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This story (or at least one very similar) was recently in the Hidden Brain podcast[0], so I'm kinda wondering if there's a clear understanding of who's the dog

This story (or at least one very similar) was recently in the Hidden Brain podcast[0], so I'm kinda wondering if there's a clear understanding of who's the dog and who's the tail, influence-wise. But to your point specifically, in the podcast, I believe the guy was able to play the piano quite soon (I think days or weeks after his accident). So to me, this points not to just an Adderall-like mental state, but an enhancement (though, sure, due to a compensation of one part of the brain for the damaged part). To me, it feels like there are triggers or switches that perhaps optimize for certain tasks, or, it's the real default, and it's the majority of us who are off. But it's tough to guess what, if any, are the trade offs, other than potential brain damage, I guess. But it deeply intrigues me to think about what else we'll be unlocking in ourselves in the future. [0] https://overcast.fm/+Ht3jI6KDw https://overcast.fm/+Ht3jI6KDw

somestag 9y ago
You're probably right. But still, I wonder how much of it is enhancement, and how much of it is a reduction in some suppressive mechanism. Example: It's well known that beginning artists struggle with perceiving the world as symbols rather than raw visual data. When I first started to work on art, I realized I was a much better artist when tired than when fully alert. This was because I was honestly just thinking less about my drawings because I lacked the mental energy to do so. On a similar note, the trick of drawing things upside-down works for so many people because it removes the clear symbolic representation of what they're trying to draw. So now imagine an adult, who has never trained or dabbled as an artist, receives a brain injury that severely impairs their logical symbol recognition. Due to the same injury, they lose the inhibitions that would normally prevent them from doing nothing but drawing all day, and they create art for 8 hours a day for an entire week. I can say without a doubt in my mind that the progress that person would show in that first week would be insane. It would seem nothing short of miraculous. Yet, no true enhancement has taken place beyond the training; only a reduction in a conflicting thought process. When it comes to things like music, I wonder about similar suppressive mechanisms. I wonder if difficulty in learning these skills has less to do with a lack of ability and more to do with conflicting cognition.
- heavenlyblue 9y ago
  LSD and Shrooms reduce the inhibitory mechanisms inside the brain and have the same resulting state of mind.
- natecavanaugh 9y ago
  Thanks for the comment, and I am glad I'm talking to someone else here who draws, because I feel like we may be able to share common mental paradigms. I too dabble in drawing [0] (I'm sharing mine, please, if you have any artwork, I'd love to see it). But to your point, I think it's probably both, in that there is an enhancement due to a compensation and the enhancing of what one part of the brain is already good at. But along with that are also reductions in inhibitions (some of which may be natural, as people tend to favor what they're good at, mixed with the novel curiosity of discovering a new talent), with probably a reduction in certain strengths that were competing with other strengths. I know for me, some of my lack of artistic prowess comes from wanting to pursue too many fields of interest. So I could see that the reduction of interest in some things would enhance my ability. I guess what I'm saying is that it's like asking which side of the scissors is doing the most cutting :) [0] https://www.instagram.com/natecavanaugh/ https://www.instagram.com/natecavanaugh/

somestag 9y ago

You're probably right. But still, I wonder how much of it is enhancement, and how much of it is a reduction in some suppressive mechanism. Example: It's well known that beginning artists struggle with perceiving the world as symbols rather than raw visual data. When I first started to work on art, I realized I was a much better artist when tired than when fully alert. This was because I was honestly just thinking less about my drawings because I lacked the mental energy to do so. On a similar note, the trick of drawing things upside-down works for so many people because it removes the clear symbolic representation of what they're trying to draw. So now imagine an adult, who has never trained or dabbled as an artist, receives a brain injury that severely impairs their logical symbol recognition. Due to the same injury, they lose the inhibitions that would normally prevent them from doing nothing but drawing all day, and they create art for 8 hours a day for an entire week. I can say without a doubt in my mind that the progress that person would show in that first week would be insane. It would seem nothing short of miraculous. Yet, no true enhancement has taken place beyond the training; only a reduction in a conflicting thought process. When it comes to things like music, I wonder about similar suppressive mechanisms. I wonder if difficulty in learning these skills has less to do with a lack of ability and more to do with conflicting cognition.

heavenlyblue 9y ago
LSD and Shrooms reduce the inhibitory mechanisms inside the brain and have the same resulting state of mind.
natecavanaugh 9y ago
Thanks for the comment, and I am glad I'm talking to someone else here who draws, because I feel like we may be able to share common mental paradigms. I too dabble in drawing [0] (I'm sharing mine, please, if you have any artwork, I'd love to see it). But to your point, I think it's probably both, in that there is an enhancement due to a compensation and the enhancing of what one part of the brain is already good at. But along with that are also reductions in inhibitions (some of which may be natural, as people tend to favor what they're good at, mixed with the novel curiosity of discovering a new talent), with probably a reduction in certain strengths that were competing with other strengths. I know for me, some of my lack of artistic prowess comes from wanting to pursue too many fields of interest. So I could see that the reduction of interest in some things would enhance my ability. I guess what I'm saying is that it's like asking which side of the scissors is doing the most cutting :) [0] https://www.instagram.com/natecavanaugh/ https://www.instagram.com/natecavanaugh/