Fwd: A Question of Volition

[JTabin@xxxxxxx]

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From: JTabin@aol.com
Full-name: JTabin
Message-ID: <85.3f0bc6b.27619711@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000 20:44:49 EST
Subject: A Question of Volition
To: Jan.fawcett@att.net, Jan_A_Fawcett@rsh.net, BGold10@aol.com,
	NRosenf150@aol.coim
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Dear Jan, Bernie and Nancy,

Sorry I missed the opening presentation at Barnes and Noble Sunday afternoon; 
I wrongly assume the format was 'open house.'

I did, however, enjoy the Q&A very much.

I had a question of my own, but knowing I could access you much more easily 
than most in the audience, I decided not to take the time away from someone 
else.

My question was trigger, however, by the question of another attendee. Or 
more accurately, by Jan and Nancy's response to the question of another 
attendee.

The question, raised about 3-5 questions from the end, came from a man near 
the back and contained some rather loaded language, like strong minded or 
weak minded or something like that. The question, however, as I understood 
it, was: Don't we have some voluntary control over our moods or affective 
states?

Jan, in response to the question, you referenced the PET scan images 
reproduced in the book (Fawcett, Golden and Rosenfled, New Hope for People 
with Bipolar Disorder, 2000) between pages 78 and 79. The PET scans reflect 
measurable, objective biochemical information. I assume this information 
correlates to subjective reports of mood and to observations of related 
behaviors.

For several years now, the general public media has issued occasional reports 
using similar brain scan images. As in Jan's response Sunday afternoon, there 
often seems to be a fuzzy and unexplained implication that the existence of 
this measurable, objective data somehow tells us something about the ability 
of the individual to control mood. In other word, the implication seems to be 
that this objective data tells us that depression or mania or whatever 
affective state we are measuring is beyond the reach of volition or will.

But does it? I don't see how. Please help me here.

Thanks,
Janet Tabin