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6000 BCE
Trephination Origins
Trephination - Initially practised in 6000 BCE, people diagnosed with mental illness would have a circular hole created in their skull to "let the evil escape", the hole would be created while the patient was conscious and would be done with a sharp object like a knife. Although patients were awake for the procedure, they often survived the surgery as there are records of their survival. -
1700 BCE
Brain VS Heart - Ancient Egypt
Mummification - Ancient Egyptians believed that the heart was what made capable of thought, housed knowledge and was what made them act, whereas the brain was seen as unnecessary in comparison to the heart as they believed it didn't have any of those qualities. This is why Egyptians removed the brain from the deceased but left the heart, so they could safely pass to the afterlife with their heart which housed their will, thought and personality. -
Period: to
Mind-Body Debate - Rene Descartes
Rene Descartes - Descartes argued that the mind and body were two separate entities (now known as dualism), he believed the mind was responsible for self-awareness, reflection, thought and reason and that the body only interacted with the mind through the pineal gland. Descartes believed that the mind was not physical but those that believe in materialistic monism argue the opposite, that both the mind and body are a singular physical entity. -
Phrenology Origins
Phrenology - In 1796, Franz Joseph Gall created the belief that a person's personality and mental capacity was dictated by 27 brain organs, located on the brain's surface. These organs were said to increase or decrease in size depending on their usage, if an organ was used a lot it's size would increase and create a lump in the skull. If a brain organ wasn't used much it would shrink and create a small dent in the skull. Phrenologists would study people's heads and produce results based on lumps -
Period: to
Neuroimaging Origins
Neuroimaging - In the late 19th century Angelo Mosso recorded the blood pulsations of the cerebral cortex after surgical procedures. During his studies, Mosso realised that the blood pulsations changed while the subject's brain was more active, due to telling the body to act. Mosso created the "human circulation balance" which let the researcher see how the blood pulsations changed as the subject thought and as their emotions differed.
