Podstrony
|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
biological systems. We may take as an amusing and illustrative example the analysis in Parkinson's Law
(Parkinson (1957)Bib) of the figures for such organic systems as the Colonial Office or the Navy. It is
understandable that as the empire increased or the number of ships increased then there should be a
corresponding increase in the administrative staff. But the corresponding assumption that the reduction
of the size of the empire, or a reduction in the number of fighting ships would also lead to a reduction of
the administrators turns out to be quite wrong. If anything the facts suggest that their numbers continued
to increase even faster!
Within the human body, an increase in the activity of the nerves running to a muscle typically produce a
quick increase in the activity of the muscle, which will contract. A reduction of the activity of the nerves
does NOT cause the muscle to expand again. To reverse the effect of that muscle, another muscle has to
be called into play. That is why we see the general principle of pairs of opposing muscles throughout the
body. There is, for example, a muscle to turn our eyes right, and another to turn them left; one to turn
them up and another to turn them down. Other pairs handle diagonal movements.
As another example, the thought of going for a walk may activate the process of walking. The mere fact
that this thought is then displaced by another does not stop the walk. It has to be stopped by activation of
the thought, "Time to stop".
In the most general terms we may say that the most fundamental organic activity is that of growth.
Growth may be activated, and that strongly and exponentially (i.e. doubling repeatedly in a characteristic
interval of time), if a favourable environment is provided. On the other hand a removal of that provision
does not necessarily lead to an equally rapid decline in the system, for it is the nature of organic systems
to be self-preserving. A Government may induce activity in an area of the economy by putting some
money into it. But when they stop doing so, that area will not immediately cease activity. Indeed it may
respond to the challenge and become even more active.
Within the human body a sight of danger leads to an immediate fear response. The removal of that sight
does not immediately induce relaxation. There is a strong asymmetry. It may even be the case that the
removal of the sight actually increases the fear, on the grounds that it is better to be able to see a danger
than to have it re-appear unexpectedly.
Although this point has been emphasised in the case of organic systems, the principle is familiar even in
certain mechanical contexts. Motor vehicles have a brake and an accelerator, one to slow you down and
the other to speed you up. Simply taking your foot off the accelerator does very little indeed to stop you.
Simply taking your foot off the brake does not cause you to accelerate at all. And notice that in order to
drive a car you need only know which pedal is which. You only need to know the sign of their effects.
The exact mathematical expression for how the velocity of the car varies with the pressure on the pedals
is immaterial to the basic operation.
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~dylanwad/morganic/ph_chap03.htm (4 of 7) [19/06/2000 8:25:50 PM]
Principles of Hypnosis (3) The importance of the concept of systems in understanding hypnosis
And this illustrates in the context of controlling organic systems why it is often enough to know the sign
of the effect of one system on another.
The next step we will be taking is to streamline the discussion. It is a very good principle of thought,
used extensively in mathematics, that if a phrase or sentence arises frequently, a shorthand expression
should be found for it. Our brains are severely limited in their capacities. The compression of concepts
makes the most of such capacities as we have.
This is a principle I personally find sadly lacking in application in books written by psychologists who
should know better. There are too many people who seem to reason as follows: "Much valuable work is
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pldoc.pisz.plpdf.pisz.plkskarol.keep.pl
|
