Comments on: What are mirror neurons doing? http://charbonniers.org/2009/09/26/what-are-mirror-neurons-doing/ A blog on consciousness by Janet Kwasniak Tue, 22 May 2012 04:29:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: daedalus2u http://charbonniers.org/2009/09/26/what-are-mirror-neurons-doing/#comment-2677 daedalus2u Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:58:24 +0000 http://charbonniers.org/2009/09/26/what-are-mirror-neurons-doing/#comment-2677 <p>I think the function of motor neurons is to allow emulation of the mental processes of others by mimicking the neural processes that have been used to generate the motor actions. I suspect that social animals will have the most robust mirror neurons (to emulate and so understand communication motor actions), but predator and prey species may have neuronal structures that are mirror neuron-like to allow emulation of prey or predator actions.</p> JanetK: I don't think that Hickok is saying that the conventional explanation is wrong but just that it is not proven and there is another explanation that he finds it simpler. I think the function of motor neurons is to allow emulation of the mental processes of others by mimicking the neural processes that have been used to generate the motor actions. I suspect that social animals will have the most robust mirror neurons (to emulate and so understand communication motor actions), but predator and prey species may have neuronal structures that are mirror neuron-like to allow emulation of prey or predator actions.

JanetK: I don’t think that Hickok is saying that the conventional explanation is wrong but just that it is not proven and there is another explanation that he finds it simpler.

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