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Harnessing Your Sixth Sense
Video

Harnessing Your Sixth Sense

World.Minds, 2015

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

A sixth sense isn’t necessarily a paranormal phenomenon. In this focused talk, neuroscientist Frederike Petzschner explains her research into the sixth sense, “a window to the inside world.” getAbstract recommends Petzscher’s engaging though somewhat esoteric presentation to anyone who is interested in the mysteries of human biology.

Summary

Your five senses – sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell – offer you “a window to the outside world.” In addition, you have a sixth sense that monitors all your internal functions, including, for example, your heart rate and sodium levels. Myriad sensors all over the body send signals along a path that leads to the brain’s insular cortex, which hosts a “tiny high-resolution map” depicting the current state of your body. Your mind and body continuously communicate along this pathway. This mind-body connection regulates automatic functions like your breathing and heartbeat. If this connection failed, you would die within minutes.

About the Speaker

Neuroscientist Frederike Petzschner is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zürich and ETH Zürich.


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