How much control do we really have over ourselves?

[Kiera]

I was reading a few articles last week about how we're not just capable of exercising control over our emotions and thoughts, but even over the biochemical reactions in our bodies to a degree.

Apparently there are cancer patients who are given treatment that invovles sessions of meditation in which they are to try and through visualization "order" their bone marrow to produce more leukocytes to attack the cancerous growths, and in a substantial amount of the test subjects the white blood cell count drastically went up. Similarly there are conclusive studies of people that had warts on their backs for ages who managed to reduce their number dramatically through five or so guided meditation sessions.

This sounds a bit kooky at first, but it does make sense. Our body's biochemical and hormonal reactions cause or influence all of these physical symptoms, and so it is not inconceivable that we can use the conscious part of our brain to influence the subconscious part of our brain that is directing these processes.

What this made me wonder however is just how much control we ultimately have. Do you think man can overcome all of his emotions for instance, including primitive ones, and be in control of them; now that you have this information? Do you think we can evolve to a point of complete physical control perhaps as well?

I'm interested in hearing some thoughts!

[Riles.S]

Wouldn't surprise me at all...

After all, The Placebo Effect can work to make people feel better, so can the exact opposte (IE spreading fear that there is a certain major disease and people actually getting sick) and we've also heard of articles where the mind has been tricked with hypnosis with actual weightloss results.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2439766.ece

This actually wouldn't surprise me at all if it could be used for this or other usages.


The mind is a powerful tool...the more we learn about it the better this "tool" becomes.

[Maxim Ustinin]

My cousin stopped smoking via hypnosis.

[Maxim Ustinin]

Yes we can.

[Radu Cornea]

As long as the sought reactions are actually performed in the natural flow of things, it may only be a matter of inhibiting nervous, damaging habits, while stimulating natural activity. Stress may very well be a major inhibitor of natural processes - I think this is why the meditation sessions were so successful in the medical studies.
Be sure to check this insightful commentary on stress posted by Dean Leysen earlier today.

On the other hand, I do not think humans have control over anything that is not of their nature, like, say, grow a pair of wings after a week/month/year/-- of meditation. Or start a family with an animal and hope to have healthy children. Just wishing it were true, does not make it become true. There are certain limits to things.

[Josh]

First off, you should show me some reliable data or evidence which may offer some credibility to your claims. I'm not saying you're a liar or that you're exaggerating, but it just helps when you're making a statement such as yours. I’ve heard these things many times before and most people never seem to have reliable evidence to support the ideas.

“Do you think man can overcome all of his emotions for instance, including primitive ones, and be in control of them; now that you have this information? Do you think we can evolve to a point of complete physical control perhaps as well?”

Of course. Most of us have at least some control over our emotions. This can be reflected in our restraints or in our releases. Say for instance you’re angry; you can restrain yourself from going ballistic and calm yourself down. Or when you want to have a good time, you just go with the flow and leave everything go while still being in control. We can all relate to that. Do I believe we can overcome them all and be in complete control, mmm…I suppose that’s a work in progress. It’s probably feasible, but it’s a long ways away.

Like Radu said, just because we believe something’s goings to happen, it doesn’t it will. We cannot grow a pair of wings or extra set of legs simply by concentrating and focusing on that taught. We may be able to dull pain by remaining calm or fire ourselves up (Adrenaline) in times of need, but until what point. Our body and mind are capable of extraordinary feats, but to say we can cure cancer or wish our broken legs better sounds a little ridiculous. Perhaps some time in the future, technology will provide to go to the next level, but that day is not today.

Maybe I’m wrong on all of this, but until I see evidence pointing otherwise, I have to hold this position. I would enjoy seeing some evidence though.

[EvanM]

I don't have the reference but I remember reading about an analysis of the brainwaves of a monk while he was meditating. If I remember correctly, the brainwave patterns suggested that his emotions were changing drastically in short periods of time. I can't really remember the details (as I didn't understand most of it) but the results indicated that he had very significant (as in more than the average) to complete control of his emotions.

Like I said I can't remember all the details but maybe it will jog someone's memory.

[Zequr]

I think we are able to control our emotions as much as we want. But without the emotions we won't know what we want anymore. I believe happiness is a primitive reward the brain give us, and sadness is a primitive whip to get us moving. We are very able to ignore these primitive guidelines and think for our selves, but what is it to live for then?

[Jeremiah Rentoule]

We are in complete control of our entire lives in every aspect, with determination, effort, thought and will we can do anything and change anything in our lives or the world. That´s truely what I believe.

[Muhammed Gouda]

well it's not possible since what differs us from animals is we have complex emotions
and as Rites.S Said if the Placebo works then we can't control it

[john]

Sadly the studies tend not to be so good from what I heard besides the problem is also that corelation is not causation their is little prior plausibility. if i’m not mistaken futher more how would you have a control for that study. I take it lack of links to the MRI or pet-scan results I find suspicious anyway but I can't read them so that doesn't matter.

[Amoira]

Primitive emotions are controlled, obviously. =P Just depends on the individual and how drunk they are.... But seeing as how we are human, I highly doubt we'll rid ourselves of outrageous behavior. If not due to anything else, I think it won't happen just because human's have human error. Having complete physical control on the other hand does seem unlikely, but just in the mental sense. I think with medical technology we'll be able to have a lot more control than previously thought possible.

[jeroen]

We can controle some biological reaction with emotions and fake emotion. Like sweating, drooling, crieing, ... but they are very limited. This is because of evolution, manilupation of certain reactions was usefull for survival. Like the human who can't drool when he sees food will not be able to digest it as good/fast as the other one. so the best fitted one has more chances of survival.

But diseases like cancer (almost) didn't exist back then (when we where still primitive, we didn't reach an age where cancer is a normal disease). So we have no body functions against cancer.

Also the warts miracle is pretty simple. If you leave warts alone they will go away so meditation can work. Just because maby they used to scratch their back before they did meditation more often.