The Expanding Science of Neurobiology
Nagel’s philosophical insights have provoked us to consider diverse viewpoints regarding mental illness and disease. Recent technological advances and neurobiological discoveries also yield important insights that encourage us to consider new ways of viewing these mental health challenges—and help us in our quest to destigmatize mental illness. There is real value in understanding the biology as well as psychology of mental illness, especially when considering how deeply the environment can influence our mental health. Psychologists and Neuroscientists have discovered that when individuals are adept at adopting a hopeful mindset, it can strengthen their immune systems and improve resiliency for any future health or psychological issues. Raising children who are resilient is optimal. This can be done by teaching them life coping skills, thus helping them improve their level of self-awareness and ability to regulate themselves emotionally.
Along with adopting a hopeful mindset and improving resiliency to life stressors, neuroscientists have achieved major advancements in technology, such as neuroimaging and brain stimulation. These technologies have given us a deeper understanding of how the brain works. We can literally train our brain through a process called neurofeedback, as well as adopting healthy lifestyle strategies that allow us to generate new neuronal pathways in our brain. As identified by Nagel in his second philosophical perspective (Physicalism), the mind and body are fully integrated.
