Latent inhibition - genius or insanity?

Latent inhibition is a kind of filter,sifting information trash and not allowing to overload the brain. If this filter fails or does not work correctly, then the mind is overwhelmed with information coming from outside through the senses. Information overload can well lead a person to insanity.

What happens to a person with a low level of latent inhibition

Latent inhibition, as a phenomenon, wasdetermined by scientists in the middle of the XIX century. With the help of studies that were conducted in the field of studying the ability of the brain to filter out the information flow, it was possible to find out that a low level of latent inhibition speaks for mental abnormalities. Based on the conducted studies of people's behavior, scientists have proved that in the early stages of the development of schizophrenia, brain chemistry changes, after which the level of latent inhibition sharply decreases.

By human behavior, and even in appearance, it is easydetermine what is its level of latent inhibition. Concentration, ability to concentrate attention, concentration, attentiveness, responsibility speak about a high level. And vice versa: scatter in the movements and thoughts, the inability to keep attention for a long time on one subject, the leap in talking with a topic on a topic, the wandering, often absent look and irresponsible behavior are all symptoms of latent inhibition with a low level.

Latent braking as a protective mechanism

A living organism has many protectivemechanisms. And the ability to discard information secondary to survival and comfort is one of them. For example, an ordinary person walking in the stream of people is focused only on not being confronted with people moving around.

And a person with a low level of protection from the incomingthe flow of information will notice and remember what the walking people are wearing, the expression of their faces, scraps of conversation, smells. At this time, their unfortunate brain will be feverishly handling the information that has fallen upon it, without succeeding, getting confused, experiencing the strongest overload.

Latency in animals

Animals have practical intelligence. They are able to unconsciously ignore information that is not directly related to their survival and extension. Scientists who have studied latent inhibition have conducted some experiments with rats.

In the course of one of the experiments, the animalsa signal was given, beyond which there should be no action. After a short time, the rats stopped reacting to the sound, as it did not carry any danger, nor any other circumstances.

The chances of survival

The human brain in most cases worksas well as in animals. That is, latent inhibition, if it works correctly, helps a person concentrate on the information necessary for practical application, namely, for survival and growing offspring in optimally comfortable conditions.

From this we can conclude that people,having a sufficient level of latent inhibition, have every chance to live to a very old age, die in prosperity and surrounded by numerous descendants. How to develop latent inhibition? Is there any way to do this? If it is possible to improve the ability to concentrate attention, then, probably, yes.

Creativity or schizophrenia

It would seem that low latent inhibitionfacilitates the processing of more information, and therefore, the acquisition of greater life experience. This increases the ability of a person to think more openly, more widely and creatively.

However, creativity of thinking with a low latentbraking should be balanced by a high level of intelligence and a fair amount of willpower, in order to be able to analyze the incessant flow of information.

Scientists have conducted research throughtesting of several student groups for the interconnectedness of the level of intelligence, creativity of thinking and latent inhibition. After processing the tests, it was found out that the level of latent inhibition in creatively thinking students is seven times lower than the rest.

In one of the issues of the specialized editionThe Journal of Personality and Social Psychology was published a scientific article, where eminent scientists of Harvard and the University of Toronto proved the relationship between the ability to creative thinking and incorrect work of the brain.

That is the ability to think creatively (creatively)- this is a state of abnormality, since the inability to filter information flows is a consequence of violations of human brain activity.

Scientists have also investigated the level of latent inhibition in people with schizophrenia. It turned out that a person with such a disease is very low.

Low latency as a factor of genius

The secret of genius is in the originality of thought andability to look at things from a different angle. Subjects who had a high degree of IQ with low latent inhibition experienced a very high level of creativity.

The same researchers, among whom wereJordan Peterson and Shelley Carson made shocking conclusions based on the work done. Low latent inhibition, as these scientists believe, may well be a factor of genius. But this is only if you attach a high level of intelligence, excellent memory and willpower to it.

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