The Interbrain

The author is emeritus professor of psychiatry in the University of Sheffield and the author of two books on autism. Here he explains the significance of his new idea of the interbrain as a direct embodied connection and interplay of non-verbal communication not only between humans, but also with animals; in this respect autistic subjects have little or no interbrain connection. He contrasts the interbrain with common cultural knowledge that is not embodied or experienced in the same way, even though it may drive cultural attitudes and behaviours. He illustrates the functioning of the interbrain in empathy, imitation, mirroring and emotional contagion, drawing on the history of philosophy including the work of David Hume. He explains the interbrain in action in the development of infants (e.g. facial recognition and the gaze), in altruism and crowd behaviour - also leadership and obedience. He distinguishes the interbrain from a connection based on a theory of mind, where the importance lies in the theory or narrative, not in the embodied connection.

He brings in the idea of an extended mind, but without venturing into telepathy, which can explain connections at a distance rather than in proximity - this would be a step too far out of conventional psychiatry. My own idea of empathetic resonance based on evidence that people can feel what is going on in the bodies of others close to them suggests more of an 'intermind' than an interbrain - although one could see one as an extension of the other. The discussion moves on to connections through common knowledge involving cooperation and coordination based on shared moral instincts and precepts. Here leaders and the relationship of followers can be highly significant in terms of submission and obedience, especially in defining in and out groups that can lead ultimately to war where the other is dehumanised and even demonised in the name of a common ideology. The author's discussion of the psychology of war and terrorism is important reading for our time in the context of the chapter on connections and morality. Significantly, the connectivity provided by the Internet allows for the exchange - even contagion - of information and emotion, but not in an embodied fashion – since there is no direct interbrain connection. As we know, this can become is substitute for real-world personal interaction. The book is an important contribution to understanding our social nature and connections through common knowledge, with both positive and negative consequences. I should also mention that the body of the book is accessible to general readers, but extensive footnotes provide a more technical discussion.