Stimulating the Self and Conceptual Frameworks: Brain Matters, and World-Views Are Deeply Rooted

摘要

In their article "Stimulating the Self: The Influence of Conceptual Frameworks on Reactions to Deep Brain Stimulation," Mecacci and Haselager (2014) raise an important issue and propose some solutions that are certainly innovative but somewhat problematic. In any case, they offer an original perspective to the discussion with two issues worthy of reflection, regardless of whether or not their way of addressing them seems convincing. They suggest that the adverse psychological implications behind a relevant number of postsurgical implantations of deep brain stimulation (DBS) could be partially attributed to a psychological reaction to the new situation. That is, the maladaptations could be caused by the endorsement of a certain conceptual framework related to the mind-brain relationship that influences the patient's self-interpretation. Consequently, a position different from both dualism and brain reductionism as to the mind-brain relationship might help the patient overcome such maladaptations.