Muscle Over Mind?

Of Mind Over . . . Matter

Mind over matter

As an invited speaker at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, Manfred Eigen once stood by as his host ran through an impressive list of accolades: his work as a young researcher measuring the rates of ultrafast chemical reactions, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967; his directorship of the Max Planck Institute for Biological Chemistry in Göttingen; his contributi...

Mind over Matter: Inside Hypnobirthing

In order to examine hypnotherapy, the psycho-physiological science underpinning the practice is an important issue and is significant for the use of hypnotherapy by women in labour and birth. Contemporary literature regarding hypnotherapy and its’ side effects and limitations focuses on the culture inherent in hypnotherapy ideology, whilst the pertinent ethical issues that arise and question it...

Human endurance--mind or muscle?

Two investigations have been carried out. The first studied the effects of autonomic blockade on the cardiovascular response to a step test, a 50% maximum isometric grip test and a Valsalva manoeuvre: the step test was of 5 minutes duration and the other two for as long as possible. beta adrenergic blockade by propanolol diminished the blood pressure and pulse rate response to both the step tes...

Mind over brain, brain over mind: cognitive causes and consequences of controlling brain activity

Brain activity is considered the physical correlate of mental activity. Accordingly, a change of the state of mind implies a change in the state of the brain and vice versa. This homology between brain activity and cognitive tasks is very difficult to measure due to their very high complexity, temporal and spatial dynamics, as well as individual variability. However, the advancing of technology...