Jules Lee

Expository Writing
Dr. Evans
7 February 2017
Enigmatic Minds

It is without question that the human mind is the most powerful and complex existence in

the universe. Its ability to sense, integrate, process, and react to stimuli still boggles even the

most experienced neurologists and psychologists today. Writers like Oliver Sacks and Martha

Stout try to dive into the depths of human cognition in order to create a better understanding of

such a sea of intellectual power. But both tend to lean towards a more specific topic: the brains

ability to store memories and form visual representations of those memories. Stout attempts to

look at how memories of traumatic events cause patients to dissociate from the world through

her chapter When I Woke Up Tuesday Morning, It Was Friday, while Sacks tries to grasp the

concept of how blind patients can create visual ideas and images in his piece The Minds Eye.

They both stress that the brain is not just a static existence; it is an ever changing and plastic

being that can cope with the many arduous stresses. Stout and Sacks both argue that the brains

can do so by either intentionally or unintentionally changing the brains functions and using past

experiences in order to recover from both mental trauma and blindness.

Both Stout and Sacks are able to elaborate on the defensive properties the brain innately

has by exploring the unintentional aspects of human cognition. Sacks is able to do so by pointing

out the reallocation of the visual cortex in those afflicted with blindness. He begins the chapter

by addressing John Hull, a man who completely lost his vision by the age of thirty-five. He adds

that apparently Hulls visual cortex, even in adulthood, has adapted to a loss of visual input by

taking over other sensory functions hearing, touch, smell while relinquishing the power of

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visual imagery (Sacks 331). Though Hull never wanted to lose his sense of sight, his brain went

against his wishes and reallocated parts of the visual cortexes to different sensations. Such an

action seems preferable because in order to maintain a relatively healthy life without sight, one

would need much more power to the other senses. Stout is able to bring upon an example of

innate brain processes when conversing the repercussions of childhood trauma. By describing the

normal and instilled properties that children display, the reader can understand how dissociation

in adults can occur; Observe normal children play, and you will realize that children are

especially good at dissociatingwhen they encounter traumatic situations, they easily split their

consciousness into piecesOf course, this reaction is functional for the traumatized child,

necessary, even (Stout 429-430). Another defense mechanism the brain enables in order to

survive such horrid experiences as a child is dissociation, usually caused by trauma and is an

obviously unintentional response to a stressor. It is evident that the human brain can innately

access certain functions that were not possible before under the correct circumstances. Stout and

Sacks both agree that the human mind is especially trained to deal with misfortunes such as

blindness or trauma, and they both argue that these processes are the steps that lead to a more

fulfilling and enjoyable life. Given that they are deprived of necessities, their unconscious brains

allow them to create best case scenarios for any situation. The brain will do anything necessary

in order to ensure a more prolonged life, and in both cases, it is evident that these unintentional

and many times unwanted experiences are not optimal in terms of mental status, but are

preferable in the perspective of survival. The brains plasticity allows humans to adapt to changes

in their lives, such as the loss of eyesight, and therefore increase the chance of living longer.

Sacks and Stout support each other by agreeing that the brains defenses against stressful

pressures can be used intentionally for the sake of creating an improved quality of life. Sacks is

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able to support this point by explaining that those who were afflicted with blindness could

deliberately control whether or not they lost their sense of visual perception. In fact, because of

this so-called loss, those afflicted could paradoxically visualize in a clearer way, as

demonstrated through the memoirs of Zoltan Torey. He explained his process as scientific

taking pains to check the accuracy of his images by every means available (Sacks 333). It is

important that the reader differentiate between natural occurrences and disciplined systems in the

human mind. Consequences of a higher level of thinking, discipline and willpower are able to

overpower natural human tendencies, such as the redistribution of the visual cortex to different

senses. Stout is also able to demonstrate the power of intentional thinking by discussing Seths

case. Seth discusses how he can control whether or not he becomes dissociated, I know Im

about to go away, but I still have time to try to keep it from taking over (Stout 434). Seths

ability to control an initially unintentional response only accentuates the fact that people can

willfully affect the way their minds operate. Both Stout and Sacks are able to describe how

mental processes can be overwritten with enough discipline and willpower. In both cases the goal

of the patient is to achieve a present reality where he can control what they perceive. This leads

them to a new way of thinking or realization: in Toreys case, he is able to create better visual

images inside his minds, like those of the cogs in a machine, while Seth is able to stay in a world

that is a more coherent reality than the one he suffers through in a dissociative state. It is

necessary to understand that many of our intentional goals lead to the road of happiness. Since

modern times allows for a more survivable environment, humans now focus on the quality of life

rather than the amount of years they live. Our desire to live and multiply are now equivalent to

having a life full of happiness, wonder, and glamour.

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 The memories of both trauma survivors and those with adult onset blindness are crucial

factors on how one may recover from such afflictions. Sacks is able to describe how patients

with adult onset blindness are able to use the memories of their past in order to create a reality

that fits in tandem with the tangible world they cannot see. He mentions a woman named Sabriye

Tenberken who is able to paint a whole scenery of a lake even though she cannot physically see

it. Using only the building blocks that she had attained when she had her sight, she is able to

create a whole landscape based on both her memories and the details that are described to her,

Tenberken continued to use her other senses, along with verbal descriptions, visual memories,

and a strong pictoral and synesthetic sensibility, to construct pictures of landscapes and rooms

of environments and scenes (Sacks 334). Tenberkens blindness is not a major factor that

excludes her from seeing the world around her. The memories of things she has already seen can

be integrated and put into different perspectives in order to create a completely new and original

picture, thus is not limited by her onset blindness. Such a skill is only one of the many ways that

those who suffer from such an affliction can recover in a more effective and beneficial way.

Stout is able to demonstrate how memory is necessary for the recovery process near the end of

her chapter when discussing options for Julias treatment, Why should I be alive when I lose big

parts of my life? I mean, really, how can you care about anything if you cant even know the

truth about yourself? (Stout 437). In order for Julia to attain some sort of closure from the

traumatic experiences during her childhood, it is crucial that she remember where her pain

started in the first place. Missing parts of life ultimately affects the personality, and the memories

and experiences that one has are what later shape the adult form into a well-rounded individual.

Julias lack of memory only consolidates the argument that memory is an integral role in the

recovery process. The experiences that one undergoes are what shape his or her character, and

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thus affects the choices he or she makes in the future. In order to move on into the future,

patients must have a solid foundation in their memories. The brains plasticity is remarkable in

how it can use the memories of the past in order to learn and then either innately or intentionally

create a solution to the problem. It is through these processes that mental instability can be

effectively and thoroughly resolved.

Life without struggle is nonexistent, and it is a hard truth that there will always be

hardship along the way. Whether it be a traumatic experience that causes someone to dissociate

or the loss of an essential sense such as sight, the brain has enough plasticity that, whether or not

it is intentional, will try its best to take the most optimal route when taking into account the

quality of life. Sacks and Stout have extremely strong background in the human mind, and their

chapter seem to have a common theme: the memories and experiences of patients who are put

under certain stressors may cope in different ways, but all of their goals are the same. Each mind

wants to live life to the best of its capability, and will undergo major changes in order to fit that

picture. It does this by using the past experiences that are given beforehand, and then integrates

this past knowledge into a cohesive game plan that in time will result in a necessary change.

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