People with these [psychoses] may hear their inner thoughts as external voices, or believe thoughts have been inserted in their head, suggesting the normal divisions do not exist.It's this brain asymmetry that allowed human beings to develop language, supposedly, and some weakness in the asymmetry that is at the root of schizophrenia. So says Crow anyway.
The reason for this, he says, is that their brains do not have the bias, or asymmetry, seen in healthy people.
Brain asymmetry means that areas control certain things, so the left-hand side controls language.
He said: "Asymmetry appears to be less pronounced in people with psychoses."...
Professor Crow suggests there is an "asymmetry gene" on the sex chromosomes, that gives human brains the capacity for language.
He suggests that variation in an "asymmetry gene" in one of these areas could be the factor which determines if someone is going to develop schizophrenia.
Why does he locate this "asymmetry gene" on the sex chromosomes? Hmmm.... look out, Professor Crow! Don't forget to say that whatever tendency you find in women is better! Don't be saying we're closer to crazy.
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Read Octavia Butler's short story "Speech Sounds" for a take on this. It's set in Los Angeles after something--a virus, or a biological weapons attack, perhaps--has tampered with our speech centers. It's interesting how she takes on the issue of gender, and left-handedness. She doesn't have a didactic message; she just the idea for the story while riding the bus once, when a fight broke out between two men who jostled one another moving through the aisle.
By the way, did anyone else notice that the picture and caption that comes with the linked article make no sense. The caption says, "Early humans developed a taste for seafood" and there is a picture of what look like Africans in the desert. Please please please explain this to me! What does sea food have to do with schizophrenia? What do Africans have to do with early humans? And what sea food is there in the desert? Please explain.
Sippicancottage: That poem is built on a misunderstanding of schizophrenia and its confusion with dissociative identiy (formerly known as multiple personality) disorder.
The main symptoms of schizophrenia are delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, or disorganized behavior. Both delusions and hallucinations are referred to as psychotic symptoms. A person with dissociative identity disorder has two or more distinct identities, each with its own sensing abilties and ways of relating to the self and the environment. Though they may be bizarre, the personalities aren't usually psychotic.
Sippican: The priest and rabbi walked into the bar, but the minister certainly did not - he's a tee-totaller.
I typed this really slow. Does that help?
That poem only aids in increasing misinformation about mental illness in general and schizophrenia in particular.
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