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secaldwe's picture

Pre-programmed?

Taking into account this idea of a “motor symphony,” I wonder how the analogy would pertain to the creative brain – if it would be heightened at all, more apparent perhaps? Now that we know an action = motor symphony (as a contained movement), how does this reafferent loop work? I understand that the basic break-down of said symphony is motor neurons all doing different things at different times in a coordinated fashion, but where does the loop come into play? Does it record the movement? Does it conduct the movement? If I’m not mistaken, an element of input alteration is introduced, is it not? Any thoughts? I’m intrigued but very confused as to how to finish the metaphor!

Additionally, beyond the semantics of the symphony, I wonder if creative thought – as in “inspiration” (in dance, theater) – has any pre-programmed movements just as reaching for an object is imbedded in our nervous systems. Since it was stated that the ability to walk in humans does not depend on experience, what do we make of this notion of creative movement? Are prolific choreographers and actors simply recycling pre-existing functions of the nervous system but presenting them in new ways? Where does dance/movement even come from? What makes humans go beyond basic “pre-programmed” motions and make them into an art form? I’m trying to account for this notion that mostly everything we do in a day has been written into some inner code – that even with our eyes closed (like in the example of reaching for a cup of coffee) we would still be able to function and it wouldn’t be solely due to our experience. It is this idea of a pre-written score that really throws me for a loop – how many are there and how would we even know where to find them?

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