Hi Zinco: Wow... for me at least, just what you put into your Thread is a dizzying amount of material. And I suspect this barely scratches the surface of what's out there. I read a book, a while back titled: Subliminal- How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior written by Leonard Mlodinow, Pantheon, 2012. The book summarized, & put into layman's terms, the results of studies of the brain that had been done, to date, using fMRI technology. Some of the implications are, if accurate, shocking.

One of the findings that was of particular interest to me was with regard to decision-making. We generally assume that we weigh the various components involved in making a decision & arrive at our decision based on our understanding of these various factors. However, what fMRI studies are apparently finding is that we first make a decision. Then we weight the various components, or factors, involved in order to support the decision we've already made. Imagine the implications for this within the judicial system.

In my own case, I think about my own belief that I am transgender. Whether or not this is factually the case, I would naturally presume that I had looked back through my life at various things that occurred &, from this, concluded that I fit the transgender paradigm, so to speak. However, what current fMRI studies would apparently suggest is that first I decided I was transgender. Then I went back, looked over my life history, & weighted my various memories such that when totted up the totals supported the decision I had made to begin with that I am transgender. Does that make sense?

Anyway, thanks for addressing this important topic. I hope to have time to read at least a few of the sources you cited.