How We Come into Being ― Msc Papers in Psycho-social Dynamics and Affective Neuroscience

The collection of papers within this book are the complete body of work from my MSc in Psycho-Social Studies, undertaken at the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, between 2008 and 2010. The dissertation thesis, Determinism and Agency in Affective Neuroscience; a Psycho-Social Perspective, is, in my opinion, the principle of my writing to date. It not only explores the neuroscience of fate and free-will, it also addresses the dilemma of nature verses nurture and resolves this with a quadrvium; a non-linear dynamical system comprising epigenetic and ontogentic potentials, cultural and socio-affective neuro-conditioning, an autobiographical past and an anticipated future trajectory, which form a synthesis of self in the present moment. The papers from the preliminary modules of the degree paved the way for the dissertation research; setting the scene and introducing concepts which are then further explored. Although the topics of the modules were seemingly distinct and different on the surface, a unifying theme emerged as I progressed through the MSc which I found personally illuminating. Dr. Ania Lian writes in the Foreword; For those engaged in an on-going search for “outside the box” tools in order to better understand our human condition, this book, Determinism and Agency in Affective Neuro-science, offers an opportunity to engage, with the author, in a journey which explores cutting-edge discoveries in brain science in relation to age-old questions such as free will, agency and the nature of reality itself. This book will provoke reflection, inspire imagination and challenge the terms in which we frame the concepts of self and other.