Mind parasites

[MichSwampbuck]

Interesting idea and could explain why I am a slave to a colony of feral cats. I wonder how many other animals have been infected? The opossums and that big fat raccoon too?

What if it is fungal? What if it was not really like a bug or germ, but a parasitic fungus instead? It could be spreading at night while I sleep, through the soil and on the the foundation of the house. I bet everything is under it's control now in my swamp!

Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, commonly known as zombie-ant fungus,[sup][2][/sup] is an insect-pathogenic fungus, discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859. Zombie ants, infected by the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis fungus, are predominantly found in tropical rainforests.
These fungi thrive in warm, humid environments, which are ideal for their growth and reproduction. However, they can also be found in warm-temperate forest systems. The fungus primarily targets ants from the tribe Camponotini, including carpenter ants (genus Camponotus).

Wiki-LINK

[IgnorantGod]

Interesting idea and could explain why I am a slave to a colony of feral cats. I wonder how many other animals have been infected? The opossums and that big fat raccoon too?

What if it is fungal? What if it was not really like a bug or germ, but a parasitic fungus instead? It could be spreading at night while I sleep, through the soil and on the the foundation of the house. I bet everything is under it's control now in my swamp!

Wiki-LINK

HAHAHA YES, we are cat's slave! At least that's how I feel when I crouch to clean their litters LOL.

That fungi bit is intriguing me, never heard of that one. As far as symbiosis/parasitism go, I'd think that indeed, fungus can fulfill the role. It could be interesting to look for change in behaviors on infected hosts from several type of organisms, or to compare behaviors between before a symbiosis and after.

Furthermore, I believe we should definitely look closer at symbiosis/parasitism in plants. They too have behaviors. I don't remember the name of the author, but there was a study one of my teacher in college mentioned during one of our conversation on plants and consciousness. Researchers had wash the soil in a limited area in order to study roots. They discovered that most trees, no matter their species, were interconnected and communicated with each others. Fascinating stuff!

Funny how we just 'discover' (or is it re-discover?) what native tribes knew for millenias lol.

Anyway, this thread is really to discuss general factors that might influence consciousness/thoughts, and any entity (micro/macro/ethereal) is worth of consideration and further inquiries.

Thanks for the input, I'll read that later today!

[IgnorantGod]

Alright, I think its proper to expand the subject pool a bit. Until now, I referred to the analogue part of symbiotic/parasitic influences, but there's also the digital influence that is more inline with where we are going as a species, in a not so distant future.

Here's a link to a paper published in 2013 about experiments done with patterned magnetic fields in regards to its effects on consciousness : Hughlings Jackson's "parasitic consciousness" research

Now, these type of experiment is nothing new. It has been done since at least the 1970s, IIRC. With that in mind, what if you could develop a microchip that could either send electric signals to the brain, and thus, the brain starts processing the signals and begins to feed the mind with information?

Or, microchip attached directly to the brain, emitting such magnetic fields as to add illusory/manipulated layer of information?

With the techno-singularity that gets more traction as years pass, I believe it is worth discussing the effect of analogue/digital 'symbiosis', if it unfolds as such (as a pessimist, I tend to think it'll unfold in a parasitic way).

Cheers!

[UltraBudgie]

is interesting to see the scientific mind at work putting the causal horse before the effective cart... the model that these relationships are 'caused' by the instantion framework of microscopic bacteria and fungi, which somehow evolved to find just the perfect playing off of higher-level complex behaviours to suit their own survival in a bizarre perpetuation mode, the result of blind selection forces somehow finding just the right configuration... "a tornado blowing through a junkyard and assembling a ferrari"...

but maybe these parasitic relationships are "caused" by entirely separate unseen dynamic of existence, of what must be, and that necessity distorts or shapes the morphogenic field, such that the field gives rise to the necessary implementation of the structure of that relationship. what needs to be is thus evoked, and the physical reality is filled in with the necessary substructure, be the media fungi, machine, social framework, etc., as inevitable as crystalline formation in a matrix..

[IgnorantGod]

is interesting to see the scientific mind at work putting the causal horse before the effective cart... the model that these relationships are 'caused' by the instantion framework of microscopic bacteria and fungi, which somehow evolved to find just the perfect playing off of higher-level complex behaviours to suit their own survival in a bizarre perpetuation mode, the result of blind selection forces somehow finding just the right configuration... "a tornado blowing through a junkyard and assembling a ferrari"...

but maybe these parasitic relationships are "caused" by entirely separate unseen dynamic of existence, of what must be, and that necessity distorts or shapes the morphogenic field, such that the field gives rise to the necessary implementation of the structure of that relationship. what needs to be is thus evoked, and the physical reality is filled in with the necessary substructure, be the media fungi, machine, social framework, etc., as inevitable as crystalline formation in a matrix..

It does look that way in my opinion. A simple example is black nodule that infects alder where only it can grow due to lack of nitrogen in the soil.

While the infection is 'parasitic' to alder, the nodule actually help alder's roots to attract and 'fix' nitrogen close to the surface, thus making it possible for trees to start growing in the area. Its part of some forests cycle.

Again, fascinating stuff!

[rickymouse]

 

I was on Depakote ER for two years with my epilepsy, worst medication I ever took, even worse than the Lamictal they gave me when they found I was so badly intolerant to the Depakote.  My teeth pushed up from the Depakote after about a year, the uneven teeth broke easily, had six capped, then six months later, thirteen more had broken.  I guess in animals if it eats something that is harmful, the teeth will erupt to disuade the animal from eating that food....from research I read about this issue after I was taken off anti-epileptics by the Neurologist.  I also had bad responses to the Lemictal.  I also had my legs turn all black below the knees.

The fourth class of medicine I took had different but just as bad side effects,  and the neurologist said I was too nice of guy to kill so they discontinued it.  The first med I was given by a different neurologist at first was ok, but that went bad after about a year too.  That was Topamax.  It had a weird side effect though, many of my scars I had over the years from cuts and injuries kind of disappeared from the Topamax.....After I got a little more clear headed when I was off all the anti-epileptics I researched that coincidence too, and it actually was something science had noticed in people. 

Blocking sodium and calcium channels is not a good thing, especially with me, genetically I lack an anti-diuretic hormone so my sodium took a dive with one medicines...no energy, and with the other, my calcium took a dive.  Both going so far down make it so you can't get off the couch and it is hard standing up when you roll on the floor on your knees.   One point seven percent inuit genetics seems to have a great effect on taking meds, P450 enzymes are different than most people.  Plus, with this genetics, if you have two beers, you pee out five times as much when you are at the bar.  Same goes for coffee, after three cups I am peeing every fifteen minutes for an hour and a half, everytime I go from hot to cold or cold to hot, I got to pee.

I'm used to it though, Knowing where bathrooms are at stores is essential if the temp is different in the store than outside by quite a bit...also AC is not good in a car, too many piss stops.

[SurferSoul]

 

Great thread, lots of food for thought, or thought food here :))

[SurferSoul]

Interesting idea and could explain why I am a slave to a colony of feral cats. I wonder how many other animals have been infected? The opossums and that big fat raccoon too?

What if it is fungal? What if it was not really like a bug or germ, but a parasitic fungus instead? It could be spreading at night while I sleep, through the soil and on the the foundation of the house. I bet everything is under it's control now in my swamp!

Wiki-LINK

lol I don’t know why I’m laughing it controls me now no doubt the bastard! ;))

That link you posted put me in mind of those ants and that fungus I watched something on some nature program that filmed it. The ant got infected by the fungus, which then takes control of its nervous system and forces it to climb a tree, after making eat much as it can btw. It then makes it climb a tall tree, set off to a branch, then it kills it some way and fruits a mushroom off the ants dead body! 

The biologist believe it does this so it can send its spores as far a wide as possible, which does make some sense as it’s otherwise limited to the forest floor. But how the fook has the fungus figured all this out??? It’s the mycelium network I tell thee! That’s the real being, not the mushroom and not the spores. It does look remarkably like a brain neural network after all.
maybe we have some unknown symbiosis with it, like we do our gut microbiome?

[IgnorantGod]

Great thread, lots of food for thought, or thought food here :))

Or thought for food? What am I even writing??

 

[...] It’s the mycelium network I tell thee! That’s the real being, not the mushroom and not the spores. It does look remarkably like a brain neural network after all.
maybe we have some unknown symbiosis with it, like we do our gut microbiome?

Mycelium is indeed another interesting avenue. However, has far as parasitic organisms go in regards to 'mind control', the second link in the OP discuss about the behavior of the parasite when it comes to energy spending vs. utility of such spending. Seems like altering host behavior requires high energy consumption, and thus tends to not alter brain functions when 'not needed'.

I've wondered if the human species mind potential has been infected by some physically unconventional entities. So that the 'I', while been part of the potential, is 'formed'/'generated'/'forced' to the detriment of other 'mind formation'. Might explain why the 'I' is so irrational, and just repeat the same errors again and again.

Additionaly, as previously stated, those irrational desires may be what allows the mind to obsessively 'create' or 'imagine', fueling technology and art, which has made it possible for the species to pass from 30 years old average life expectancy to 80 in just a few centuries. To obsessively seek 'security' and 'peace' in a reality full of dangers and conflicts.

All speculations, but thinking/reading about such subjects is pretty much the only authentique joy 'I' have left. The rest is 'meh', decent pass time. Same circle, same motion, just a different dress.

[UltraBudgie]

All speculations, but thinking/reading about such subjects is pretty much the only authentique joy 'I' have left. The rest is 'meh', decent pass time. Same circle, same motion, just a different dress.

here is a poem for no reason
https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/de-gustibus