Do your best. Speak the truth.
Researchers at the University of Oxford’s Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour have discovered that: “…nerve cells collect evidence for the alternative choices as minute voltage changes across their surface. These changes build up over time until they reach a hair-trigger point, at which the nerve cell produces a large electrical impulse. This impulse signals … Continue reading How signals form in the brain
Individual psychology is a locus or node within a larger social system. More precisely, individual psychologies are particular signaling systems within larger social signaling systems. It is valuable to see this because general analyses of signaling systems—even those having nothing to do with human psychology—can shed light on human signaling systems, including both individual psychology … Continue reading General analyses of signaling systems illuminate fundamentals of psychology
In my opinion, “personality disorders” are more easily understood as signaling problems. All types of personality disorder involve dysfunctional signaling with other people. Signals are both sent and received in ways that result in suffering. As currently defined, personality disorders “develop early, are inflexible, and are associated with significant distress or disability.” Thus, if there … Continue reading Personality disorders and signaling
I propose that we largely discard all other paradigms for human psychology and replace them with one based on signals. Humans are semiotic entities who signal constantly internally and externally. No need for personality or self. Signals are objective, measurable, quantifiable, and analyzable. And they are at the heart of everything we call “psychology.” The … Continue reading Psychology as fundamentally signals
Basic signaling can be described or explained as follows: A signal is information sent from one place and received at another. A signal can be big or small. A signal can be true or false.* These are the most basic features of all signals. More complex signals contain these three basic features and also exhibit … Continue reading Basic signaling and some things it explains
Buddhism is very much a system of ethics. Buddhist practice is founded on the Five Precepts of refraining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and the irresponsible use of alcohol. In most Buddhist traditions, these precepts are often taught as if they were fundamental to the workings of the universe. But how can morality be … Continue reading Buddhism and ethical signalling
If we view the universe as being made up of signals rather than matter, what we call “reason” looks very much like a method for organizing signals. We can visualize this and from our visualization imagine other ways signals organize. We say something is reasonable when we cannot find elements that do not seem to … Continue reading Reason is signal organization
Panpsychism means “all mind” or mind in all things, with an emphasis on cognition being a fundamental aspect or part of nature. Pansignaling means “all signaling” or signaling in all things, with an emphasis on signaling being a fundamental aspect or part of nature. I like the term pansignaling because it gets us to look … Continue reading Panpsychism, pansignaling, and Buddhism
Consciousness can be defined as “that which interprets signals” or “that which can discriminate and choose between signals.” A single cell that can distinguish light and darkness and choose one or the other is conscious in this respect. (I wonder if the choice needs to be “better” in some way, evolutionarily or even subjectively even … Continue reading Consciousness as signal interpretation
Life signals can be biological and unconscious or biological and conscious.* If conscious, signals can be variously interpreted by the sender, the receiver, or both. If unconscious, signals are interpreted in only one way or in a limited number of ways. Consciously organized signals make up such things as psychology and sociology, both of which … Continue reading Life is self-organizing signals
Why is Obama the first president to campaign “…strongly for his chosen successor in at least 100 years”? (Why President Obama Campaigning For Clinton Is Historic) One explanation is corruption in his administration is so widespread, he fears exposure under a Trump presidency. An example is Clinton’s emails. Obama both sent email to and received … Continue reading Political signals from the president
The five precepts of Buddhism are no killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, or irresponsible use of alcohol. These moral guidelines are for non-monastics. I think most of us tend to think of the five precepts as being about the material world. After all, killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and getting drunk are all rooted in actions … Continue reading Repost: Buddhist morality and signaling
Basic signaling can be described or explained as follows: A signal is information sent from one place and received at another. A signal can be big or small. A signal can be true or false.* These are the most basic features of all signals. More complex signals contain these three basic features and also exhibit … Continue reading Basic signaling and what it explains
The five precepts of Buddhism are no killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, or irresponsible use of alcohol. These moral guidelines are for non-monastics. I think most of us tend to think of the five precepts as being about the material world. After all, killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and getting drunk are all rooted in actions … Continue reading Buddhist morality and signaling
In the first three parts of A signal based model of psychology, we discussed micro, meso, and macro levels of human understanding and how paying attention to these levels can make human signaling easier to comprehend. In this post I want to discuss how human signaling is normally managed and, knowing this, how we can … Continue reading A signal-based model of psychology: part four
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