mental_levels User24 There are many mental levels, not all of which we are 100% aware of. For instance, you are not aware that you are constantly asking your body how it feels, but you are. You sometimes automatically perform actions, for instance locking your door, or spreading toast, but you are not totally consciously performing those actions; something occurs below your normal thoughts. I see the mind as being made up of several levels, organised into several sections, for different functions. All input from the senses is collected and processed in the 'nerve center', this information is continually updated, and usually processed automatically. Any input which cannot be automatically processed is sent to the thought area, for instance, something which hasn't been experienced before, or something which requires a response from a part of the body not normally controlled by the nerve center (eg arm muscles as opposed to stomach acid secretion). So we have the nerve center, which largely runs independantly of the rest of the brain, but will occasionally send a thought to be processed by our 'conscious' mind - if it's a little cold, our hairs will stand on end and maybe we'll shiver, with no conscious effort, however if it gets too cold, the nerve center will send a signal to the thought area saying "I'm too cold", which the person then thinks, and acts accordingly. In other words, if the nerve center can respond without interupting the thought area, it will, otherwise, it will ask the thought area what to do. Next section, the thought area. The thought area is where our 'personality' resides; it is where we think. Sometimes it receives signals from other areas, a kind of thought override - "Stop thinking about that, this has just come up and is important" (says one part of the brain to the thought area) Then there's the library, which I think I've explained elsewhere, but will discuss briefly; the library is where our permanent memories are stored, it is accesible by all areas of the brain, for instance, when we need to perform an automatic action, a sub level of the thought area asks the library how to perform the action. The reason for this is to allow as little disruption to the thought area as possible - we are not designed as robots, but if we can perform an action without thinking, we will. There is another library, which is smaller and less organised, which is emptied daily and it's contents either destroyed or sent to the main library. This is where our 'short term' memories are held (note the inverted commas; in psychology, short term memory is a distinct term refering to thoughts that are held for a few seconds prior to processing - this is not what I am refering to) So we have the nerve center, the thought area, the two libraries, and a 'pending' area for information that has not yet been sent ot the relevant area. On top of these areas, is a central information sorter, which sends signals to the right places, for instance, if I was thinking about swimming, it's no good looking in my foot for the memory - the sorter ensures that the right thoughts gets sent to the right places - it is in charge of thought and impulse transport. Now onto some levels of the thought area; The part of our thought area where we consciously direct our thoughts is, imho, the main part of the human - were it not for our thoughts (which lead to a large degree of free will) we would simply be robots. The thought area is monitored by ourselves at all times, if we are thinking about fish, the thought monitors will sense this, and send a request to the library for information about fish. Likewise, if we are recalling an emotion or a physical sense, we start to relive the input because the monitors activate the relevant area so that we can recall accurately; think about the taste of nuts while eating chocolate and it will start to taste like nuts. erm. that's about it, I think. plus my lunch break is over. :P 040316 ... Syrope whats up spleen? you still hangin in there? cool. keep up the good work. i've decided that my mental area is several floors of boxes of things & piles of paper. forget filing cabinets and folders and shelves. just, lately it's been too much effort to run up and down the stairs when i'm so crowded here on the academic level 040316 ... misstree why must you post things that i really want to read when i am least capable of reading them? (notsosubtle bump) 040317 ... u24 to keep you on your toes. 040319 ... bounce boing. 040630 ... Kiss my ASS what are you going to do when the subject no longer returns to give attention to your words? no more fucking music, no trance... nothing. Your subject said, "I ain't playing this!" 040630 ... Youre the PIGS Leaving now and no return, going to China. 040630 what's it to you? who go blather from