MadSci Network: Neuroscience
Query:

Subject: Is it possible to have two thoughts at once? (resubmission)

Date: Fri Dec 26 15:15:15 2008
Posted by willem
Grade level: nonaligned School: university of colorado
City: Boulder State/Province: co Country: usa
Area of science: Neuroscience
ID: 1230329715.Ns
Message:

Earlier, I asked:

"Is there evidence to suggest that it is possible (or impossible) to have two
thoughts simultaneously?  If so, and one of those thoughts is about the other
thoughts, in which part(s) of the brain would those thoughts be taking place?"

I received a reply referring me to answers to similar questions:
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2003-01/1041821419.Ns.r.html  However, this
particular response relates to memory, rather than thought as an analytical
process. It also groups together sense memories with conceptual thought.
Further, habitual behaviors rely on the cerebral cortex, allowing them to
operate on automatic pilot, w/o requiring multiple complex cognitive directives.
 That's different from conscious analytical reflection which,  as I understand
it, happens in the frontal cortex. 

The second response on
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2008-01/1200695819.Ns.r.html  comes closer
to the intent of my question in that it addresses aspects of attention and
interpretation but it still does not answer my question. The fact that there is
no evidence to disprove the possibility of two simultaneous thoughts does not
indicate that it actually IS possible. 

As I understand it, functional brain imaging that links activity in a certain
part of the brain to a specific task is spatially precise, but slow bc it relies
on hemodynamic responses which have a 4-6 second delay. On the other hand, EEG's
are temporally precise, but not spatially so. This wd make it difficult to
determine whether we are rapidly switching back and forth btwn two thought
processes, or whether two thought processes are ongoing at the same time.

We know that it is possible to think about a thought retrospectively. What I'm
looking for is scientific evidence for the possibility that we can reflect on
(consciously think about) a thought while we are thinking that thought. 






Re: Is it possible to have two thoughts at once? (resubmission)

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