Chapter 10

Let's suppose that a brain has a normally built model in accordance with external reality. This model could at some point become totally inadequate in the understanding of external reality due to a change in the latter. The normal solution is the reconstruction of the whole structure of models, but this activity would be beyond the technical capacity of reconstruction of the brain. Due to this, one of the possibilities is to leave the model untouched. In this case, we have a light form of paranoia, which manifests itself as confusion or avoiding discussions connected to the model with problems. Another possibility is to build a shielding model. Shielding models do not modify the inadequate model, but can deactivate it.

As this is not pathological, i.e. no OMPSM exists, the illness could be cured, especially at young individuals. This type of problem (important normal models which do not fit the external reality anymore) can occur at any time in lighter or more serious forms. Prevention of this light form of paranoia can be done with an adequate education.

ETA 14: Suicide

From the general theory we know that a basic requirement of design of the brain is unconditional indefinite survival. However some individuals commit suicide.

From the general theory we also know that models are so strong that they can predict that sooner or later we will die. As this prediction will activate PSM and PSM has no solution, this could destabilize the structure of models. The general theory also shows that the solution is to build a shielding model, e.g. religion. This model sends to PSM a less catastrophic message, which stabilizes the situation. Some religions are so strong that they can determine in their followers no fear of death. These believers can commit suicide very easily, if they have a 'serious' reason, without the possibility of intervention of PSM to block it. Fortunately, the Christian religion is not strong enough to eliminate the fear of death.

This risk of suicide was noticed very early, and this is why religions usually condemn suicide.

Whatever the shielding model would be (religion or another shielding model), PSM will be blocked in case of the activation of a suicide model. The presence of an adequate shielding model can therefore block the PSM, which wants to stop the activation of the suicide model.

A class of suicidal individuals consists of those people that after the disappearance of an entity included in their PSM (a very close person vanishes from their life), they are unable to correct the whole structure of models. The brain gets unstable, all-important models might become unusable and this can lead to suicide.

Another class of suicidal individuals is that of those who have all their models blocked (associated with general depression). The person can see that he/she can't evolve anymore, the predictions are permanently the same, and i.e. there is no hope to get out of a certain situation. This can lead to suicide, but the brain needs to build on the spot a shielding model, in order to have a 'successful' suicide. If not, PSM will intervene at the last moment to avoid it.

A classical example is when somebody who has a lot of money looses it all at once (the great depression in 1929 in USA, for instance). With all models blocked, the individual has no capacity to build new models adequate to the new external reality and suicide becomes an option.

There is a special class of suicidal individuals, under 18. This can be associated to the fact that teenagers have a limited amount of long range models with lots of imperfections. These models are insufficiently developed to show the whole host of directions of evolution open. These models can easily predict a situation of generalised blocking, and from here, the tendency for suicide. It is clear that only a simultaneous generalised blocking could be a cause for suicide. We repeat that without an adequate shielding model, PSM will determine the insuccess of the suicidal attempt in the last moment.

Obviously, there are persons who have psychiatric illnesses, as defined by this theory. In their case, additional factors will add up, associated to their illness.

ETA 15: Normality tests

Having defined schizophrenia and paranoia, we will describe two tests to detect these illnesses. T1 and T2 detect schizophrenia, and T2 alone detects paranoia.

T1. In front of a complex external reality, an individual has to be able to realize if he/she has enough information to build a suitable model. From the general theory, we know that the brain will build harmonic/ logic models based on the available information. This is the problem: we don't know beforehand how many elements are there in the external reality. The models are built with what is available. We could not realize that we have not enough information to build a good model (see general theory: Defieciencies in the design of the brain). The test wants to verify is we can compensate this design deficiency.

Example: The primary information is: 'a car crashed into a wall'. The person has to build several models. These models could be, in this example: - accident - test - movie - computer game - cartoon

This is just an example. In an actual situation, the person should not only build several models, but also develop them progressively, in parallel, along with new data adding to the initial information.

After a certain accumulation of information, the person might stabilize to a single model, but if he/she has not enough information, and does not realize it, this can be a sign that there could be a problem. The test is usually passed well, if the person maintains his/her flexibility, even after there is apparently enough information to get stable in a model. The existence of flexibility is understood as a guarantee that the person has the capability to build long-range models. And also that he/she has no OMPSM, i.e. is not paranoid.

There is a game based on this idea: one builds a model, and the other has to guess what the model is. To do this, he/she has to ask questions to be answered only by yes and no.

T2. Test for detection of paranoia.

An individual accepts a change in a stable model, if the external reality imposes it. In a practical situation, the person interacts with external reality and builds a model, which gives good predictions on the external reality. At some point, an element of the external reality is changed. If the person detects the change and corrects the model, as well as the other interconnected models, this is a good indication of normality. For a person suspected of paranoia, the model used would be the one supposed to be the OMPSM.

Paranoid subjects can distort the external reality unlimitedly to make it compatible with their OMPSM. As a consequence, the test tries to see if the person suspected of paranoia will modify the supposed OMPSM.

To be applicable, the test as described above, needs to take into account a design deficiency of the brain, as given in the general theory. Any image model has a basic problem: on an image model one can't see the importance of an element or a relationship. The image model remains harmonic for an infinity of values of importance, given to the elements or relations. Due to this issue, the paranoid subjects do not realize the presence of their illness.

Except these classical psychiatric illnesses, there are illnesses produced by dynamical and transitory instabilities of the brain. The illnesses given by dynamical or transitory problems refer to the loss of models stability in special conditions or at certain moments of time.

The XZM (illegal models) could also explain a series of problems. The general theory addresses this issue.

We'll make another note here. The theory is applied here in particular to normal individuals. The pathological cases are not generally considered at this level. It is actually absurd to study pathological cases in the absence of a good model associated to normal persons.

ETA 16: Dreams

The dreams are associated to image model development. Such models are built, based on the available data in the brain and not by direct interaction with the external reality. We call the source of data for the dreams as Quasi- External-Reality. QER could take information from any available model of the brain to build and develop the dream-model. QER is invariant during a dream.

A dream is a model, which is developed, based on an invariant QER.

We shall describe several classes of dreams.

1. QER is mainly based on the external reality, but contains also some artificial elements or relations. A dream based on artificial components, tries, by development, to modify the external reality to meet the dream.

Example: we dream a situation. Such a situation doesn't meet the external reality, because some artificial elements or relations are added. The dream can activate some models to change the external reality, to meet the specifications of the dream.

2. Technological dreams (wake-up dreams) The brain generates such dreams. They solve by software, some of the design deficiencies of the brain. The most important technological dreams are wake-up dreams.

There are normal wake-up dreams, emergency wake-up dreams and nightmare dreams. They are generated to wake-up a brain, because, due to a lack of a suitable hardware, the brain must generate the wake-up function based on software.

The main design feature of the brain, which is used by these technological dreams, is to activate the PSM. As the PSM is activated, the brain wake-up, i.e. a normal ZM, is activated. Usually, the PSM is activated by some unusual changes of the external reality (powerful noises, mechanical shocks...). The wake-up dreams try to activate the PSM by software. To do this, a wake-up dream sends to PSM the information that there is a situation and no suitable model to understand it. As we already know, when there is no model to understand a specific external reality, the PSM is activated. For a wake-up model, external reality is replaced by Quasi-External-Reality (QER).

MDT does not specify which component of the brain starts the dream (this is a technological feature). The components could be associated with the internal body or to the sense organs.

The content of the dream is not important. Any dream that activates the PSM is good. So an important problem associated with the health of the being or an unimportant problem could build the same dream. Only the character of the dream is important.

In case of a wake-up dream the character has to be taken into account:

- iminent danger to the person means that there is a big problem associated to health or the environment where the person is sleeping. Also, it could be a problem associated with something which is included, as a model, into the PSM (close relatives, some objects or situations, some problems etc).

- there is a danger, but it is not associated to the person or close relatives.

- It is a neutral dream, no danger. This is a normal wake-up dream. For instance: the dream is associated with a flower. The person wants to pick that flower, but fails. This situation activates the PSM, which activates the wake- up procedure.

One problem could occur: how does the brain know that a certain dream will activate the PSM? A possible answer is that a dream will develop by simulation, on and on, up to the moment when the PSM is activated. When the wake-up occurs, the first active-ZM will be that one which activated the PSM and so, it will be remembered.

There is an important feature of QER to be presented here. QER is built on the spot, because it is associated to a problem, which has to be solved very fast. Thus, QER cannot be too complex. It is easy to simulate the development on a simple model, which cannot be solved by the dream model.

Example: The QER is associated with a room. If, during a dream, the person wants go outside the room, this is impossible, because the QER doesn't contain the exterior of the room. Thus, it is impossible to go outside and so the PSM is activated.

3. The nightmare dreams are associated with a general instability of the structure of models. A nightmare cannot occur in a brain which is in a normal status. A nightmare dream might try to activate the PSM, but the PSM does not activate. Even more, if the PSM activates (the nightmare becomes the active- ZM) the nightmare continues. This problem is too closely associated to the technological implementation of the brain and so it cannot be treated by the theory only.

4. We shall introduce another class of dreams: premonition dreams.

There are many ZAM-type models, which work very well for a long time. But, as the person ages, some of them cannot meet the requirements due to the changes in the internal parameters of the execution organs (legs, hands etc). Such models self-activate during sleep (this is a premonitive-type dream) and find that they don't meet the requirements anymore. This result can activate the PSM too and produces the wake-up. The contents of such dreams is important but, unfortunately, it is difficult to make the difference between a wake-up dream and a premonition dream. Anyways, a premonition dream has to be taken as a serious warning.

The dreams are associated with the technological implementation of the brain. MDT, as a fundamental theory, cannot go beyond a limit. What was presented here has to be considered just an evaluation of the dream problem.

ETA 17: The history of evolution of the human species, based on MDT

The primary data are taken from different dictionaries, as this data is universally accepted. Only data associated with the development of the symbolic models have been selected.

Note: The dictionaries present the data mainly based on feeling, or based on local models, to select what is important or not. I selected only the data associated with the evolution of the symbolic models, as MDT understands this process. The evolution of the human species means the increase of power of the symbolic model. This history follows just this idea.

70 milions years ago: The first superior monkeys 4 milions years ago: Some monkeys walk. 2 milions years ago: Stone tools. This is associated with the appearance on large scale of the long-range image models.

200 thousands years ago: Homo Sapiens. Homo Sapiens was able to build easily long-range image models. Usually, when a model is good, there is the tendency to integrate it into the PSM. A PSM model is very efficient, but, because it is invariant, it slows down the evolution. Homo Sapiens seems to have evolved in a direction contrary to long-range efficiency. That is, instead of including them in the PSM, such models were changed on and on, and they were not transmitted to the next generation by heredity, but by social life of the groups. That is, the groups were stable for a very long time. It is not clear if Homo Sapiens was able to communicate based on symbolic models, but, for sure, the communication was based on symbolic elements, at least in part.

130 thousands years ago: Art-type, religion-type activities. On such a level, it is clear that the construction of long-range image models was very easy and thus, the prediction of death and death itself were understood. Art and religion cannot be directly associated with the symbolic models, so we don't know if the language itself, as a symbolic model, appeared at that time.

Based on MDT, the human being is the being which is able to make and operate symbolic models (a language, as a minimal requirement).

Thus, I don't know, based on the data, when the language appeared, but the supposition is that it was under development, once the activities were so complex by comparison to the animal level.

Several thousands years ago: the cities. A full language was already created and some elements of the writing too.

3700 years ago: the first phonetical elements for writing appeared, and later (about 2900 years ago), the first phonetic alphabet.

This is a crucial point of the evolution of the human species. The brain builds an image model. This image model is translated to a symbolic model by the spoken language. For writing, there are two basic possibilities: to associate a symbolic writing to the image model, or to translate the symbolic model of the spoken language to another symbolic model of the writing.

The Asiatic people chose the first possibility. They built an iconographic writing. The second possibility generated the phonetic alphabet.

The impact of the appearance of the phonetic alphabet was huge. The writing is not connected anymore to an image model, but to another symbolic model- the spoken language. Thus, writing becomes independent from the image model to which it is indirectly associated. Later, writing was able to influence the spoken language, and this tandem led to the 'symbolic' Man in Europe.

The Asiatic populations, who have used the method of description of image models in writing, remained stuck in icons associated to image models from their minds. This had a huge drawback in the development of symbolic models. This is why in this history, reference is restricted only to the world based on phonetic writing.

The phonetic writing has been a decisive step in the evolution of symbolic models, due to its non-association with image models. On the other hand, the Chinese spoken language can be translated into a phonetic writing, but this mode could not be used as such, as it would produce a break from the image models, which constitute the basis of the thinking/writing of this people.

1300 BC: Monotheist religion appears in Egypt. This type of religion marks the moment, when the logical analysis applied to religion generates problems and contradictions, associated with the existence of several gods. The desire for logical order determines an evolution towards a monotheist religion. However the appearance of the monotheist religion in Egypt was not a result of the increase of the level of evolution of human society in those times, but was created by the leaders of the society (one of the first monotheist religions created by the people is the Christian religion).

600 BC: Poetry. A poem is a symbolic model, which uses image and symbolic elements and relations. The poet has an inner image model, translates it to a symbolic model with symbolic and image elements, which build up the poem. The reader/listener will translate the poem to an image model in his mind. This image model is supposed to be similar to the initial image model in the mind of the poet. Thus, a poem is a way of approximate transmission of an image model from one creator to a listener/reader, using symbolic models with symbolic and images elements as a 'vehicle'.

300 BC: Euclid's Geometry This is the first fundamental symbolic model ever created (a positive science). It marks a very important moment in the evolution of the brain. This symbolic model continues to be used up to date and it is not changed for 2300 years.

The second fundamental model will be created only after 2000 years and it will be Newton's Mechanics. The evolution of the brain was very chaotic.

There is another symbolic model created in this period: chess. This symbolic model is a game (it is not associated to external reality) and it is not changed (just unimportant small changes) up to now as well. This game can be used as a test of the intrinsic capacity of the brain to make and operate long-range symbolic models.

30 BC: Christian Religion starts to be created

The Christian religion appears and develops in the Roman Empire as a result of the increasing capacity to make and operate symbolic models, and due to the increase of the consciousness level of the population. The logical order requests a monotheist religion. The increase of the level of consciousness strengthens the prediction of death. A powerful religion is requested for this higher level of the evolution of the brain. Christian religion was created in accordance with this situation.

975 BC: The decimal positional writing of the numerals, taken from Arabs, appears in Europe. The Roman representation of the numerals is associated to image models. This new way of writing has no connection with the image models. To use such a representation of the numerals, one needs only the ability in the symbolic field (there is a total break from image models).

1250 BC: The decimal positional writing of the numerals is universally adopted in Europe.

1482 BC: The Inquisition is established. It lasted for centuries as an institution for punishment and basically speaking, it persists up-to-date in another form, as a list of forbidden books or ideas.

The brain development reached a higher level. The freethinking based on symbolic models opened the minds of a big fraction of the population. This entered into a violent clash with the invariant model of the religion. In that period, the first violent clash between the Christian spirit and European spirit occured. The Inquisition eventually disappeared, but not because religion evolved, but because the European spirit was more and more powerful.

1543 BC: Nikolaus Copernicus published the theory that the Sun (not the Earth) is the center of the Universe. It is very interesting to know that for thousands of years, the official theory was that the Earth is the center of the Universe. This theory predicts the Sun and Moon eclipses, and also the ecuatorial and tropical lines were established with a fair precision. So, what was the problem? The main problem was the imposibility to understand why the planets have a rather chaotic movement on the sky.

Copernicus' theory was able to explain why the planets have that apparently chaotic movement (based on logic), but, when the astronomer J. Kepler has verified the theory, it failed. Kepler eventually discovered that the planets are not moving around the Sun on circular orbits (as Copernicus said), but on elliptical ones. With this change, Copernicus' theory was correct.

1585 BC: decimal fractions The decimal positional writing of the numerals was universally accepted but the fractions continued to be written based on image models (e.g. the fraction 1/2 is easily understood based on image models). Only after about 600 years the decimal fractions were accepted. Even so, the opposition to decimal fractions continues up to date.

1607 BC: The composer Monteverdi composed the musical work called Orpheus. This marks a moment when the symbolic models supported image models in music. In the same period, the "recipe" to compose a fugue was also established. Europeans invented the polyphonic music.

1614 BC: the logarithms are introduced in mathematics.

1640 BC: Rene Descartes, scientist He considers that the world can be understood based on mathematics. This is a higher level in the developing of the symbolic models.

Mathematics is based on symbolic models only. In fact, any specific field of mathematics is a symbolic model. But, a symbolic model from mathematics cannot be used in a direct way to understand the external reality. Newton's mechanics appeared at first as a logical model, and then it was translated to a mathematical form.

Mathematics generates only numbers. They have no meaning without the calibration of the model. To calibrate a model means to interact with external reality and so, to go beyond the limits of mathematics.

The normal interaction with external reality of a symbolic model from mathematics is: prediction > comparison with external reality > change of the model > a new prediction. This loop has to continue as many times as needed, so that the difference between the prediction and the external reality becomes acceptably low.