In his 1949 classic The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory, the Canadian behavioural psychologist D.O. Hebb pioneered ideas about the brain that greatly advanced our understanding of the “fire together wire together” principle.

Hebb’s work has been built on by Michael Merzenich, the professor emeritus neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco. (Merzenich is also the author of more than 200 scientific papers, and has appeared in two documentaries about neuroplasticity, and has been praised in the New York Times, Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, Time, Forbes, Discover, and Vogue.) Continue reading →

Our previous post, ‘Agoraphobia and Brain Plasticity’ explored how the principle ‘neurons that fire together, wire together’ is behind certain exposure therapies, including strategies used to help sufferers of agoraphobia.

This same understanding can be used, in conjunction with other therapeutic work, to help patients deal who are struggling with conditions of abnormal psychology, including sexual problems.

In Dr. Doidge book The Brain That Changes Itself, Doidge tells of a man who had experiences when he was young which caused the mind-maps for sexuality and aggression to become fused. Successful treatment involved finding ways to help him associate sexuality with things other than aggression and anger, such as love and gentleness. By disassociating the neurons that had fused sexuality with aggression, and then reinforcing healthy neuro-connections, the patient was able to eventually leave behind his sexual pathologies.

This understanding not only helps people who suffer from pathologies, but is also at the cutting edge of therapies to help people born with various types of learning disabilities. But more about that in a future post.

Further Reading

• Agoraphobia and Brain Plasticity

My previous posts have been exploring the phenomenon that “neurons that fire together wire together”, which is a catchy way of talking about Freud’s ‘law of association by simultaneity‘.

Psychologists have been able to use these insights to help sufferers of various pathologies, including agoraphobia, which is one of the key terms on the EPPP. Continue reading →

In our recent series of blog post we have been sharing how many psychotherapists are now turning to neuroscience to better understand the mysteries of human behavior.

In our previous post, ‘Freud and the law of association by simultaneity’, we shared that some of Freud’s early theories of the brain were developed after laboratory research he conducted following the completion of his medical training. Continue reading →

Our previous post ‘Of Thumbs and Monkeys’ looked at some basic physiological examples of the principle that ‘Neurons that fire together wire together.’ We’ve also explored the relevance this has for the smells associated with those of the opposite sex.

This phenomenon doesn’t just apply to fingers or to our relationships with the opposite sex, but has enormous psychological implications.

One of the reasons the bond between a child and mother is so strong is because the presence of mother is associated with the provision of food, warmth and comfort. When the part of the brain associated with food, comfort and warmth fires up, this happens simultaneous with the part of the brain associated with mother firing up. This is one of the reasons why simply being in mother’s presence can have a calming effect on a young child. Continue reading →

We’ve been exploring the neurological importance of associations based on the principle that neurons in the brain which fire together, wire together. Continue reading →