Evolution and Psychology Research
Evolution Research
The conceptualized schematic diagram shown below reflects a trajectory of the evolutionary timeline from the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) to present-day Human Beings.
The nucleus at the centre of the image is an unchanging "black box" that has maintained continuity of Being since the time of the LUCA; it is, of course, present in other lifeforms.
Of specific interest is a core attribute of the black box: at its simplest, if the equilibrium of the box is disturbed so that existing thresholds are exceeded then evolutionary changes may occur in a direction that will restore equilibrium.
Disturbances to equilibrium can be both "positive" and "negative". An example of a negative disturbance are the eyes of cavefish: imagine sitting at a desk...
Also add: ...zero disturbance can result in the shark...
Evolution and Psychology Research Model
Organisms are "integrated wholes", and while representations of the pre-reptilian, reptilian, paleomammalian, and neomammalian brains provide a useful framework for communication, the main purpose of the diagram is to show there is a centre to that integration.
The proposed existence of a non-Lamarckian and testable "internal evolutionary mechanism" arose from interpreting anomalies discovered while researching the Archeotrauma (see below).
In the late 1990s, after some preliminary research that included looking at Paul MacLean's concept of the Triune Brain, I began to integrate the proposal with conventional evolutionary theory.
I soon realized that this was not the way to go but abandoned a re-write when AOL removed all member websites in 2008. However, the AOL website is still available in the Internet Archive at The Internal Evolutionary Mechanism if anyone is curious.
Circumstances have never been favourable to sitting down and being able to focus solely on making a comprehensive presentation of any of my work. Consequently, on this second time around, I am now going to take a more relaxed, "take it or leave it" approach.
On the other hand, if you are interested and happen to have an biology lab or two that's doing nothing, then please contact me!
The Brain Is Adaptive Not Triune: How the Brain Responds to Threat, Challenge, and Change (Full Article)
Theory impacts how research is conducted. A popular theory used to conceptualize brain functioning is the triune brain theory. The triune brain theory is an evolutionary theory of brain development that emphasizes three key brain regions consisting of the brainstem, the limbic system, and the cortex that function relatively independently in coping with stress via fight or flight, emotion, and cognition, respectively. However, modern neuroscience research demonstrates that the triune brain theory does not accurately explain how the brain functions in everyday life or during the stress response. Specifically, emotion and cognition are interdependent and work together, the limbic system is not a purely emotional center nor are there purely emotional circuits in the brain, and the cortex is not a purely cognitive center nor are there purely cognitive circuits in the brain. We propose a new evolutionarily based model, the adaptive brain, that is founded on adaptive prediction resulting from interdependent brain networks using interoception and exteroception to balance current needs, and the interconnections among homeostasis, allostasis, emotion, cognition, and strong social bonds in accomplishing adaptive goals.
Instincts may evolve from learning and share the same cellular and molecular mechanisms
Abstract
An animal mind is not born as an empty canvas: Bottlenose dolphins know how to swim and honey bees know how to dance without ever having learned these skills. Little is known about how animals acquire the instincts that enable such innate behavior. Instincts are widely held to be ancestral to learned behavior. Some have been elegantly analyzed at the cellular and molecular levels, but general principles do not exist. Based on recent research, we argue instead that instincts evolve from learning and are therefore served by the same general principles that explain learning.
Psychology Research
The Archeotrauma (Archaeotrauma): the psychological wound horses, humans, and other animals sustain when they are "broken".
In 1986, a 26 year-old woman called "Karen" was admitted into St Augustine's Psychiatric Hospital as a result of a lifetime of abuse. She was expected to remain there for the rest of her life. Results from researching the archeotrauma eventually enabled Karen to return to society, albeit with ongoing support.
See The Biggin Street Incident, Dover, UK (part of the Dover Blog):
St Augustine's Psychiatric Hospital, Chartham, Kent, UK
Social Psychology Research
"Behaviour born of an inner darkness does not like the light of day"
The AI-generated image below depicts a Dover barmaid who targetted a pensioner - a total stranger who had never even spoken to her - for two years or more; even now, her attentions haven't stopped completely.
Using a specific technique that is very effective against vulnerable people such as Karen, the barmaid has unknowingly provided some very useful information regarding abuse against children, both grown-up and original size.
The objective of any civil action would not be to "punish" the barmaid but to draw attention to her "inner world" and the Clear and Present Danger it represents for human beings of all ages: publicity would be the goal.
Move your mouse cursor over the image to get an indication of what the barmaid's victims - young and old alike - see whenever her corrupted archeotrauma is triggered (image may momentarily disappear when the overlay is loaded for the first time):
Literally "demonising" the barmaid in this way might be viewed as a disparagement, an attempt at character assassination, or simply designed to invoke local animosity should her identity become known.
For two reasons it is none of those things:
1) There's no such thing as a free lunch
Imagine a pint glass half full of beer in which the glass represents the barmaid's brain and the beer her repressed psychological history. The empty upper half of the glass represents her mind but it should not be inferred that repression lies "below" consciousness.
At some point in her past - usually childhood - the barmaid has hardened the surface fear of her repression, and in so doing, created a permanent "psychological weapon" with which to damage and distress others whenever personal or socially conditioned thresholds are exceeded (also see the answer I gave to, "Who is the scariest person you know and why?" some 7 to 10 years ago.)
Include at some point: ...In February of 1883, The New York Sun paid $5 to the American poetess, Ella Wheeler Wilcox for her poem, Solitude whose opening two lines are:
"Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone;"
The section below the photo was added to on the 7th of July 2023 and will be expanded upon soon.
(Note to self: include 2nd reason for "demonising" plus an explanation of how the technique works)
To be included: