| From: ian murray | 12/03/2001
1:09:34 |
| Subject: genetic memory |
post id:
251245 |
| hi karl i was wondering about genetic memory, if it exists and what it is. The reason i ask is that I have memories of people and places i havent seen or been. I have described what ive seen to my parents and they say that what ive described is a house they used to live in before i was born. please help!!!! ps karl is god and francis is ok pss why isnt your show longer? | |
| From: Grant¹ (Avatar) | 12/03/2001
1:14:10 |
| Subject: re: genetic memory |
post id:
251254 |
The reason i ask is that I have memories of people and places i havent seen or been. I have described what ive seen to my parents and they say that what ive described is a house they used to live in before i was born. please help!!!! You sound like my little brother. He can remember things that occured well before he was born. The result (in his case) of too many slide nights. | |
| From: Greg L. ® | 12/03/2001
1:16:40 |
| Subject: re: genetic memory |
post id:
251259 |
| My guess is certain 'instincts'
may be programmed into our genes, such as the urge to reproduce-but I am
very skeptical about genetic determinism, as environment also plays such a
crucial role in human development. | |
| From: Ruby | 12/03/2001
1:19:59 |
| Subject: re: genetic memory |
post id:
251265 |
| for what it's worth, I understand
that when you have an experience, it forms more connections between brain
cells, foming a memory (?). I think the slide night theory sounds
good. | |
| From: Martin Smith (Avatar) | 12/03/2001
1:23:42 |
| Subject: re: genetic memory |
post id:
251275 |
It is very unlikely that humans have the type of genetic memory you are describing. It is far for likely you are recalling distant memoris half forgotten, maybe described by your parents. Some species do display types of "genetic memory". It is however extremely unlikely what you are describing could ever be genetically coded. MS | |
| From: Martin Smith (Avatar) | 12/03/2001
1:48:20 |
| Subject: re: genetic memory |
post id:
251316 |
Ian all I am saying is that it is very unlikely that what you are describing is genetically encoded. Genes just don't work that way. Memories (did I get the spelling right this time?) of that nature are almost certainly not "wired" into the brain from birth. However there is of course the chance modern science has it wrong. At this stage of our knowledge of how DNA works what you are describing is not possible. MS | |
| From: grant k ® | 12/03/2001
10:41:53 |
| Subject: re: genetic memory |
post id:
251439 |
| Where does the urge/desire to
have sex/procreate,come from Martin? | |
| From: Zardoz ® | 12/03/2001
10:51:06 |
| Subject: re: genetic memory |
post id:
251450 |
| Another thing worth looking into
is the Baldwin Effect. This is a term used to describe the process of genetic memory in the context of learning. Be it brain type learning or the immune system, etc. It is concerned with the evolution of instinct. An example, I think, ... Let us say that there is an organism which is subject to a pretty nasty disease in the wild. The immune system of this organism will "learn" to cope with disease in time, but at the expense of being sick for a while. Let us imagine a genetic mutation which affects the immune system of this organism in such a way that it starts off one stage closer to being immune to this nasty disease. This means that the organism takes less time to become immune as it already has a head start. This mutation is clearly a good thing, and would eventually, through natural selection, become part of the organism's descendant's genetic make up. So, that's the possible genetic reasons for the effect which you see, but let's try and look at this from a different angle. 
| |
| From: AstRoboY ® | 12/03/2001
11:28:25 |
| Subject: re: genetic memory |
post id:
251491 |
The role of the unconsciouss mind plays in our lives has far more importance than we may realise. Apart from body regulation, our thoughts also emerge from the unconsciouss. Our normal waking state is like the tiny visible tip of a vast iceberg which itself is connected to the very stuff it's made from, water! Applying this analogy to the mind; all the history of biological evolution resides in our mind, like the water surrounding the iceberg. Usually we only have contact with a more personal type of situation/event that surfaces through dreams etc. This is not all there is however as there also exists the collective unconsciouss which is the sum of experience over time of humanity itself. Perhaps what you have experienced lies within the realm of the usual
ie., a photo your folks showed you or similar. However, it does
occasionaly happen that our psyche does connect to a collective memory
that has surfaced for you into your usual waking state, although this is
usually associated with an archetype. AstRoBoY | |
| From: Martin Smith (Avatar) | 12/03/2001
15:58:57 |
| Subject: re: genetic memory |
post id:
251735 |
Instincts (like babies suckling, sexual desire etc etc) are most likely hard wired. Though many cultural aspects of sex are also learned. Definite memories are most likely not hard wired from birth. Long term memory almost certainly is acquired by making new connections between neurons. There are some instances of certain types of gentetic memory, but nothing like the memories described above. MS | |