Where Does Your Sense of Self Come From? A Scientific Look | Anil Ananthaswamy | TED

Summary

This script explores the concept of the self, highlighting its constructed nature through various conditions such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, and xenomelia. It discusses the 'narrative self,' the sense of ownership over our bodies, and the sense of agency in actions. The speaker emphasizes that our self-perception is not always a reflection of reality, challenging us to consider the 'experiencing I' and whether it persists after bodily death. The talk concludes by advocating empathy for those with altered selves and the importance of understanding the self's constructed nature.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Altered sense of self: People with schizophrenia can experience changes in their sense of self, feeling as if their identity and boundaries are shifting.
• 🤔 The self is not as real as it seems: The concept of self is complex and not as permanent or unchanging as we might think, with conditions like Alzheimer's impacting our narrative self.
• 📚 Our identity is a story: We often define ourselves through personal narratives, which are influenced by our experiences and memories.
• 👵 Alzheimer's and memory: Alzheimer's disease disrupts the formation of short-term memory, affecting the growth of our personal narratives and eventually eroding long-term memories.
• 🤲 Xenomelia and body ownership: The condition xenomelia challenges our sense of ownership over our body parts, indicating that this feeling is a mental construction that can go awry.
• 🤹‍♂️ Schizophrenia and agency: Schizophrenia can disrupt the sense of agency, where individuals may act without feeling like they are the initiator of their actions.
• 🌐 Out-of-body experiences: These phenomena suggest that our feeling of being embodied is also a construct of the brain that can be altered.
• 🤷‍♀️ The illusion of self: The self, as experienced, might be an illusion or a construction without a constructor, a topic of ongoing philosophical and scientific debate.
• 🕊️ Liberation and empathy: Understanding the constructed nature of the self can be liberating, and it should foster empathy towards those with altered selves.
• 🧘‍♂️ The enduring quest for self: The exploration of self, from ancient meditation practices to modern neuroscience, highlights the enduring human quest to understand our sense of self.

Q & A

What is the term used to describe a condition where individuals feel their sense of self is changing and their body boundaries become nebulous?

The term used is 'altered sense of self', which refers to a change in the perception of one's own identity and body boundaries.

How does Alzheimer's disease impact the narrative self according to the script?

Alzheimer's disease initially affects short-term memory, impairing the formation of new episodes in one's narrative. As the disease progresses, it can destroy long-term memories, leading to a scrambled narrative and eventually the loss of the narrative self.

What is the significance of the narrative self in the context of Alzheimer's disease?

The narrative self, which is the story we tell about ourselves, is significantly impacted by Alzheimer's disease as it disrupts the brain's ability to form and retain memories, which are the building blocks of our personal narratives.

What is xenomelia, and how does it challenge our sense of ownership of our body parts?

Xenomelia, also known as foreign limb syndrome, is a condition where individuals feel as if a part of their body does not belong to them. This challenges the intuitive sense of ownership we have over our body parts, suggesting that this sense is a construct that can be disrupted.

How does the script describe the sense of agency and its potential disruption in individuals with schizophrenia?

The script describes the sense of agency as the feeling that one is the agent of their actions. In individuals with schizophrenia, this sense can be disrupted, leading to actions being performed without the accompanying feeling of agency.

What is the significance of out-of-body experiences in understanding the construction of our sense of embodiment?

Out-of-body experiences, where individuals feel as if they are observing their body from an external perspective, suggest that the feeling of being embodied is a construction of the brain that can be altered, indicating that our normal in-body experience is also a brain-generated construct.

What philosophical implication does the script suggest regarding the self?

The script suggests that the self, including the narrative self, sense of ownership, and sense of agency, is not as solid and unchanging as it seems but is a construction that can be disrupted, implying that the self might be an illusion.

How does the script propose that understanding the constructed nature of the self might affect our relationship with our own stories?

The script proposes that recognizing the self as a construction might lead us to hold onto our stories less tightly, potentially allowing us to let go of rigid self-concepts and embrace change and new perspectives.

What role does empathy play in the script's discussion of altered selves?

Empathy is crucial in understanding and supporting those with altered selves. The script suggests that recognizing the fragility and variability of the self's construction can foster empathy towards those whose sense of self is challenged by conditions or circumstances.

What is the script's stance on the permanence of the experiencing 'I' or self after the body is gone?

The script suggests that the experiencing 'I' or self likely has no reality outside of the brain and body and will not persist after the body is gone, indicating a materialistic view of the self.

How does the script encourage us to view altered selves?

The script encourages us to view altered selves not as deficits or lacks but as different ways of being, and it highlights the importance of confronting the self's constructed nature to better understand the self for all.