Abby Tabor
This week brought us two different subjects talking about (and – who knows? – perhaps even evoking) intense emotions. In the first, Lucile Pommier took a look at the science of near-death experiences. The memories that coma patients retain from such experiences are often hyper-real to them, even stronger in their sensory and emotional detail than are ordinary memories. Find out more about this surpising result from the Coma Science Group at the University of Liège in:
Near-Death Experiences: Realer than Real
Emotions also run high in another context altogether: when actors perform. But, here, the emotions are not their own. What is the nature of such feelings, belonging to another, and yet undeniably experienced? This question inspired the doctoral work of Florence Pignarre, featured in this week’s episode of Knock Knock Doc:
Knock Knock Doc - Episode 06 # Season 2: Imaginary Emotions
When a person experiences excessive levels of emotional stress, a lifetime of negative feelings, it can leave a trace as alterations in the brain. Researchers in Taiwan examined this effect in the brains of transsexuals. Learn more about how a suffering brain “mirrors a mind in pain" in the article:
Psychosocial Stress and the Transsexual Brain
Enjoy your science reading. See you next week!
The MyScienceWork Team
