On Thursday, November 28, 2019, the Science-Actions association invites you to join a discussion about the brain. The Café Scientifique event, titled “Controlling the Brain,” will take place in the Decottignies Auditorium at the University of Savoie Mont Blanc (27 rue Marcoz, Chambéry), and will begin at 8:00 p.m.
This coffee-and-discussion event is being held to mark the 20th anniversary of the Science-Actions association and the 40th anniversary of the University of Savoie Mont Blanc.
Mind control?
Who controls whom? Who controls what? How does the brain—with its 100 billion interconnected neurons and neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, etc.)—determine our thoughts and emotions? Conversely, how do our consciousness and thoughts manage to alter the structures of our brain physiologically, functionally, or morphologically?
Fascinating advances in brain imaging, combined with computer science, enable neuroscience to objectively study the mechanisms of neural function. Cognitive psychology has thus attained the status of a science. Consequently, a dialogue is emerging among various stakeholders—researchers and practitioners (doctors, neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, healers, or coaches)—within a societal shift where practices, many of which have been rediscovered, are gaining increasing prominence in the media. From wellness to well-being, from spirituality to therapy, from entertainment to therapeutic use in hospitals, we are witnessing the revival of autosuggestion, hypnosis, Buddhist meditation, and mindfulness meditation. These approaches can thus be used to treat pain, anxiety, stress, phobias, depression, and various illnesses.
Thanks to these remarkable scientific advances, are we moving from “I think, therefore I am” to “I think, therefore I influence my brain”—and even to “I think, therefore I heal”? Can we pinpoint the location of the mind, let alone the unconscious? Is mental activity equivalent to brain activity? If correlations exist, are they sufficient to propose a theory that unifies the brain and consciousness? Come and ask experts about these questions and many others raised by our growing understanding of how the brain works.
In the presence of:
- Dr. Ygal Attal, a general practitioner who practices medical hypnosis in Chambéry
- Dr. Philippe Gonthier, psychiatrist (retired) and court-appointed expert in Chambéry
- Sonia Pellissier, associate professor of psychology at the Interuniversity Laboratory of Psychology – Personality, Cognition, and Social Change at USMB
- Jean-Luc Roulin, associate professor of psychology at the Laboratory of Psychology and Neurocognition at USMB
- Dr. Laurent Vercueil, head of the Functional Exploration of the Nervous System team at Grenoble University Hospital and researcher atthe Institute of Neurosciences (GIN/INSERM/UGA)
SCIENTIFIC CAFÉS
Cafés Scientifiques (or "Cafés Sciences et Citoyen, Débat") allow the general public to discuss a variety of topics, often related to current events, with experts, researchers, and professionals in a friendly atmosphere. They are organized by the Science-Actions association, in collaboration with:
- Savoie Mont Blanc University
- the city of Chambéry
- the Eureka Gallery
- the Beaujolais Restaurant and theAstrée cinema