The October issue of Discover is just out, and it has my second brain column (following up on my first, on the perception of time). This time around, I take a look at our unconscious, considering just how powerful it can be. But don’t get too disturbed by that inner zombie. Our conscious minds are not just helpless moviegoers in the theater of the brain. They have work to do as well. Check it out.
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"Celebrated curiosity monger"
Carl Zimmer writes about science regularly for the New York Times and magazines such as Discover, where he is a contributing editor and columnist.
He is the author of twelve books, the most recent of which is Science Ink: Tattoos of the Science Obsessed. His website is carlzimmer.com and his address is blog at carlzimmer dot com .
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September 21st, 2008 at 1:42 am
I’m curious whether the inner zombie can explain the feeling that I’ve forgotten something, or better still the after-the-fact recognition that something had felt off prior to realizing that I’d forgotten something.
This might be testable in a lab situation.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Hi Carl,
I really enjoyed your article on the Inner Zombie. For several years I felt a wee bit “crazy” after I experienced an incident while driving my car through a construction zone. My self-aware mind witnessed an event that was not related to the St. Louis highway upon which I was driving yet my ” inner zombie” – what I call the body’s mind- navigated my car safely. I had absolutely no memory of driving through the construction zone but vivid recall of the event.
I was checked medically and there was no evidence of stroke or other anomalous physical activity. I even sought counseling to be sure I wasn’t experiencing some bizarre sort of breakdown… though I never felt “crazy”. (But then, unstable people probably don’t know they are unstable.) That said, I believe I am a reasonably normal person who happened to experience something unusual. Perhaps other people experience similar things but are afraid to discuss it.
There is a great deal of “reality” that humans still don’t understand and the “inner zombie” may be one of those truths with which we need to make peace.
Your article, and the research you compiled, provides a possible explanation for something I’ve puzzled over for years. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Bliss,
Caryn