Believing is representation mediated by the dopamine brain system

Seitz, Rüdiger J.; Paloutzian, Raymond F.; Angel, Hans-Ferdinand

doi:10.1111/ejn.14317

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This could be explained by an intrinsic modulator function that is accounted for by the credition model[ 1 ]. On the molecular level, the modulator function may be linked to the dopamine system which plays an important role in believing processes[ 54 , 55 ] as well as for abnormal believing processes in psychiatric disorders[ 56 - 58 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Believing processes during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with bipolar disorder: An exploratory study

Tietz¹,

Wagner-Skacel²,

Angel³

et al. 2022

WJP

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Believing processes during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with bipolar disorder: An exploratory study

Tietz¹,

Wagner-Skacel²,

Angel³

et al. 2022

WJP

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…These processes are all occurring pre-attentively. Such a probabilistic neural representation may be called a belief, but it remains flexible and may be updated by new experience (Seitz et al, 2019). That is, the human perceptual system makes meaning out of the barrage of incoming ambiguous information, and in so doing makes sense (or "connects the dots") of its elements to create a meaningful percept.…”

Section: Basic Neuropsychological Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human interaction with the divine, the sacred, and the deceased: topics that warrant increased attention by psychologists

et al. 2023

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Humans have likely been attempting to communicate with entities believed to exist, such as the divine, sacred beings, and deceased people, since the dawn of time. Across cultures and countries, many believe that interaction with the immaterial world is not only possible but a frequent experience. Most religious traditions across the globe focus many rituals and activities around prayer to an entity deemed divine or sacred. Additionally, many people–religious, agnostic, and atheists alike–report communication with their departed loved ones. During highly stressful times associated with natural disasters, war, pandemics, and other threats to human life, the frequency and intensity of these activities and associated experiences substantially increase. Although this very human phenomenon seems to be universal, the empirical literature on the topic within psychology is thin. This paper discussed the topic and reviews what we know from the professional literature about how people perceive communication with these unseen entities. It highlights the perceptual and social cognition evidence and discussed the role of attribution theory, which might help us understand the beliefs, motivations, and practices of those engaged with communication with the unseen. Empirical laboratory research with mediums is discussed as well, examining the evidence for communication with the deceased. Final reflections and suggestions for future research are also offered.

show abstract

“…Because beliefs can be semantically encoded into language, we can become aware of them. By reflecting on these beliefs, the brain can affect valuations, changing beliefs and the processing of perceptual information (Seitz et al, 2019 ; Seitz and Angel, 2020 ; Seitz, 2022a , b ). For example, by reflecting on the irrationality of racist beliefs, one can affect their snap judgements about others.…”

Section: Believing Is Seeingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Believing is seeing: A Buddhist theory of creditions

Forman

2022

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The creditions model is incredibly powerful at explaining both how beliefs are formed and how they influence our perceptions. The model contains several cognitive loops, where beliefs not only influence conscious interpretations of perceptions downstream but are active in the subconscious construction of perceptions out of sensory information upstream. This paper shows how this model is mirrored in the epistemology of two central Buddhist figures, Dignāga (480–540 CE) and Dharmakı̄rti (c. 550–650 CE). In addition to showing these parallels, the paper also demonstrates that by drawing on Dignāga and Dharmakı̄rti's theory, we can extend the explanatory power of the creditions model. Namely, while creditions explain how beliefs influence both the conscious interpretation and subconscious construction of sensory information, Dignāga and Dharmakı̄rti suggest beliefs can even be generative of sensory-like information. I recruit ancient Buddhist texts in conjunction with contemporary cognitive science scholarship to offer a hypothesis for the cognitive mechanisms responsible for this.

show abstract

Believing is representation mediated by the dopamine brain system

Cited by 11 publications

References 14 publications

Believing processes during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with bipolar disorder: An exploratory study

Believing processes during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with bipolar disorder: An exploratory study

Human interaction with the divine, the sacred, and the deceased: topics that warrant increased attention by psychologists

Believing is seeing: A Buddhist theory of creditions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About