Culture-Brain Interactions

One of the philosophical problems in neuroscience is seeing the trees before the forest. Indeed, it is essential to know how local events fit into the whole picture, but we must also look beyond correlations between stimuli and neural responses in one sensory nucleus. A lifelong dialogue between the environment and human brain begins at birth. Different environments enable different experiences; each experience is unique because culture gives it meaning. The eye tells the brain about each experience and the context in which it occurs. The brain records, transmits and recalls all events in their proper sequence and with attendant emotion. Culture gives behavior meaning. It helps us see beyond technique alone to better integrate diverse approaches to answering key questions about how the mind works.