Where Do Thoughts Come From?

Good grief, individual. I had a long, erudite, and beautifully composed reply to your thread, and hit the wrong key on my pc.

Bad words---bad words--bad words.

And that's my thought for today

Thanks for trying...you aren't the only one who does that.

I won't talk about the process of thinking.

There are at least two ways of looking at the contents of thought:

1) the content of thought is gradually built through trial and error;
2) the content of thought is after a model (or ideal) predetermined before thinking anything.

The factor of 2) cannot be totally ignored when talking about thought, me thinks.

In my case typically something I read or hear starts a long envoled analysis of that subject or somewhat related subject. When further useful analysis becomes unlikely, I typically pick a detail and analyze that. From my posts you have likely concluded I am atypical of humans. Neil

I can't tell you for sure where thoughts come from, but I think we can safely rule out Australia.

I think thought is a sort of habit or even a conditioning.We do same type of thoughts and (to have)same feelings.

Are you German?

I should add that thinking and feeling co-define each other, IOW, the basis of rationality are the emotions of calmness, patience and inquisitiveness.
A rational person is a emotionally mature person, thus the supporting emotions are a prerequisite, although they were developed via the experiences of thinking and feeling.
Btw, emotional maturity implies both the ability and desire to think critically.

David once you've been around for awhile, you'll get the joke.

Ok.
Btw, he's welcome to criticize AUS, in fact the Aussies are really Americans now, our so-called Prime Minister is actually a US congressman by-proxy.

From a book called "Unkempt Thoughts" by the Polish writer Stanislaw Lec;

You can remove all words from a brilliant thojght.

Some peoples thoughts are so shallow they don't even reach their heads.

You have to climb to reach a deep thought

*LOL*

Re: Where Do Thoughts Come From?


Well I can answer this last part. There are many hormones and chemicals released by the brain via an autonomic response. There are feedback mechanisms in place that provide hormones/chemicals from other organs or tissues in the body that circulate to the brain and trigger release of other hormones or chemicals. Thyroid function is an example of one of these feedback mechanisms. Let's say your thyroid hormone level is low. That level is detected by the hypothalamus. It releases a hormone which acts upon the pituitary gland, which in turn releases a hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland into producing more thyroid hormone. It's all automatic without nary a conscious thought process involved.

Somehow I don't think that's the answer you had in mind but there it is!

Thoughts are generally triggered by external stimuli that produce electrical impulses in the nerves which are transmitted to the brain. For instance, a certain smell will send signals to all of the neurons associated with that odor. Any neuron which receives stimulation in excess of its threshold value will in turn fire and trigger other associated neurons to fire. This can lead to a cascade of signals which induces a thought in the conscious mind. The mind cannot respond to every stimulus, so ordinary stimuli are ignored (habituation).

Thoughts are also generated by internal stimuli such as problems on which the unconscious mind is working. Dream thoughts (mine at least) are based on recent input, such as events, images, and ideas that have left a residual charge in associated neurons.

And we all know what effects raging hormones have on the thoughts of teenagers! :wink: