Get psyched!

IT’S AN AMAZING ORGAN, BUT THE HUMAN BRAIN ISN’T INFALLIBLE. WE LOOK INTO FIVE WAYS OUR BRAINS CAN MAKE FOOLS OF US.

WE’RE NOTHING WITHOUT our brains — after all, it’s the one organ that puts us right on top of the food chain, and makes us the smartest animals on Earth. Right? Well, that statement’s true for the most part... except when our brains decide to play us for fools. In this month’s Get Psyched, we’ve delved into a handful of strange phenomena that can affect the human computing organ — and in some cases, even the experts aren’t entirely sure why these brain glitches occur.

EARWORMS

When was the last time a song got stuck in your head? If you’re like us, we’re guessing it happens at least once every couple of weeks (if only for an hour or two, and not always a song you might like). The weird part is, it’s never the full song, just the chorus or a line or two, sometimes just a few lyrics. Dubbed an ‘earworm’, experts are still trying to figure out why this happens, but some say it’s possibly due to how music affects the motor cortex. This part of the brain lights up with activity when music plays, with many people imagining they’re ‘participating’ in the piece.

STUPEFACTION (OR DUMBFOUNDING)

When asked why ‘something is just not done’, like issues considered taboo in modern society (for example, a lone episode of incest between siblings which harms no one, begets no offspring, no one finds out until years later, and yet brings them closer together — no, we’re not condoning the act), a lot of people find it hard to explain why they react so negatively and strongly. Psychologists call this phenomenon ‘moral dumbfounding’ or ‘moral stupefaction’. Netflix’s recent Mindhunter series also gives a great example of this, so tell us, dear reader: would you freak out if someone entered a crowded lift and stood facing the back while everyone else was facing the doors? You’d definitely be confused, but would you be able to explain, logically, why you’d be confused?

SYMPATHETIC PAIN

Ever heard of Couvade Syndrome? That’s the name given to a condition in which partners of expectant mothers experience similar symptoms. In fact, sympathetic pain isn’t limited to pregnant couples — we’ve all winced when someone’s stubbed their toe. It’s the same thing. Turns out, we’re hardwired to think we all experience the same things. Experts believe our brains have ‘mirror neurons’ that are responsible for these sympathetic reactions, but there’s no hard proof yet.

FALSE MEMORIES

Think you’ve got a sharp memory? Think again. Several experiments on memory have shown that’s very easy to plant false memories. It’s believed that our brains get overwhelmed when trying to take in everything from our surroundings, then fail miserably in processing it all, leaving gaps in our memory. In fact, it’s even possible to supplant real memories with completely new ones.

INATTENTION BLINDNESS

I think it’s fair to say we’ve all experienced this at some point or the other — missing details that are staring us right in the face. That’s because the brain decides what’s worth focusing on and saving that to our memory banks, ‘forgetting’ anything else it doesn’t consider important. It’s got nothing to do with deteriorating eyesight, but temporary blindness can set in if the brain does try to ‘take it all in’ at once.

Perhaps the human brain needs a holiday from all the grunt work it has to perform day in and day out, because these five are not the only ways we get tricked. There are plenty more psychological misadventures that our brain puts us through, so the next time you’re left wondering about something, well, it’s probably not you, it’s your brain.