Product Description

For the past 20 years Scott Kelso's research has focused on extending the physical concepts of self-organization and the mathematical tools of non-linear dynamics to understand how human beings (and human brains) perceive, intend, learn, control and co-ordinate complex behaviours. In this book Kelso proposes a general framework within which to connect brain, mind and behaviour. Kelso's prescription for mental life breaks with the classical computational approach that is still the operative framework for many newer psychological and neurophysiological studies. His core thesis is that the creation and evolution of patterned behaviour at all levels - from neurons to mind - is governed by the generic processes of self-organization. Both human brain and behaviour are shown to exhibit features of pattern-forming dynamical systems, including multistability, abrupt phase transitions, crises and intermittency. This work brings together different aspects of this approach to the study of human behaviour, using simple experimental examples and illustrations to convey essential concepts, strategies and methods, with a minimum of mathematics. Commencing with a general account of dynamic pattern formation, the text then takes up behaviour, focusing initially on identifying pattern-forming instabilities in human sensorimotor co-ordination. Moving back and forth between theory and experiment, it establishes the notion that the same pattern-forming mechanisms apply regardless of the component parts involved (parts of the body, parts of the nervous system, parts of society) and the medium through which the parts are coupled. Finally, employing the latest techniques to observe spatiotemporal patterns of brain activity, Kelso shows that the human brain is fundamentally a pattern forming dynamical system, poised on the brink of instability. Self-organization thus underlies the co-operative action of neurons that produces human behaviour in all its forms.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #695451 in Books
• Published on: 1997-03-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 354 pages

Customer Reviews

Assuming the author is looking -- I wanted to send you the f
You changed my life.

I heard you speek at feb22 and five or six different things juxtaposed for me to think I may have understood you. You appear to be what I would have liked to become if I could have been skilled enough to find how to pursue it. I could not even find minsky at mit in 1968.

On the same thought as was used by Hanta Yo. I will try to take what you said translate it to bryan wolf speak and have it make sense back to you.

Other critical events: 1. Youngest son just won four year scolarship to U of M(ichigan for us). (~$100,000 prize.)

2. I was just awarded cardiac disability (go see "Office Space"; I'm the one in the wheel chair at the end with the s- eating grin on my face.

3. My eldest ADHD can now earn a living -- He agreed to be all grown till I can explain to him what I mean by syncopate or synchronize.

Your lecture gave me a mental experiment we can agree can agree to as a point of departure.

4. My cardiac rehab group put me in a stress management class where I made a promise to try to allocate 5 minutes a day to do nothing else but listen to my breath.

I could not make myself do it. I raised my hand and fessed up in class, and got challenged for having my priorities all out of wack.

I commited once again to try. Got in a couple of days, but still had to fess up.

I promised to try once again.

5. I have asthma and this evil cold caused me to get put on prednisone. Boy do I feel good on prednisone.

6. Cathy defined Stress as"

"STRESS IS Resistance to What Is."

So here is the vision you gave me after only 3 days of adhereing to my 5 minutes a day. Its all a matter of defining what is is(BOO).

Is is for me where I am when I spend that 5 minutes a day breathing. I am not allowed to have a thought clearer than I should be focussing on the breath (2,3,4). Any time I feel scared I remember I should be focussing on the breath.

I get to set this base line for myself every day so I never get far from it.

OK -- So here goes:

There exist a fundamental something (like pi, melting points, mandelbrot ...) like a chaotic attractor that You can measure the transitions state properties of.

This state phase can be clearly articulated by a simple experiment of the metrinome.

I can always slow it dow enough for me to synchopate -- tap a pen to a table top between beets.

If I can formulate the thought to tap a pen, I can formulate the thought -- focus on the breath 2,3,4 .......

How I feel when I'm totally focused on the breath is what is is. I get to bound this baseline every day.

As long as I can synchopate I never have to feel worse than just focus on the breath 2,3,4.

Cathy also says that while meditating you can see pictures, like if you were at a railstop and all the boxcars were open. Your vision is likely to be so bad it is all a blur. Every once in a while you can see something. You are free to see what you can see up to the point of articulating anything, because you should be focussing on the breath 2, 3, 4.

If I get any time, I get an infinite amount of time as long as I can focus on the breath (Heisenberg and mandelbrot thank you).