<< On Tue, 1 Apr 1997, Dan Hook wrote:
> The problem here is that human emotion and cognition are largely
> mysterious, at least to the individual. Any computer program is going to
> be obviously deterministic.
>Only if you know all the inputs and the precise timings of any
>'interrupts'. A single bit or clock cycle difference may produce very
>different results. As a simple example I have fond memories of a bug which
>made our software work correctly in the afternoon but sometimes produce
>invalid results in the morning... Of course you have no proof that humans
>are any different; most people I know have 'buttons' you can press (by
>doing or saying something) which will make them react in a predictable and
>seemingly deterministic fashion.
> Mark >>
Speeking of these 'buttons', I have a question regarding them. In the book
'Dianetics', by L. Ron Hubbord (super mystic of the millenium), he talks of
these 'buttons' as being something called 'engrams'. I'm sure many of you
are familiar with it. I have always wondered to what extent the 'engram'
theory may be true. I don't believe in anything mystical, but I still wonder
if there are any valid points in the book. Perhaps one of you out there has
a theory about 'engrams', and how we could use this knowledge in a
non-mystical way. Please let me know.
Shawn Johnson