12 Phenomena To Which Psychology Cannot Give An Answer (yet)
The human mind is a complex reality Psychology was born in order to study this reality, as well as the different elements and processes that make it possible for us to be who and how we are.
However, there are different physical and psychological phenomena that even today remain a mystery for this discipline. Therefore, below we present twelve phenomena to which psychology cannot give an answer today
Below we present some issues that at the moment have not been able to be explained by psychology many of them being in the process of investigation by different professionals.
1. What produces our self-awareness and our subjectivity?
The knowledge of being oneself, of having consciousness and identity independent of the rest of the stimuli that surround us, is a well-known phenomenon and studied by sciences such as psychology.
However, It remains unclear what produces or from what concrete structures this self-knowledge is born which we share with other species such as crows, some primates or dolphins.
2. What happens to our mind when we die?
Death is and has always been one of the great mysteries that human beings have tried to explain from different perspectives We know that at the moment of death the nervous system, along with the rest of the body’s systems, stops functioning. However, we continue to ignore the mental processes that take place during the last moments of life.
Although the brain functioning of a dying individual can be explored through neuroimaging, we would only be observing the physiological correlate of the processes followed. This aspect can also be worked on from subjects with near-death experiences or who have been clinically dead for brief moments before being resuscitated.
3. Is it possible to create a machine with consciousness?
The search and creation of artificial intelligence is an element that has always aroused great interest, both at a literary and scientific level. Today we know that it is possible to make a machine perform certain learning based on the acquisition of specific observation patterns, but it remains unknown whether it is possible to create something that is self-aware.
It is possible that we program something so that it appears to be conscious but in reality it is limited to carrying out pre-programmed actions.
4. Can our mind be transferred to another body?
It may sound like science fiction, but There are currently projects underway that propose the possibility of transferring a person’s mind to artificial bodies that they should not fear aging or illness. Although the first step is to transplant a brain into an artificial body, it is intended that in the long run the mind and personality of an individual or an artificial brain or even the network can be transmitted.
However, is this possible? And even if it worked, would it be the same mind transported to another body or would the first one die and then create a second one with the same memories and tastes, as if it were a clone?
5. What is the origin of Alzheimer’s?
One of the most common and increasingly common causes of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is among the barriers that science has not yet been able to deal with. Although it is known approximately how the disease acts and the multiple factors that predispose it, it is not yet known exactly (although genetic causes are suspected) why it occurs. In fact, at the moment all attempts to develop drugs that end the amyloid plaques that appear in the brain under the effects of this disease have failed.
Knowing its exact origin could allow us to work towards a solution to this disease This is a serious problem that psychology, neuropsychology and medicine are trying to solve.
Nowadays, most people know what the placebo effect is, thanks to which a sick person can improve in certain aspects thanks to the belief that taking a product or performing an activity will help them improve. It is basically a phenomenon of suggestion that causes the brain to generate internal changes through the release of hormones.
Likewise, an individual’s mental state can greatly alter their immune system and cause it to either worsen or become stronger in order to fight different problems, such as depression or anxiety and certain problems (ulcers, viruses or even cancer). All of this makes us wonder where the limits are It is clear that having a positive mindset is not going to cure a serious illness, but to what extent the mind can affect the body and how it can be stimulated in order to prolong the well-being, abilities and quality of life of an individual remains an issue. of great scientific interest.
7. Is there a limit to our memory?
Throughout our lives we are constantly receiving, processing and retaining information. We know that aspects such as our working memory have a certain limit when it comes to operating with different stimuli at the same time, but, Does the same happen with the ability to store memories?
If our life expectancy increased unlimitedly, would there be a time when we would not be able to record new information?
8. What makes some people claim to see the aura or energy of others?
There are a large number of people who claim to be able to see the energy or aura of others. In some cases this may be an attempt to manipulate others or even the effect of suggestion but in others people have a real perception of said phenomenon.
Although the most plausible hypothesis is the presence of synesthesia, in which people’s perception can be colored by aspects referring to other perceptual modalities or different dimensions of the same sensory modality (for example, they perceive a color when hearing a sound), This is a phenomenon that has not yet been fully explained.
9. What causes the brains of the so-called “super elderly” to not age in the same way as the rest of the population?
The majority of the population, as they age, gradually lose physical and mental faculties. With age the brain begins to shrink, losing strength in its synaptic connections and causing abilities such as attention and memory capacity to decline. It is more difficult for us to learn and in general we are slower and less plastic.
However, although it is a very rare condition, There are some individuals whose rate of brain aging is much lower than the average, being able to have a performance similar to that of his youth. These individuals are called “super elderly”, and today research continues into what makes their brains maintain such high performance for so long.
10. How does intuition work?
Many times we have the feeling of being reasonably sure about something for which in principle we do not have sufficient evidence and that in fact do not follow a logical or rational course. This sensation, this non-rational knowledge, is what we call intuition
Although various theories have been launched indicating that intuition is due to the unconscious perception of information present in the environment, or that it is generated through the accumulation of experiences, there is still no clear basis that indicates how this ability works. .
11. Why do mental disorders appear?
One of the most prominent areas of psychology is that which deals with the presence of mental problems and disorders The origin of these problems can have very diverse causes, and it is common that there is a biological predisposition that emerges after experiencing specific situations throughout development.
However, although sometimes we can see what has triggered them, the existence of elements that facilitate their appearance and others that make them difficult (for example, personality, beliefs, experience or one’s own physiological constitution) and despite the fact that we have numerous techniques and procedures to help patients recover, it is still not entirely clear why they arise in some people and not in others.
12. How does synchronicity work?
The concept of synchronicity was created by Jung with the purpose of referring to those situations that, without having a probable causal relationship, happen in a concatenated way as if they were related. This relationship has meaning and meaning for the observer, even though it seems to be the result of chance.
For example, meeting someone on the street that you were thinking about moments before, or dreaming about a specific stimulus that appears by chance the next day. However, psychology has not yet been able to determine the meaning and functioning of this concept.
