Vilayanur S. Ramachandran

Mark propose that synesthesia can be categorized into strong or weak. The former refers to those who experience “a vivid image in one sensory in response to stimulation in another”, whereas the latter is characterized as “cross-sensory correspondence[s] expressed through language, perceptual similarity and perceptual interactions during information processing” (Martino and Marks, 2001). This view implies that even the subtlest forms of cross-modal interactions that take place in the individual, albeit

History of Synethesia July 11,2006 History of Synesthesia Synesthesia has been known to medicine for almost three hundred years. After interest peaked between 1860 and 1930, it was forgotten, because psychology and neurology were premature sciences. Psychological theory was full with associations, and concepts of nervous tissue were insignificant. Subjective experience, such as synesthesia, was believed not a proper subject for scientific study.(pg3) Synesthesia's history is interesting

I listen to Abdul’s words as he is sitting in a flimsy chair. I look at his bandaged, swollen leg, his socks drenched in mud and flip-flops on his feet. “I live in a 3-bedroom apartment. It is nice, big and clean... I can even afford a cleaning lady from time to time, to help me with the kitchen and the bathroom,” says Abdul. He continues with sadness in his voice while barely managing to hold on to a plastic cup of tea with his wounded fingers. “Since I spend so much time working, I just can’t

brain and the perception of the body's actions was to be resolved, could the phantom pain also be eliminated? Several theories have been developed over the years that have attempted to answer this question, most notably by Ronald Melzack and Vilayanur Ramachandran. The earliest hypothesis regarding the cause of phantom limbs and pain was that of neuromas. These were thought to be nodules comprised of remaining nerves located at the end of the stump. These neuromas presumably continued to generate

Synesthesia is a mysterious occurrence that varies amongst each individual who experiences synesthesia symptoms. In order to have a full comprehension of what synesthesia is, one must be aware that there are many different forms, stages, and theories that help explain synesthesia. According to Simner (2010), over 150 different manifestations of synesthesia have been discovered (e.g. Certain types of sound may trigger colors, or types of sound may trigger tastes). (p. 558). Although, there are many

According to Dr. Vilayanur Ramachandran, in his movie “Secrets of the Mind,” our vision system is divided into two parts, one with our eyes, and the other with our brain. He also says that there are two different pathways in which our brain uses to “see.” One of these pathways, he calls the evolutionary new pathway (the more sophisticated pathway) in which our eyes see, then the information is sent to the thalamus, and eventually entering the visual cortex of the brain. This pathway is the conscious

For as long as he can remember, V. S. Ramachandran (b. 1951) has been fascinated by any kind of strange phenomenon in nature. As narrated in chapter 1 (see here), at a very young age he began collecting seashells from beaches near his home in Madras. In researching the subject, his attention was drawn to the most peculiar varieties of seashells, such as the carnivorous murex. Soon he added these unusual specimens to his collection. As he got older, he transferred this interest to abnormal phenomena

video series, found on YouTube, depicting the findings of neurologist, Dr. V.S. Ramachandran. Ramachandran is noted for his use of experimental methods that rely relatively little on complex technologies such as neuroimaging. According to Ramachandran, "too much of the Victorian sense of adventure [in science] has been lost." In the case of Derek Steen, who is suffering from Phantom Limb Syndrome, Dr. Ramachandran evaluated the levels of feelings on both sides of the patient’s body by touching

Now the theory “Psychogenic Mechanism” is believed that stress, exhaustion, anxiety and depression would exacerbate phantom limb pain. A crosssectional study found that amputation in people with personality traits characterized by passive coping styles and catastrophizing behavior was found to be associated with the development of PLP independent of anxiety and depression (Bishnu, Grossberg. 2011). What happens if you listen to your brain when it’s telling you the wrong information? How does this

In this documentary, Dr. Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, who is a neuroscientist that is often known as the “Sherlock Holmes of neuroscience”, due to that he literally is a brain detective. He is also the director of the Center for the Brain and Cognition and Professor with the Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program at the University of California, as well as, Adjunct Professor of Biology at the Salk Institute in San Diego, Ca. In this documentary, Dr. Ramachandran introduces us to four of his