glen is good at triggers — this one more of an observational one. The mind/brain seems to require massive multi-tasking / parallel processing to function at all. I base this statement on long ago experiments at Macalester's psych department with a sensory deprivation tank - a real one, not the ones they use in spas for relaxation. The mind/brain "panics" absent massive multi-channel sensory inputs ‚ the five senses plus other channels. North Korea used this kind of sensory deprivation as torture. The experiments we did would never get past a research board today because they were very dangerous and used human subjects including me.
Sensory deprivation with LSD was a whole different thing. I could not do more than five-minutes in true sensory deprivation tank but spent many an hour tripping in one. davew On Tue, Jun 1, 2021, at 4:01 PM, uǝlƃ ☤>$ wrote: > Yes. When someone in a casual circle talks about multi-tasking, it's > conscious-focus-of-attention tasks they seem to mean. One might even > argue *that* conception of multi-tasking is a self-contradiction. You > can't both focus and not focus. It begs us to ask what all these words > actually mean ... which is why there's always *that guy* who has to > jump in and man-splain everything to everyone. > > When I used to run, I preferred rough terrain precisely because I can > multi-task in Dave's sense. In fact, providing my body with the more > complex task of running on and in between obstacles actually freed up > my mind to think more clearly. Running on pavement never actually put > me in the "flow". And running, say, around the track at the local high > school was just pure torture. > > But, all said and done, I'm happy for the *triggering*. It stimulates > the vagus nerve! >8^D > > On 6/1/21 2:04 PM, Marcus Daniels wrote: > > I think it is understood that multitasking is slow thinking, not the stuff > > in the metaphorical FPGA. Some people have weird and esoteric things in > > their FPGAs. > > > > > > > > *From:* Friam <[email protected]> *On Behalf Of *Prof David West > > *Sent:* Tuesday, June 1, 2021 2:00 PM > > *To:* [email protected] > > *Subject:* [FRIAM] multitasking > > > > > > > > I am putting this in another thread so it will be easier to ignore. > > > > > > > > In another thread, glen's post included the sentence —/"At last week's > > salon, we broached the (false) concept of multitasking in humans, ..."/ > > > > > > > > This was a trigger. a big one, hence the hyberbolic rant that follows. > > > > > > > > Humans not only can, but do, multitask all the time and any "research" that > > "proves" otherwise is BS. > > > > > > > > If, *and only if*, you define cognition in such a limited way that you can > > apply the metaphor/model (e.g. context switching) of a serial computer is > > it possible to demonstrate an inability to multi-task. > > > > > > > > The fact that you can think, write, talk, breathe, ride a bicycle, and > > admire a sunset simultaneously — and similar examples — must be defined > > away as somehow not multi-tasking. > > > > > > > > One of the more fascinating altered-state experiences I have enjoyed many > > times is watching — quite literally a visualization albeit an internal one > > — a plethora of generative mental processes occuring concurrently, along > > with "sifting," "winnowing," and "sorting" processes. Using a technique > > akin to directed lucid dreaming, I posed a mental problem — explaining to > > another member of FRIAM a specific theory of complexity and aesthetics — > > before taking the stimulant. > > > > > > > > The resulting experience was akin to watching fonts (pun intentional) of > > words and phrases spew forth onto a "page" where they circled and danced > > around each other seeking "connections" until coalescing into cogent > > sentences which I could then type into the computer. Each "font" was a > > generative process focusing on one aspect of a context of relevant context > > and experience, without losing sight of the whole; all of which were > > operating concurrently. A plethora of cognitive > > > > multi-tasking. > > > > > > > > Far more mundane, in a controlled psychological experiment in a lab ad > > Macalester, I was able to put a simple jigsaw puzzle together while > > maintaining an alpha wave generating "Zen mediation." > > > > > > > > davew > > > -- > ☤>$ uǝlƃ > > - .... . -..-. . -. -.. -..-. .. ... -..-. .... . .-. . > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam > un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ > archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ > - .... . -..-. . -. -.. -..-. .. ... -..-. .... . .-. . FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/
