Why do we feel, the way we do?

[hallenrm]

We feel hungary, cold, hot, muggy, pain, tired, giddy etc. etc. One can perhaps explain many of these feelings in terms of our body as we understand it through biology.

 

But there are feelings, you know what, they cannot be explained in terms of biology.

 

For example an urge to communicate with someone intelligent.

 

Can these feelings ever be explained, in terms of any branch of science?

 

Do you wish to share any of your such feelings or reasons. Please come and join me on this thread!

 

You are more then Welcome:) ;) ;)

[Racoon]

;)

[hallenrm]

Oh! that's wait long enough :shrug:

 

I think, we feel the way we do, because what we feel is a result of the interaction of our entire self with the outside world.

 

That inevitably leads to the question what is our entire self?

 

The part of our entire self, was I think, discussed in an earlier thread initiated by myself.

 

http://hypography.com/forums/biology/5534-what-human-body.html?highlight=human+body

 

But, I do believe there is much more to our entire self than just our body!

 

Any thoughts????

[InfiniteNow]

But there are feelings, you know what, they cannot be explained in terms of biology.

What causes you to make such a statement? I am curious, because at first glance, I strongly disagree.

 

 

Can these feelings ever be explained, in terms of any branch of science?

Absolutely. (Per the above) Biology... Also, Psychology, Neuroscience, Chemistry, Social Science, Quantum Mechanics...

 

 

Is there a good name for "The science of the way our genes and experience come together and meet up with situational context?"

[hallenrm]

What causes you to make such a statement? I am curious, because at first glance, I strongly disagree.

Absolutely. (Per the above) Biology... Also, Psychology, Neuroscience, Chemistry, Social Science, Quantum Mechanics...

 

Is there a good name for "The science of the way our genes and experience come together and meet up with situational context?"

 

For starters, why does one feel hungry? According to biology, it is because the body is in need of nourishment, but that is not always so, sometimes the mere thought of a particular food can make you feel hungry!

 

Similarly why does one feel scared? According to psychology, it is because of some mental associations of certain visuals or sounds that lead to the feeling of fear. Again not always true, there are instances when one feels scared from the unknown.

 

Yes there are a number of theories regarding feelings, some of them involve conciousness, but I do not feel satisfied by reading them. Can Neuroscience, chemistry, Social Science, Quantum Mechanics, Genetic help?

 

I really doubt it!!

[InfiniteNow]

Yes there are a number of theories regarding [Wiki}feelings[/wiki], some of them involve conciousness, but I do not feel satisfied by reading them. Can Neuroscience, chemistry, Social Science, Quantum Mechanics, Genetic help?

 

I really doubt it!!

Why do you doubt it? :D

 

It sounds like you want to approach this from more of a philosophical standpoint than scientific. If you asked about the mechanisms and hows of it all, our interpretation of scientific results would quickly aid in our understanding. If you want to know why, you have to decide for yourself what makes the most sense to you.

[hallenrm]

It sounds like you want to approach this from more of a philosophical standpoint than scientific.

 

No, I do want to approach this from a scientific point of view! But am unable to find a direction, it feels like groping in the dark, with many hints of light in various directions, and a feeling of inability to decide which direction is right!

[Buffy]

For starters, why does one feel hungry? According to biology, it is because the body is in need of nourishment, but that is not always so, sometimes the mere thought of a particular food can make you feel hungry!

Because you're assuming that food is only for nourishment. I can assure you that LOTS of food is not "food" they're drugs! Its the endorphin rush that your body craves.

 

I think you need to notice more about those slight differences in "feelings" I'm pretty sure that you will notice the difference between real "hunger" and "craving drugs."

 

Quitting Chocolate is easy, I've done it thousands of times,

Buffy

[pgrmdave]

I do believe there is much more to our entire self than just our body!

This kind of precludes studying the topic from a purely scientific standpoint. Science can only deal with the empirical - by defining something as not entirely empirical, and then saying you want to study it scientifically, you set yourself up to be disappointed.

[hallenrm]

Pardon, but what gives you the impression that the feelings I am talking about are not entirely emperical? A limitation of scientific knowledge at a particular time does not preclude such a study from the realm of science.

 

That indeed would be most unscientific!

[pgrmdave]

What, then, would you propose could constitute our 'self' that exceeds our physical body? Unless you are defining self in such a way as I am completely unfamiliar, i.e. bringing in an outside object to also include 'self', then I would assume you are talking about a soul, a mind, or some other intangible.

[ronthepon]

First of all, attempt to make a complete definition of the self, a definition that satisfies you. Only then will proper discussion on this particular topic be meaningful from now on.

 

This is not exactly a scientific venture, but it should be made into one. Perhaps this thread could aim specifically for that.

[hallenrm]

What, then, would you propose could constitute our 'self' that exceeds our physical body? Unless you are defining self in such a way as I am completely unfamiliar, i.e. bringing in an outside object to also include 'self', then I would assume you are talking about a soul, a mind, or some other intangible.

 

The self would include, for example the reality percieved, by an individual.

 

Elsewhere, on this forum itself, several people including myself have said, that there is in fact no reality which is not subjected to the limited set of experiences, knowledge, feelings of an individual. Every human being is not a replica, just like a robot. The personality, which includes the intellectual abilities, not educational qualifications, differs from person to person. So do the physical abilities, that are to some extent influence by the particular genome and by the environment in which a person grows up.

 

To sum up, an indivdual is a product of several intertwined influences, and since the history of these influences, the time fuctions, are not identical for any two individuals, each individual has a distinctly different perception of self.

 

Isn't that scientific enough?

[hallenrm]

For the benefit of those interested in a discussion on this topic, here are a few links:

 

1. An article from NIH archeives

 

2. An academic article:

 

http://www.absw.org.uk/Briefings/consciousness.htm

 

3. A documentation of a discussion:

 

http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Tp/dennett-chalmers.htm

[ronthepon]

What is you take on conciousness, hallenrm, do you have the strong gut feeling that it cannot be localised to merely the sodium-potassium pumps, and electrochemical gradients, all stuffed up into a apparenty tiny cranium?

 

About feeling, for example, do you feel that it has to do more than just the chemical messages secreted, and nervous impulses that fire in the respective centers of the brain?

[ronthepon]

I am interested in discussing this. I'd like a cool headed, fully tolerant discussion, if it be possible, so that it reaches an end for once. For that, I suggest that the thread be shifted to the lounge. Do you agree, hallenrm?

[hallenrm]

I am interested in discussing this. I'd like a cool headed, fully tolerant discussion, if it be possible, so that it reaches an end for once. For that, I suggest that the thread be shifted to the lounge. Do you agree, hallenrm?

I have no objections, the reason I posted this thread in Watercooler, was just to give a chance to our newer members, who are not entitled to post in the Lounge to participate in the discussion. But then it appears that either they find it uninteresting (which does not appears to be the case, from the number of views so far) or they do not gather enough courage to do so.

 

What is you take on conciousness, hallenrm, do you have the strong gut feeling that it cannot be localised to merely the sodium-potassium pumps, and electrochemical gradients, all stuffed up into a apparenty tiny cranium?

 

About feeling, for example, do you feel that it has to do more than just the chemical messages secreted, and nervous impulses that fire in the respective centers of the brain?

 

Yes, dear Ron, consiousness and feeling cannot be limited to nervous impulses or you say sodium-potassium pumps, and electrochemical gradients, all stuffed up into a apparenty tiny cranium?, just as life cannot be limited to DNA replication or protein synthesis. nervous impulses are as much important for conciousness and feelings as are any of the cellular process to life!! They are just small objects in a large landscape.

 

I hope I was clear enough, I am not saying more, because long posts are really not to my liking. I like a discourse, in fact Plato is my favorite.