Optimal Being

In a recent study published in   Behavioral and Brain Functions , scientists have delved into the interplay between fear and greed, revealing intriguing insights into our brain’s workings. By examining how individuals’ brains react to negative emotional faces, the research sheds light on the neurological underpinnings of dispositional greed, offering a novel perspective on the age-old adage of fear and greed driving human behavior. The scientific investigation was motivated by the desire to bridge a gap in our understanding of the neurobiological roots of greed, especially outside the financial realm. While fear often leads to defensive actions, greed pushes individuals towards risk-taking and aggressive behaviors. This divergence, particularly evident in financial decision-making, suggests a complex relationship between our emotional responses and behavioral outcomes. The researchers aimed to explore this relationship further by focusing on how the brain’s reaction to negative emo...

Stimulating the sleeping brain may ease suffering from memory loss, stroke or mental health problem. It was late, and Sonia was alone in an unfamiliar town, trying to find her way home. The map showed a route through a dark forest lit by an occasional lantern. She viewed it with foreboding but, seeing other people also using this passage, took it. Walking fast, she neared a couple ahead of her—a man and a woman—who suddenly stopped, turned and grabbed her. The man covered her face with a cloth. She found herself on a stage with a ceiling spanned by a mirror. A crowd of men armed with guns and knives encircled her; she was about to be tortured and killed. Sonia picked up a stone and threw it at the ceiling, which shattered. Pieces of glass rained down, piercing her shoulder and foot. She fled into the forest, pursued by the couple, who could read each other's minds. The woman saw where Sonia was running and informed the man—Sonia knew she would be hunted down. This nightmare and sim...