Mushin explained ?

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Kevin Mackie
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Mushin explained ?

Post by Kevin Mackie »

I mentioned a TV show I saw a week or so ago in a previous post. In another segment, the concept of Mushin was explored. There were two demonstrations shown with subjects hooked up to an EEG to monitor brain wave activity. The first example had a pistol marksman shooting at a target, the second had a board breaker.

In both cases, the recorded brain waves changed from low amplitude beta waves (conscious thought ) to deep crested alpha waves (unconscious thought) just before pulling the trigger or hitting the boards.

In the case of the shooter, the laser tracker on the sight moved around the target a bit erratically and became very steady with the onset of the alpha pattern. The implication was that perhaps a force called Qi is not responsible for some amazing human feats, but rather the subconscious brain taking charge of the body to focus on the task.

Any thoughts?

Kevin
Allen M.

Mushin explained ?

Post by Allen M. »

Hello Kevin,

I saw that one too. The shooter became very accurate when he didn't think about what he was doing. Made me think of when I was actively sparring. I performed my best when I let my mind go blank and didn't even look at my opponent. I was completely out to lunch during the match. Not even there (duh!)and yet I would block and strike properly.

Years ago, there were all sorts of audiotapes and feedback devices to help people develop their Alpha and Beta brain patterns. I wonder if any of these are still around and could help a person develop his technique. Just a thought.

------------------
Allen - [email]uechi@ici.net">uechi@ici.net</A> - <A HREF="http://www.uechi-ryu.org[/email]
Allen M.

Mushin explained ?

Post by Allen M. »

JD,

Although your answer was not directed at me, thanx for the definitions.

------------------
Allen - [email]uechi@ici.net">uechi@ici.net</A> - <A HREF="http://www.uechi-ryu.org[/email]
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Bill Glasheen
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Mushin explained ?

Post by Bill Glasheen »

J.D.

My editing of your post consisted strictly of the UUB coding.

To all

I looked in some of my general textbooks on sports medicine, exercise physiology, etc. and found them completely lacking on the subject. Unfortunately my Atkinson and Atkinson (general psychology text) is not with me here. It seems that this is one of those "squishy" areas that is too "soft" to be part of the exercise physiology literature. But I'm amazed that I've come across (and have mentally filed) as much information on the subject as I have, and yet still do not see it in textbooks that should be discussing the issue.

J.D. already added quite a bit of detail to the subject. I shall add a bit more.

From Medical Instrumentation - Application and Design by John G. Webster, editor: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Electrical recordings from the exposed surface of the brain or from the outer surface of the head demonstrate continuous oscillating electrical activity within the brain. Both the intensity and patterns of this electrical activity are determinted to a great extent by the overall excitation of the brain resulting from functions in the RAS [reticular activating system]. The undulations in the recorded electrical potentials (Figure 4.30) are called brain waves and the entire recording is called an electroencephalogram (EEG).

(snip)

The frequencies of these brain waves range from 0.5-100 Hz and their character is highly dependent on the degree of activity of the cerebral cortex. For example, the waves change markedly between states of wakefulness and sleep. Much of the time, the brain waves are irregular and no general pattern can be observed. Yet at other times, distinct patterns do occur. Some of these are characteristic of specific abnormalities of the brain, such as epilepsy... Others occur in normal persons and may be classified as belonging to one of four wave groups (alpha, beta, theta, and delta), which are shown in Figure 4.30(a).

Alpha waves are rhythmic waves occurring at a frequency between 8 and 13 Hz. They are found in EEGs of almost all normal persons when they are awake in a quiet, resting state of cerebration. These waves occur most intensely in the occipital region, but can also be recorded at times from the parietal and frontal regions of the scalp. Their voltage is approximately 20-200 uV. When the subject is asleep, the alpha waves disappear completely. When the awake subject's attention is directed to some specific type of mental activity, the alpha waves are replaced by asynchronous waves of higher freqency, but lower amplitude. Figure 4.30(b) demonstrates the effect on the alpha waves of simply opening the eyes in bright light and then closing them agan. Note that the visual sensations cause immediate cessation of the alpha waves; these are replaced by low-voltage, asynchronous waves.

(snip)

A single cortical cell can give rise only to small extracellular current, and therefore large numbers of neruons must be synchronously active to give rise to the potentials recorded from the cerebral surface. (snip) various regions of the cortex, although capable of exhibiting rhythmic activity, require trigger inputs to excite ryhthmicity. The RAS, mentioned earlier, appears to provide this pacemaker function.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

From Medical Physiology (fourteenth edition), edited by Mountcastle, we have <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote
The ascending reticular activating system lies parallel with and receives collateral input from the great afferent systems and, driven thus indiscriminately, tunes appropriately the ongoing levels of excitability of cells of the cerebral cortex, the basal ganglia, and other large gray stuctures of the forbrain: it sets the stage for action.
I read an article in Black Belt magazine several decades ago which discussed the issue of brain waves vs. state of mind and athletic potential. One of the conclusions reached in the article from studies that were done was that the higher the degree of alpha wave activity, the lower the human response time (gap between stimulus and reaction). This discussion was actually a spin-off of an article on a fellow who used to do demos where he "caught" arrows fired near him.

Hope this helps.

- Bill
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Bill Glasheen
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Mushin explained ?

Post by Bill Glasheen »

Could someone kindly do me a favor? Grab your copy of The Tao of Jeet Kune Do and put in the quote from Bruce Lee that includes the line "...not thinking but not dreaming..." It would add a lot juxtaposed to the quotes above.

- Bill
Kevin Mackie
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Mushin explained ?

Post by Kevin Mackie »

"not thinking but not dreaming"
I've not heard the quote but talk about insightful. From what I've read, the alpha waves are very pronounced during the period when you're not quite awake but haven't entered REM sleep yet. Then they disappear. Didn't Lee write that before serious study into REM sleep began in the 70's?

Kevin

ps, I would like to thank the good DRs here for their tolerance of my limited knowledge in this discussion.
Collin Warder
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Mushin explained ?

Post by Collin Warder »

Bill and All:

Not being tense but ready, not thinking yet not dreaming, not being set yet flexible - it is being wholly and quietly alive, aware and alert, ready for what may come.(Bruce Lee, Tao of Jeet Kune Do, 203)

I think that this is one of the most neglected and yet beneficial areas of study for the martial artist. Sifu Look would tell me to go back to standing meditation to untap my mind's potential, well maybe later. Science don't fail me now! Off to the Psych. books for me.

The knowledge and skill you have achieved are meant to be "forgotten" so you can float comfortably in emptiness, without obstruction. Learning is important but do not become its slave. Above all, do not harbor anything external or superfluous - the mind is primary. Any technique, however worthy and desirable, becomes a disease when the mind is obssesed with it."

-Collin
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Bill Glasheen
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Mushin explained ?

Post by Bill Glasheen »

While I was "off line", I got a chance to find a few books I was looking for. There was that copy of Guyton Textbook of Medical Physiology that I finally found in my office under another book opened to a subject pertaining to the last "project" I was obsessed with. And then I had to find that other book Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams (1979) that I found in an old box.

What struck me when doing my research is that I found people quoting other people repeatedly. Hmmmm.... it seems that few are brave enough to tackle this squishy subject on their own. When I opened up Guyton on the subject, I discovered that the passages I took from Webster (quoted above) were direct quotes from Guyton. Interesting. Then I get to the chapter by Hyams MUSHIN: LET YOUR MIND FLOW, and it has Joe Hyams quoting Bruce Lee who is quoting Takuan, the great Zen master and swordsman.

Aren't we brave, Dr. X, for speaking so often from where the moon doesn't....er....I mean formulating our own thoughts?

Anyhow, I have the following from Guyton that adds to what Webster ripped off from him: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>....the reticular activating system, a system that controls the overall degree of central nervous system activity, including control of wakefulness and sleep, and control of at least part of our ability to direct attention towards specific areas of our conscious minds.

(big snip)

ATTENTION
So long as a person is awake, he has the ability to direct his attention to specific aspects of his mental environment. Furthermore, his degree of attention can change remarkably from (a) almost no attention at all to (b) broad attention to almost everything that is going on (Bill Glasheen's emphasis), or to (c) intense attention to a minute facet of his momentary mental experience. (snip) These changes in degree of overal attentiveness seem to be caused primarily by changes in activity of the brain stem portion of the reticular activating system.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Later on when discussing the reason for the existence of various "brain waves" (including alpha waves), Guyton writes: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote
...for an electrical potential to be recorded all the way through the skull, large portions of nervous tissue must emit electrical current simultaneously....large numbers of neurons can partially discharge, though not emit action ptentials.....This partially discharged state makes the neurons of the cortex highly excitable.....brain wave intensity is closely related to the degree of activity in either the brain stem or the thalamic portions of the reticular activating system.
The function of the RAS fascinates me for more than just its role in state of mind. Bruce Miller - a "kyusho authority" who goes out of his way to use "non-chi" explanations for "light force knockouts" (LFKOs) - often has the RAS, its function, its inputs, and shock waves to it as explanations for why these LFKOs work in the first place.

Anyhow, I highly recommend people read the chapter Activation of the Brain - the Reticular Activating system.... in Guyton. He is one of the more readable physiologists in print today.

From Takuan we have: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The mind must always be in the state of 'flowing,' for when it stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the mind. In the case of the swordsman, it means death.

When the swordsman stands against his opponent, he is not to think of the opponent, nor of himself, nor of his world which, forgetful of all technique, is ready only to follow the dictates of the unconscious. The man has effaced himself as the wielder of the sword. When he strikes, it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the unconscious that strikes.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Still missing from my quotes and discussion is something that J.D. touched on - the programmed information and access to it that allows the sword, and not the man, to attack. I think it's fair to assume though that THIS is a really good case for doing kata. In the chapter Organization of the Nervous System; Basic Functions of Synapses, Guyton uses the analogy of a computer to talk about the central processing unit (the RAS) and various types of stored information (synapses) and access to it. In The Cerebral Cortex and Intellectual Functions of the Brain he writes <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote
A tertiary memory is a memory that has become so well ingrained in the mind that the memory can usually last the lifetime of the person. Furthermore, the very strong memory traces of this type of memory makes the stored information available within a split second.
Exactly how these various memories get stored is still under investigation, but the fundamental assumption is that it lies in the code created by "synaptic interconnectivity", or the pathways that neurons in the brain create with respect to each other.

I could go on and on and on here. I'll spare the audience and stop a bit here. Hopefully you can see the semblance of a picture painted from these disparate brush strokes.

- Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Glasheen (edited 07-09-99).]
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