Oh, Mr. Science!

[Miss Whiplash]

I don't believe it was God intervening.

I don't believe God intervenes (if there is a God.)

I also know how organ transplant recipients can crave things their donors used to crave. My husband had strange cravings right after he received 4 units of blood.

Mayday, for once you are correct! I can corroborate your experience. Once I was stung by a bee. For weeks after, I flew from flower to flower gathering nectar. I made buzzing sounds when I talked. After I tried stinging people, someone gave me a blast of Wasp and Hornet Spray. After I stopped twitching, I finally snapped out of it. I still have an obsession with pollen.

 

[devnull]

MW: bzzzzz bzz bzzzzzzzzzzz

Mayday: cravings can be triggered by all sorts of things. Perhaps the blood your husband received was low in some sort of trace element? I am skeptical there is any mechanism by which likes/dislikes/abilities/fears etc can be transfered via blood transfusion, although I open to being proven wrong.

 

[MRC_Hans]

I don't believe it was God intervening.

I don't believe God intervenes (if there is a God.)

OK, I'm with you there .

I also know how organ transplant recipients can crave things their donors used to crave.

Nah, actually, there is no solid evidence for that. Merely anecdotes. Bit, of course, receiving an organ implant is a big and important event, which leaves you on permanent medication, so some changed personality ot behavioural traits can be expected, and some of those may happen to match those of the donor.

My husband had strange cravings right after he received 4 units of blood. May have had something to do with it, maybe not.

Well, presumably, there was a reason for his receiving so much blood, and that is a far more likely reason for whatever he felt. I hope he is alright again.

I suffered a brain injury as a 13 y/o (horse fell on me) and I have two holes in my frontal lobe, each about the size of a quarter. It has caused me to suffer debilitating depression and melancholy.

I'm sorry to hear that. However, the effects you describe are not unusual. They are normal long-term effects from brain damage.

We are talking about something else here. Whatever it is, I wish I could catch it. I have no musical ability. But it sounds like it made a believer out of this doctor.

I think you missed a point, here: This fellow did not suddenly aquire musical ability. He had been playing music since he was 7. All that changed was that he suddenly caught an interest for a new instrument.

Generally, when people have had a near fatal event, many take their life up for revision; they suddenly realize they are not only mortal, but it could all end tomorrow. So they may suddenly realize there are some things they don't want to miss.

Hans

 

[EHocking]

I think this is kind of an oddity, and more substantial than your run-of-the-mill NDE.

Write this one off, you cynics without a clue.

http://www.thedailystar.com/local/local_story_023040035.html

By the time I was 13 I was playing piano at Grade 8 level (as well as theory), I then dropped it to play bass guitar in a heavy metal band during high school and hardly touched the piano in the intervening years. In fact my partner of 20+ years had never heard me play piano. A few years back, after a number of hearty tots, I had a bash at a friend's place (fortunately had Beethoven on sheet) and all, especially my wife, were impressed with my piano skills and how quickly I got them back after a 20 year lapse.

I have little doubt that were I given the 14 years tuition this person undertook, I could certainly hold my own at a students' concert at a university theatre.

It's not as though he's playing Carnegie Hall...

 

[Elvis666]

I have little doubt that were I given the 14 years tuition this person undertook, I could certainly hold my own at a students' concert at a university theater.

It's not as though he's playing Carnegie Hall...

Years ago, when I was still teaching piano, I had a woman in her early twenties come to me for lessons. She had never played any instrument and had no musical background (neither parent played). After two years of weekly one-hour lessons, she had mastered several of the easier pieces in the standard repertoire.

Of course, she practiced to the point of obsession, averaging three hours a night. She lost interest when she discovered a new obsession . . . young men.

Fourteen years to master concert level performance doesn't even require much talent, just perseverance.

 

[mayday]

Oh, I've long since given up on that.

Just as I've given up that you will be a reasonable person about this.

 

[mayday]

MW: bzzzzz bzz bzzzzzzzzzzz

Mayday: cravings can be triggered by all sorts of things. Perhaps the blood your husband received was low in some sort of trace element? I am skeptical there is any mechanism by which likes/dislikes/abilities/fears etc can be transfered via blood transfusion, although I open to being proven wrong.

XBox, isn't that comment akin to putting someone's phone number on the bathroom wall and writing above it For a good time call?

Must be, considering I've never pm'ed you.

Devull, you just don't understand the body/mind connection. It is becoming more and more evident that the mind is not just in the brain.

 

[mayday]

Years ago, when I was still teaching piano, I had a woman in her early twenties come to me for lessons. She had never played any instrument and had no musical background (neither parent played). After two years of weekly one-hour lessons, she had mastered several of the easier pieces in the standard repertoire.

Of course, she practiced to the point of obsession, averaging three hours a night. She lost interest when she discovered a new obsession . . . young men.

Fourteen years to master concert level performance doesn't even require much talent, just perseverance.

A couple of years ago I got a wild hair that I wanted to play bluegrass music (I look back now and wonder what was wrong with me! YUCK!) Anyway, all I could afford was this mandolin I found used on eBay for $60.00. I found an instructor and he said he was very impressed because I was picking notes and melodies by ear and he kept looking at me cock-eyed and asking if I was sure I had never played before. Turns out, something was wrong with the mandolin because one of the strings kept breaking so after about 3 lessons I stopped going and have never looked back. Just something that got in my system for awhile, I guess.

 

[chillzero]

Just as I've given up that you will be a reasonable person about this.

Don't derail any further threads with this. You've had enough previous warnings.

Replying to this modbox in thread will be off topic  Posted By: chillzero

 

[Garrette]

Just as I've given up that you will be a reasonable person about this.

I'm crushed.

 

[Mashuna]

Devull, you just don't understand the body/mind connection. It is becoming more and more evident that the mind is not just in the brain.

Just. . . . . .no.

 

[paximperium]

Devull, you just don't understand the body/mind connection. It is becoming more and more evident that the mind is not just in the brain.

Really? Do tell. Please cite some papers on this "mind-body" connection because most evidence from neuropsychiatry and neurophysiology including such things as musical talent, musical appreciation, religious experiences and a host of other things is just the brain doing its thing.

 

[mayday]

Really? Do tell. Please cite some papers on this "mind-body" connection because most evidence from neuropsychiatry and neurophysiology including such things as musical talent, musical appreciation, religious experiences and a host of other things is just the brain doing its thing.

If you were not being so sarcastic I would think you have honestly never heard of this, but I know you have. You know the brain is the vehicle of consciousness and, like the tv, the brain takes waves and turns them into pictures and words.

I'm feeling very tired right now.

 

[Lothian]

Cynics. What evidence do you have that his concert playing ability has more to do with one thousand four hundred and fifty six lessons than the lightning strike?

 

[paximperium]

If you were not being so sarcastic I would think you have honestly never heard of this, but I know you have. You know the brain is the vehicle of consciousness and, like the tv, the brain takes waves and turns them into pictures and words.

I'm feeling very tired right now.

Must have missed this explanation during neurophysiology class since the brain does not take "waves" and turns them into anything. The brain processes sensory input, it is nothing like a TV.

Consciousness is an emergent phenomena of the brain...so what was your point as a support for your mind-body claim again?

 

[Beerina]

Fourteen years to master concert level performance doesn't even require much talent, just perseverance.

I recall learning that Olympic athletes, by the time they get there, typically have about 20,000 hours of practice under their belt.

That's basically the equivalent of 10 solid years of full-time job experience.

 

[FramerDave]

Devull, you just don't understand the body/mind connection. It is becoming more and more evident that the mind is not just in the brain.

Ok, but seriously, can you explain this a bit more to those of us who are curious about it? Links, articles, studies, anything?

By the way, how's the pendulum work coming along?

 

[Akhenaten]

If you were not being so sarcastic I would think you have honestly never heard of this, but I know you have. You know the brain is the vehicle of consciousness and, like the tv, the brain takes waves and turns them into pictures and words.

Well I haven't been sarcastic but I have to say this is news to me. What is the nature of theses waves and how are they conducted to the appropriate areas of the brain?

I'm feeling very tired right now.

Why didn't you leave posting until tomorrow? Creating a post to tell peeps that you're too tired to post is a bit redundant, surely.

 

[tiger]

If you were not being so sarcastic I would think you have honestly never heard of this, but I know you have. You know the brain is the vehicle of consciousness and, like the tv, the brain takes waves and turns them into pictures and words.

I'm feeling very tired right now.

Explain to me why you always think you can sway people to your side! This guy was hit by 50,000 volts and yet he remembers in detail what he thinks really happened, so I should believe this! Man what a draw for his concerts... huh!

 

[Olowkow]

Nearly 14 years later, Cicoria will perform concerts at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Feb. 4 at the State University College at Oneonta.

Alas, he was destined to perform at Carnegie Hall, until the unfortunate accident.