts and his inferred statements annoyed me more than a little. I have no problem reading a more personalized case study, but it was obvious that the author thought of Greg as a broken and more incomplete human being than himself.