tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.comments2023-06-26T07:46:09.409-07:00Pieces Of LightUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-51809368719579578712012-06-24T00:48:55.547-07:002012-06-24T00:48:55.547-07:00Thanks. The first three chapters are already freel...Thanks. The first three chapters are already freely downloadable. See the latest blog post.Charles Fernyhoughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04077012181124807825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-84531051881751979392012-06-23T19:44:14.232-07:002012-06-23T19:44:14.232-07:00Well in that case now I can't wait to read it ...Well in that case now I can't wait to read it & see what you come up with!Maree Kimberleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18170380402953962748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-73305727163965481612012-06-23T04:49:10.487-07:002012-06-23T04:49:10.487-07:00Thanks - that's very much the philosophy I'...Thanks - that's very much the philosophy I'm exploring in this book!Charles Fernyhoughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04077012181124807825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-56486830045445446912012-06-22T03:48:55.864-07:002012-06-22T03:48:55.864-07:00By neuroessentialism I'm referring to the view...By neuroessentialism I'm referring to the view that everything about humans beings and the way they behave can be explained in neuroscientific terms, that is, that all our behaviour (& all that we are) is simply an expression of the way our brains are wired.Maree Kimberleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18170380402953962748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-14588687881463455932012-06-15T02:16:44.730-07:002012-06-15T02:16:44.730-07:00Thanks for your comment. 'Neuroessentialism...Thanks for your comment. 'Neuroessentialism' could mean different things - can you elaborate?Charles Fernyhoughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04077012181124807825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-48851651058594266452012-06-15T02:15:44.968-07:002012-06-15T02:15:44.968-07:00Drop me a line and I'll add you in :)Drop me a line and I'll add you in :)Charles Fernyhoughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04077012181124807825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-11501102697837145112012-06-14T12:53:52.298-07:002012-06-14T12:53:52.298-07:00I subscribed very early on - shame I don't get...I subscribed very early on - shame I don't get to participate. Unsurprising in this day and age though.broken_boy_ukhttps://twitter.com/#!/broken_boy_uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-34984716500417274592012-06-10T17:30:04.650-07:002012-06-10T17:30:04.650-07:00Hi Charles, I think your work is really interestin...Hi Charles, I think your work is really interesting, especially your focus on the link between neuroscientific discovery and consciousness. I'd be really interested in your thoughts on neuro essentialism.Maree Kimberleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18170380402953962748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-16863657961049440932012-03-17T10:41:24.317-07:002012-03-17T10:41:24.317-07:00March 17th, 2012
I'm not certain how I found ...March 17th, 2012<br /><br />I'm not certain how I found this page, but it would be interesting to retrace my 'chain of thoughts'/actions. It began with watching and taking notes on the documentary, Becoming Human, from NOVA. That lead to a bit of surfing through the Max Planc Institute website, trying to do more research on human development of 'cognative complexity'. I suppose somewhere in that region is where I found this.<br /><br />Charles, <br />#1 on my list of hard-backs is, A Box of Birds. <br /><br />I toy and toil with how the human brain absorbs and then reacts to what I want to term emotional experiences -- especially the wide range of traumatic ones. I'm hoping to glean some insights from your knowledge in the field, so I can resolve my own conflicts and hopefully be able to present to future readers of my work-in-progress, how to grow through the 5-stages of grieving.<br /><br />I'm condensing my 200K-word novel based on several of my personal experiences: that of having lived 16-years with a paranoid, violent, schizophrenic man; how to recognize and deal with a person/friend who suffers PTSD; and lastly, by integrating the story around a wildlife refuge, I try to incorporate while avoiding an 'information-dump', on how humans should and shouldn't have interacted with wildlife. <br /><br />And, to Marc;<br /><br />I feel your book will be a success, as personal/fictional accounts of trauma seem to be 'good sellers' here in the US of A.<br /><br />That might be indicative to the yearning of self-knowledge, or from a brief conversation during a lucid moment with an alzheimer patient, maybe we're just prone to being nosy. <br /><br />I'm curious as to what genre your books fall. Psychological Thrillers, perhaps? I tend to read or watch movies of that genre as well as Medical Thrillers, such as Richard Preston and Michael Crichton.<br /><br />Well, good writing, reading and publishing to both of you!<br /><br />I'm jac...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-22127450164862526652012-03-09T23:47:02.839-08:002012-03-09T23:47:02.839-08:00Hi Charles. My kids just dragged me out of bed too...Hi Charles. My kids just dragged me out of bed too early, but it's just as well. I have to leave in less than two hours for Amsterdam, then fly to Toronto and then the US for a book tour. <br /><br />I just stumbled on your latest writing project and I'm fascinated. You said on Unbound: "For example, can you bring the neural level of explanation into the story and still create something that works as a fiction....Does neuroscience really change our understanding of who we are?" These were very much the questions I was trying to answer in the genre of memoir rather than fiction. In "Memoirs of an addicted brain" I wrote about my life as a druggie and full-scale addict, integrating heaps of neuroscience into the actual narrative. I used neuroscience to make sense of what was happening in my experience, and I used the experience of drug states, craving, conflict, loss of control, etc, to bring substance to what was (presumably) happening in my brain. But my key ambition was to integrate an account of neural events with an account of experienced events in a way that flowed and made a good story. Not sure how well I pulled it off.<br /><br />Anyway, it would be great to get in touch, and I need to read more about your present project. Right now I have to play with the kids, finish packing, and leave. More soon. Best, MarcMarc Lewishttp://www.memoirsofanaddictedbrain.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-31427177828464427402011-10-20T01:40:07.027-07:002011-10-20T01:40:07.027-07:00Thank you for this - I haven't read The Sense ...Thank you for this - I haven't read The Sense of an Ending yet but this has encouraged me to pick it up.<br /><br />This is the nearest I can find in Metroland: p. 114 of the Picador 1990 paperback. Christopher, as a 21-year-old student in Paris in 1968, is being asked what he wants to do with his life. In the short term he doesn't know, although there are plenty of jobs he would like to end up doing.<br /><br /><br />"One problem is, I don't feel I'm quite the right age. Do you have that?"<br /><br />"No."<br /><br />"I mean, you may happen to think I'm rather immature, but actually I often don't feel quite at ease with the age I've got. Sometimes, in a funny sort of way, I long to be a sprightly sixty-five. You don't have that?"<br /><br />"No."<br /><br />"It's as if everyone has a perfect age to which they aspire, and they're only truly at ease with themselves when they get there. I suppose with most people it's between twenty-five and thirty-five, so the question doesn't really arise, or if it does it's in a disguised form: when they've passed thirty-five they assume their disgruntlement comes from being middle-aged and seeing senility and death on the way. But really it comes from leaving behind their perfect age."Eleanornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-65721009270618419172011-06-21T11:59:12.447-07:002011-06-21T11:59:12.447-07:00Thanks! Very interesting. I think there are proble...Thanks! Very interesting. I think there are problems with the 'save as' analogy, as it relates to distortions to the label rather than the content. (When you do 'save as' to a document, you don't change the document, only the file name.) But anyway... it's a nice idea.Charles Fernyhoughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04077012181124807825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-77151178602578329022011-06-15T03:04:45.505-07:002011-06-15T03:04:45.505-07:00Yes and a friend just pointed me tothis study whic...Yes and a friend just pointed me tothis study which talks about every time we recall a memory, we also remake it - am loving the notion of "save as", rather than just "save"!<br />http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1739953Drjanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16545669847763299909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-27696526774122582202011-04-24T00:25:51.767-07:002011-04-24T00:25:51.767-07:00Thanks! I think that's quite right. I did a pi...Thanks! I think that's quite right. I did a piece on that topic for the FT: you can read it here: <br />http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d8a94e3e-465c-11de-803f-00144feabdc0.htmlCharles Fernyhoughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04077012181124807825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-27489886757984792922011-04-22T03:16:34.502-07:002011-04-22T03:16:34.502-07:00Interesting that the memories we choose to hold on...Interesting that the memories we choose to hold onto may not be entirely accurate but they will almost certainly be disproportionately positive. That's human nature really to hang on to good memories and ditch the bad, or at least edit them into less bad memories!<br /><br />If as suggested memory is about the present and not the past then todays technology does help support the capture of little pieces of family history to enjoy now and to pass on to future generations. It's the version of events that we choose to save now that will be passed on, so tread carefully!Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02602928219052821210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-22980557270953444782008-03-25T02:21:00.000-07:002008-03-25T02:21:00.000-07:00Good point. She enjoys looking at them and will ha...Good point. She enjoys looking at them and will happily sift through the boxes of pictures we have kept. I haven't observed her responses to her own finished work very closely, but there is evidence (work by Richard Jolley at Staffordshire, for example) that children's sensitivity to emotional expression in pictures increases steadily as they get older. This would run alongside their increasing understanding of artistic intentions, of the kind I touch on here.<br><br>As far as changing functions are concerned, I'm not sure whether there is any research on when children come to have a 'theory of art' of this kind. Although she uses art for different purposes (there is an awful lot of private drawing which is never intended to be seen by us, for example), I'm not sure how conscious she is of these purposes. There's certainly scope for some new research to be done there.Charles Fernyhoughnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-81442267698780362892008-05-07T14:15:00.000-07:002008-05-07T14:15:00.000-07:00Hey Charles! Congratulations on being a worldwide ...Hey Charles! Congratulations on being a worldwide renowned author.<br><br>I posted about you again. Just couldn't stop myself.Sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13697836741843809088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-91667132459762458242008-05-12T06:23:00.000-07:002008-05-12T06:23:00.000-07:00I find your subject matter to be fascinating! We h...I find your subject matter to be fascinating! We have been dealing with extreme tantrums from our daughter (from the age of 1 to as she is now - 3 1/2). Through the parenting manuals ('taming the spirited child', 'the incredible years' etc. we have learned some useful stuff (about dealing with kids as well as taking a good look at our own behavious) but we feel that NOTHING has been written that specifically addresses behavioural problems/ development of such small babies and children (especially ones with exceptionally independent and 'need to be in control' natures such as our daughter has.)<br><br>I have always sensed that the best way to help my daughter is to try and understand the frustrations of being so small in comparison to us. We now have a 9 week old baby too and I am astonished just how different he seems to be from his sister. My daughter at this age - just stared and stared at everyone. She rarely slept in the daytime - just observed. Our baby boy is interested in people, but doesnt seem to be 'analysing' them in the same way our daughter did (and still does according to many others who are involved in her life!)<br><br>I do wonder if our daughter's frustrations comes from a personality that just wanted 'to DO' as soon as she could (as opposed to 'being done to') I suppose this goes right back to the 'nature vs nurture' argument. I am no expert but it seems to me that none of the parenting 'experts' allow for the fact that even tiny little babies have their own personality and particular preferences. So many of the parenting tips seem to come in 'off the shelf' packages, that just do not apply to our little girl.<br><br> Its v interesting to hear how you look at the process of how your daughter tries to put herself into your shoes. (NB - a similar situation before I went on maternity leave elicted the following response from our daughter 'Mummy goes out to work and Daddy stays at home all day doing silly things'!!)<br><br>One of the things that we found has helped our daughter to think about others/ to put her frustrations into words was an idea I had after seeing a 'feelings chart' in a therapy setting. So many adults are crap at saying how they are feeling (I am for one) and I felt that maybe all of our family would benefti from it. So my daughter and I drew our own big chart with faces that showed different expressions, and with the 'feeling' underneath. She takes a real interest in the chart and often asks us to point at which one we are feeling (though by the time she is on a full-scale paddy, she would probably tear the thing off the wall rather than say 'hmmm - I am feeling grumpy!')<br><br>I found it amazing that one day she asked me to point to what I was feeling. I chose 'contented' (I was in rather blue mood but didnt want to explain that to her and I was trying to be cheery). When we got in the car to go to nursery she suddenly told me off and said 'Mummy - you said you were in a good mood but I think you are grumpy!'<br><br>I do think that the work that you and your wife are doing is invaluable! I wish I had read your book before my first child!Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-82196433002519405592008-05-12T12:08:00.000-07:002008-05-12T12:08:00.000-07:00Great review. I didn't manage to read the pape...Great review. I didn't manage to read the paper this Saturday - how annoying to have missed it. I'll have to go rummage in the bin now just to see the photo.Sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13697836741843809088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-65988792670699823942008-05-12T12:29:00.000-07:002008-05-12T12:29:00.000-07:00The dress looks fine and no one bar a few would ha...The dress looks fine and no one bar a few would haven't known. At least it wasn't your son in the dress ;o)<br><br>My son is almost always (at 14m) dressed in second hand clothes as nothing wears out on young 'uns.Life through the Slim Lenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00405080134610311856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-25553482568690892092008-05-14T01:55:00.000-07:002008-05-14T01:55:00.000-07:00I wouldn't say thousands have read that articl...I wouldn't say thousands have read that article, I would say millions! I am living in Jakarta, Indonesia and get the Saturday edition of The Guardian through a newspaper distribution service so I'm sure many others around the world have also had a glance at the feature on your family. <br><br>I absolutely loved the article, by the way, and can't wait to order your book.<br><br>I too am trying to capture the first years of my newborn in this most unusual corner of the world but I fear I do not share your most fluent of prose :-)Marc Neilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555538123450061041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-87108026967273046272008-05-14T08:32:00.000-07:002008-05-14T08:32:00.000-07:00Thanks for all the comments - it's great to kn...Thanks for all the comments - it's great to know that the blog is being read so far afield!Charles Fernyhoughnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-32880304283608757822008-05-15T04:39:00.000-07:002008-05-15T04:39:00.000-07:00Here's a holiday one for you. A friend's d...Here's a holiday one for you. A friend's daughter (3 and a half years) asked on her rainy awful holiday in France if they couldn't just go back to their last holiday (lovely happy sunny France). That holiday had been when she was just two years old, but she could still remember how great it was.<br><br>She expected her parents to turn back time and change space so that they could all have a far better holiday.<br><br>Have fun at your launch.Sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13697836741843809088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-87031583958852972772008-05-23T07:52:00.000-07:002008-05-23T07:52:00.000-07:00I find dynamic systems theory (DST) really hard to...I find dynamic systems theory (DST) really hard to understand! I remember that, in an essay, I argued that DST and connectionism allow us to build models to describe and explain development, but that they are not theories in the same sense as Piaget's - they do not make predictions as such - and so are not candidates for a new grand developmental theory. However, my comments were mainly aimed at connectionism as I have a better grasp of that! I'm not sure if that argument really applies so much to DST. What would you say? Anyway, perhaps that's a distinction that is not very important ... Maybe a better question would be: Do you think DST is the way forward?<br><br>Janejanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07616680999947668504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790418453028921218.post-49190379119551796292008-06-02T08:07:00.000-07:002008-06-02T08:07:00.000-07:00I agree that DST is probably a metatheory - a meth...I agree that DST is probably a metatheory - a method for constructing theories - rather than a theory in itself. But perhaps it gives us a way of thinking that would allow the construction of grand theories proper. van Geert's use of the method would seem to be a good example of that. I'd love to have the mathematical expertise to do this kind of work myself - but that might have to wait for the future!Charles Fernyhoughnoreply@blogger.com