Michael Miller

Psychology 115W

Joe Lappin

10-1-02

The ever-changing Body

Throughout this course, I have learned many things that I either found fairly difficult to understand or they were downright stupefying. I’ve caught myself on more than one occasion laying in my bead ready to fall asleep and my mind begins to drift, searching for clarification of my questions. While reading this chapter something fairly obscure and what was mentioned in more of a passing moment came up. Damasio mentions that most of the cells of our body go through a life and death cycle much shorter than the cycle that our body goes through as a whole. Even the neurons in our brain are changing with each new experience we have. Now, I have another question to add to my previous list: why do we stay who we are? Granted, our bodies change, but we have certain characteristics that can be used to accurately describe us from birth to death. Many people, including myself, are very stubborn their whole lives even though I’ve missed out on a trip to Disney World because I wouldn’t let my mom put me in a car seat. With the experience that my stubbornness prevented such fun, wouldn’t my neurons be slightly altered by the experience, and in doing so change the way I am. I don’t doubt that my brain is constantly evolving as it were, but with all the change that is going on, why don’t I change just as significantly. Throughout this book, the comforting knowledge that “I am me” has slowly disappeared, and my understanding of the soul has even been changed. If all the inter-workings of the body are indeed absolutely nothing more than chemicals and electron-signals transmitted through the brain, the concept of self as I formerly knew it has gone away as well. In my constant quest for understanding, I find solace in the knowledge that even with my new understanding of the changes and actions going on in my brain and body, I am still the same person, just more confused.

Professor Lappin, I need to set up a time to meet with you. Perhaps this Thurs. around 11:00 A.M. I am having trouble grasping all that we have been talking about. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind helping me out a little bit. Thank you.