The Neurology of Zombies

Posted by John Farrier in Paranormal on April 9, 2009 at 5:14 pm


Dr. Steven Schlozman, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, will present a public lecture on the neuropsychology of zombies, as well as that of zombie attack survivors:

And that’s the crux of one of Schlozman’s arguments: The story changes as the situation grows grimmer. Here, the professor draws on “mirror neuron” theory, which holds that humans are hard-wired to reflect the psychological states of the people around them. (Show a test subject a short film of a face displaying disgust, or pleasure, and regions of the brain associated with those feelings activate in the subject.)

Unable to relate to the hordes of undead, the survivors in zombie films enter a spiral of despair, feeding off the panic and hopelessness of the uninfected people around them.

If you’re in Boston on Monday night, check it out.

Link — Thanks, Tom Jackson!


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COMMENT

8 comments to "The Neurology of Zombies"

  1. Patrick Henry
    April 9th, 2009 at 6:08 pm

    I am SO SICK of zombies. They are over used, over done, and I hope to god they die out as the fad they are. God, I hope I'm not a troll.

  2. John
    April 9th, 2009 at 6:26 pm

    Well, Patrick, there's always bacon and lolcats instead of zombie-blogging.

  3. Alex
    April 9th, 2009 at 7:16 pm

    We need a new meme - I nominate wombats.

  4. Johnny Cat
    April 9th, 2009 at 8:33 pm

    Or womprats? I used to bullseye 'em back home.

  5. vonskippy
    April 9th, 2009 at 8:50 pm

    http://www.savagechickens.com/2009/01/save-the-womp-rats.html

  6. Frau
    April 10th, 2009 at 9:51 pm

    I wish I could be there.
    As someone who loves being a zombie, I predict that ghouls will replace zombies.
    Ghouls like the ones in the Omega Man with Charlton Heston. Ghouls that look like Edgar Winters.

    Lols @ Patrick Henry "I hope to god they die out ..."
    Just look out for the road signs warning you of "ZOMBIES AHEAD" and you should have no physical encounters.

    Zombies as a part of pop culture have a resurgence every few years. They should be overshadowed shortly by vampires soon.

  7. Greengirl
    April 10th, 2009 at 9:56 pm

    I love zombies and would love to see more zombie-related items.
    I see zombies as the human embodiment of commodfication whereas a friend of mine sees them as a denial of self-reflexivity.

  8. Jrod
    April 28th, 2009 at 7:24 pm

    I just stay pearped with a big ax


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