Nörobilim ve Ayrılma: Gerçek Ne? Sahte Ne?
The concept of severance, as depicted in the science fiction series Severance on Apple TV+, explores a world where a person’s work and personal lives are surgically separated. While this idea may seem far-fetched, it raises intriguing questions about neuroscience. Can a person’s mind truly be divided in two through surgery?
The existence of “split-brain” patients since the 1940s sheds light on this question. These patients underwent surgeries to separate the left and right hemispheres of their brains to control epilepsy symptoms. Surprisingly, similar surgeries are still performed today, revealing the ongoing relevance of this topic.
Research on split-brain patients has shown that the separated hemispheres can process information independently, suggesting the possibility of two separate minds coexisting in one brain. This highlights the complexity of the human brain and the potential for conflicting goals and desires within a single individual.
In the first season of Severance, the character Helly R experiences a conflict between her “innie” and “outie” sides, mirroring the reported conflicts between the hemispheres of real split-brain patients. Communication with these patients often involves interacting with the left hemisphere, which controls speech, but some patients can communicate through their right hemisphere using alternative methods like writing or arranging letters.
One notable case involved a young patient expressing conflicting career aspirations through each hemisphere, showcasing the different desires and goals that can exist within a single individual. Additionally, split-brain patients have reported experiencing “alien hand syndrome,” where one of their hands appears to move independently, further illustrating the complexities of the human brain.
In the case of Neil, a teenage boy with a rare form of amnesia following a tumor, researchers discovered that he could retain information and memories without conscious awareness. Neil’s ability to recall details through writing, despite being unable to read or verbally remember them, challenges traditional notions of memory and consciousness.
The hippocampus, a brain region crucial for memory and spatial representation, plays a significant role in the fictional severance procedure depicted in the show. The concept of switching between the “innie” and “outie” sides at the office boundary mirrors the hippocampus’ role in segmenting experiences into episodes for recall.
While the show simplifies the severance procedure as a division of episodic and spatial memory, it fails to account for the complexity of memory processes that involve semantic knowledge, emotional memories, and brain-wide networks beyond the hippocampus. Memory is interconnected with perception, attention, language, and other cognitive functions, making the complete split of memory into two distinct entities unrealistic.
Although the idea of a severance procedure dividing the human memory system is scientifically implausible, the exploration of such concepts in fiction serves as a thought-provoking exercise in understanding the complexities of the human brain. As Severance demonstrates, the intersection of science and storytelling offers a compelling lens through which to contemplate the mysteries of the mind.
