The article starts out noting that talk therapy combats depression. It contrasts this with the fact that prozac and other SSRIs also combat depression.
SSRI's being chemicals added to the human brain, are "physical." But somehow, talk therapy is "non-physical".
That's where the article lost me.
Isn't two people talking a physical activity? There are two physical people, sound waves moving between them, neurons firing in their brains. It's even observable by outsiders.
I think the difficulty the author is pointing out is that it seems odd we would could obtain similar modifications to brain state by chemicals and speech. The issue is highlighted if you consider a hypothetical analogous situation that we never observe: imagine if we could become literally drunk just by hearing a certain sequence of words.
I've been thinking lately that electrochemical modifications could enhance or add senses or experiences, say by tapping into the olfactory bulb in the nose or via the tongue / facial nerve (which already exist, actually - tongue cameras for the blind)
But plenty of words can have huge impacts on mental state. Is that odd?
"Your significant other was just involved in a serious car accident and is in critical condition."
Or consider attending a (good) stand-up comedy act. That situation can put you in a very different mental state even without the use of alcohol or other drugs (although people do often combine the two).
Sure, but "combats depression" is probably a broad enough effect that they wouldn't necessarily be the SAME state in this case either, right? They could both treat depression in different ways.
Not literally drunk, but there are many other ways to modify brain chemistry and but you absolutely can have significant measurable changes that result from non-chemical stimuli. You can't tell me "you won the lotto" or "I'm breaking up with you" wouldn't result in massive spikes in various hormones and neurotransmitters.
Anecdotal evidence: A friend of mine managed to get high by just imagining himself smoking weed. He believes, though, that this would not have been possible if he hadn't smoked actual weed before.
SSRI's being chemicals added to the human brain, are "physical." But somehow, talk therapy is "non-physical".
That's where the article lost me.
Isn't two people talking a physical activity? There are two physical people, sound waves moving between them, neurons firing in their brains. It's even observable by outsiders.