After reading Adam’s post I had questions about a couple of the statements toward the end.
1. “A good example of mirror neurons is smiling. Have you ever had someone smile at you on a bad day and caught yourself smiling as well, unconsciously.”
2. “That makes me think we can transfer our emotions…”
As it turns out there is a mirror neuron system that does exactly that. The multiple mirror neuron systems, which reside in sever areas of the human brain, not only perform and understand the actions of other; they sense “others intentions, the social meaning of their behavior and their emotions.” This means that mirror neurons allow us to understand the minds of others, simply by feeling.
Mirror neurons are the brain cells that analyze scenes and seemingly know what another person is feeling. A 2005 study published in the Public Library of Science revealed that mirror neurons can interpret if a person is picking up a cup intends to drink from it or clear it away. These complex cells may even be related to autism; some researchers believe broken mirror neurons may be a contributing factor. The difference in skill levels in sports is based on mirror neurons. Someone who plays a sport regularly can anticipate what will happen next in a certain event.
Mirror neurons do not only mimic actions, they convey emotion and understand behavior. This higher brain function separates human beings from other species.
Blakeslee, S. (2006) Cells That Read Minds. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/10/science/10mirr.html?ei=5090&en=2d497999fb9a642a&ex=1294549200&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print
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