Saturday, July 10, 2010

Seeking Circuits

Some times I don’t understand myself. We are blessed with a great inter-library loan system. Often when I am feeling stressed-out, I will reserve a bunch of books. With just a few clicks of my mouse books are sent on their way from several different libraries. This week Hugo winners from the 1960’s are making their way to my local library. I now realize that when I engage in the book hunt, I am activating my “seeking circuits.” For me the feeling is better than eating chocolate.

According to Lynne McTaggart in The Intention Experiment:
The seeking circuits are fully engaged when an animal is involved in high anticipation, intense interest, or insatiable curiosity….When animals are curious, the hypothalamus lights up and the “feel good” neurotransmitter dopamine is produced…the chemical’s true purpose is to arouse a certain neural pathway. What actually feels good is the activation of the seeking portion of the brain.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Information

One of my goals this summer is to read the Hugo winners from 1959-1970. I just finished reading A Case of Conscious by James Blish. This quote speaks to my awareness of sometimes being information rich and wisdom poor.

This is not a question of information. It is a question of whether or not the information can be used. If not, then limitless information is of no help.