" The core idea is this: if we can understand the brain mechanisms responsible for how we experience emotions, make decisions, or interact with others, then we will be in a better position to understand how psychiatric diseases rob people of these abilities. Thus, basic research is the first, critical step down the road toward new and better treatments, cures and, ultimately, prevention of these devastating diseases."

I think that people tend to get "too frustrated/confused" with thinking about what a "normal" person might be. It is well known that all of us are "unique" and it woud be nearly impossible to "dupicate" an individual, even if we were able to "clone" someone.

If we think about our "computers" that are somewhat compatible to the human brain, on some very "basic mechanicals", we will see that our computers reflect our "uniqueness". We buy a computer that is mass produced with certain capabilities, and then we each begin to build a "computer memory" that reflects our personal uniqueness. Therefore, even though a computer can have what is considered a "normal capacity", as soon as someone interacts with and uses it, it then becomes "unique". Ofcourse computers are not "human" but because it has been designed to be very "capatable" to the human brain, it is something we can think about while we are trying to understand the human brain better.

When I think about "normal" myself, I think more about how someone's brain will respond to certain environmental conditions by "producing common charectoristics".While learning about PTSD, and experiencing it in my brain first hand, I would say that my brain exhibits "normal symptoms/thought pattern charectoristics of PTSD".

While I may have a unique "life experience" from someone else that may be experiencing the same "brain disorder/challenge" I experience the same emotional/concentration/and many physical problems as others who have the PTSD changes in their brains do.

What "normal" represents to me is "average" human charectoristics that develope from "similar" ways a human brain is expected to "process information and have a sense of "function" that allows that brain to process "life experiences and information" and maintain "balance".
"Balance" would include "the ability to maintain a desire to survive, and thrive and maintain a sense of "knowledge" that is capable of developing an ongoing ability to "adapt" and "thrive".

Unlike a computer, human beings are designed to take in "messages" and also experience "emotions" that produce chemical reactions in the brain that add to or subtract from "sense of ability to thrive". And these emotions can produce chemicals that can actually "disturb" the human brain's ability to maintain a "balanced desire" to thrive. And much like a computer that can acquire a virus, the brain can begin to "slow down" and have difficulty processing and producing "information" and "capacities" to maintain a "constent flow of thoughts and emotions that stay in "balance".

So the only way we can really consider the use of "normal" is simply by saying that the "average" brain responds to "certain" conditions in a "common" way.

We are then able to examine someone's brain and sense of function and well being, by learning about the "conditions" that brain was "programed" in. For example, if someone's brain was exposed to constant "threats and messages of "anger, unsafe environment, and very few "positive" messages to "thrive on", that brain will not develope certain abilities to maintain a sense of "emotional balance" and ability to "thrive".

We have already learned this by experimenting with monkeys. We saw what would happen if we provided an infant monkey with a mother that had "no" warmth or nurturing abilities. The end result was a monkey who could not function or interact "normally" with other monkeys.

So for me, I consider "normal" from a standpoint of how someone developes resulting from common "conditions" or "exposures" that may "interfere" with their ability to find "balance and permission to thrive within their uniqueness".

I do feel however, that the human brain "can" learn to develope "better coping methods" inspite of some of the "troubling ways it adapted to it's environment". How this "can" take place is by first identifying the "difficult area" and then having that person/brain develope "new ways of interpreting interactions and forming healthier emotions around these "new skills".

For example, let's say someone has somehow developed poor "communication skills" and when they make an attempt to communicate they constantly get "negetive" responses. If that person continues on that path and is constantly told they "cannot improve" they will "not improve" and believe they are incapable. However, if that person is allowed to be in an environment where they can slowly "establish" new knowledge and is given ongoing "patience" and positive support and time to "repeat these positive patterns" they WILL develope a capacity to "achieve better interactive skills and the positive emotions that accompany that new "skill". This is something we are learning about the human brain and now call "plasticity".

In my own years of working with both children and training horses I "know" that repetitive positive teaching of new skills "do work". It never ceases to amaze me that while a horse only has a brain the size of a walnut, that brain "can" develope new skills and "postive" mannerisms as well. If I can take an abused Mustang that was so sensitive it would shiver and cower to the human touch, and produce a "calm, trusting and capable balanced "willing" animal, that is proof to me that we "can" learn to overcome many things.

I do not want to exclude the fact that some human brains may have "different" ways they may function.
I raised a child that has dislexia, so I know her brain "processes" information differently than my brain does or what can be called the "average" brain. However, even though she processed information differently, with "understanding and positive support" she learned to develope her brain in "healthy balanced ways where she continuously feels she has the ability to "thrive".

Open Eyes