1. Evidence from the Cognitive Sciences
James A. Van Slyke

2. From the Soul to the Brain
Sciences and Human Nature
Cognitive Neuroscience
Characteristics of the soul linked with particular brain areas
No place in the brain specialized for interacting with the soul
No “Cartesian Theatre”

3. Thomas Aquinas Three parts of the soul Body Rational
Intellect – Active and Passive
Will
Animal or Sensitive
Locomotion, appetite, sensation, emotion
Vegetative
Reproduction, nutrition, growth
Body

4. Aquinas on the Brain Locomotion Sensation
Motor cortex + pathways to muscles throughout the body
Sensation
Somatosensory Cortex – directly behind motor cortex

5. Aquinas on the Brain Emotion Amygdala – implicit aspects of emotion
Emotional valence to memories
Fight or flight response
Cingulate Cortex – emotional attachment
Mothering instincts
Damage leads to decreases in empathy

6. Aquinas on the Brain Other areas Language – Broca’s and Wernicke’s
Vision – Occipital Lobe
Identifying Objects
Where? – Parietal Lobe
What? – Temporal Lobe
Two pathways beginning in the occipital lobe

7. The Famous Case of Phineas Gage
Before accident
Intelligent
capable worker
excellent manager
responsible family man
upstanding citizen
After Accident
Maintained his general intelligence
Unreliable and capricious
Socially Inappropriate
Lost his family and fortune

9. Case of Elliott – Damasio
before
good husband and father
high level job at business firm
had attained an enviable social status
post surgery, tumor removed in orbital frontal area
irresponsible
unable to manage his time
flawed decision making
Divorced; entered unwise marriage
lost his job

10. Case of Elliot Laboratory test results maintained superior IQ (WAIS)
flawless memory
superior language ability
normal on lab tests of financial and ethical decision making
normal lab ability to generate solutions to social problems
Could predict social consequences

11. Gambling game Test of decisions and consequences
normal individuals develop anticipatory evaluative autonomic response (mini emotional response) first to choosing form the bad deck, and eventually to the thought of so choosing.
Differential autonomic reasons develop prior to conscious awareness of the game’s contingencies
Elliot was never able to develop a discriminatory anticipation while choosing from the bad decks

13. Theory of Somatic Markers
Experiences with the contingencies of life cause development of anticipatory evaluative (negative or positive) autonomic response which are coupled to knowledge.
These autonomic response guides behavioral choices in ways that are often not directly available to consciousness
Individuals with orbital frontal brain damage have knowledge de-coupled form the autonomic response system

14. Declarative Memory Processes
Declarative memory: memories available as facts, events, or specific stimuli
Where I parked my car this morning
People with anterograde amnesia are unable to talk about their experiences following brain damage
Nondeclarative memory: stimulus-response and motor memories that control behaviors at an unconscious level
How I am able to ride a bicycle
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15. Hippocampal Damage and Amnesia
Severe anterograde amnesia follows bilateral damage to the hippocampus
Patient H.M. suffered from severe epilepsy
Following surgery, H.M. showed severe anterograde amnesia
No retention for events that have occurred since 1953
Can recall events that occurred prior to 1953
H.M.’s amnesia was attributed to hippocampal damage
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16. Hippocampus
MRI scan of hippocampus (in red)
Hippocampus

17. Cognitive Sciences and the Mind
Neuropsychology of Religious Experiences
Brain images of Tibetan Buddhists and Franciscan Nuns
Increased activity in frontal lobe and right parietal lobe during meditation
Brain is quite active in a specialized way during religious experience