Thinking Explored

By Shelton Ranasinghe

This is an essay on one of the fundamental process of our life, the“thinking.”
Do we inherit thinking or is it something have we to learn from day-one, similar to talking, walking etc. Is a language necessary for thinking? This book addresses similar thought provoking questions, absorbing the readers to authors analysis & views, and at the same time making the readers to ponder deep into wide areas of this subject such as human evolution, dreams, hypnotism and consciousness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shelton Ranasinghe
• Release date: Oct 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9780989276368

Shelton Ranasinghe

Shelton Ranasinghe is an author and a retired professional engineer. The exposure he acquired living in five continents over a large part of his active working life combined with his interest on human behaviors, has given him a unique and intimate understanding of putting his thoughts into writing on philosophy and science fiction, combining both these streams.“Self A Delusion” - A good read to understand that the self could arise from deluded cognition.“Thinking Explored” - Cleverly explain how thinking process develops from day one.“Are We Being Fooled by our Brains” - Explore the complexity and cunning nature of the brain.“Our Psyche and Beliefs” - Is an idea of how our brains geared to adore beliefs.“Buddha Impetus to Primitive Psyche” - Refreshingly unforced and thought-provoking dissection of Buddhist doctoring.“Our extraterrestrial Neighbors” - Readers will perceive many complex philosophical overtones beyond the Sci-fi content.“The Phone Rang in the Middle of My Shower” - This Sci-fi explores afterlife, along many religious beliefs.“DoooD” - Excellent Sci-fi on Artificial Intelligence.Shelton’s email address: [e-mail]

Book preview

THINKING EXPLORED

By: Shelton Ranasinghe

This is an interesting essay about thinking. It is written in simple words to understand easily. The logic used for exploring the thinking process is very elementary and hence it’s an added advantage to all the readers.

Index

• What is thinking?

• Can babies think from day one?

• Does an infant know how to think?

• Thinking model in a diagrammatic form

• Leaping Further into Thinking Process

• What happens in the thinking process, when there are no inputs?

• Debating on the realistic and artificial nature of inputs

• Why is thinking process so complicated to understand?

• What does the 6th stream of input impact ones’ life?

• By the age of 4 to 5 yrs.

• Interesting facts on dream state and wakeful state

• Categorization of thinking streams

• What is Mind?

• Can hypnosis be explained using our model?

• Does the brain run all the programs the way we like them to run?

• Is there a thinker of the thoughts?

• Is self an illusion?

• Other books by the author

THINKING EXPLORED

What is thinking?

This essay takes a stab at the difficult question of What is thinking? I am using simple logic construed in a methodical manner to answer this question. As we read through, we will inquire deep into the subject of thinking, and develop a schematic model for thinking. Then we will make refinements to the model with enhancing the clarity of our logic. Towards the end, we will check whether the model that we create, could stand for wider application of thinking scenarios. Also, we will merge our model with the core thinking concepts suggested by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Daniel Kahneman, to perceive further understanding of this profound question.

The brain is the primary organ essential for thinking. We got to know about the function of the brain relatively recent. Aristotle (384 – 322 BC) believed that the heart, was the center of emotions, intelligence and thought. At that time people thought the function of the brain was to cool the blood, circulating in the body. Egyptians, who mummified bodies, preserved the heart and other internal organs for the next life. They scooped out the brain through the nostrils and discarded it. We got to know the functioning of the brain only in the 17th century. The knowledge of its functional capabilities and roles of its numerous components, expanded in the recent past with the help of advanced neuroscience instruments. With the acquaintance of the brain’s functionality, now we know the enormous role it plays in thinking and the major role that it plays as the control centre our body. Our adult brain is packed with information on our life experiences, knowledge, emotions and other similar traits that helps us in the thinking process.

Where should we start to address the question of thinking?

When did we start thinking in our life?

Can babies think?

Was the thinking ability present at birth or did we learn to think after birth?

Is there a thinker in us?

Can animals think?

These are some slices of the big question we are challenged with, in this essay. Perhaps finding a route to answer these questions may become complex if we start with an adult brain. Hence, let us examine the process of the brain development of an infant, as this seems to be best starting point as this is the beginning point of thinking for all of us.

Can babies think from day one?

May be the answer is yes as some research has shown that it could be possible even when the child is in the mother’s womb. Or perhaps the answer could be no.

To explore this question deeply, let's assume hypothetically, the answer is no. Under this assumption, we need to consider that the brain is a blank slate at birth, similar to a blank hard drive in a new computer.

In regards to the computer mentioned here, I was really thinking of the computers in the olden days that used to