Daily Archives: September 5, 2015

Spontaneous Activity in All Living Creatures

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Dr. Peter Breggin writes: What is called  “spontaneous” behavior, including exploration and novelty-seeking, is at the heart of normal functioning for animals and humans. Any animal, including monkeys, rats, mice, or pigeons, has a natural curiosity or tendency to explore its environment. These animals also have a natural tendency to congregate and to relate to each other. Their investigative or  exploratory drives, as well as their social drives, […]

Ritalin and Spontaneity

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In a study led by Herbert Rie  from the Ohio State Department of Pediatrics, Rie found no objective evidence for improvement from Ritalin on any of a series of tests for learning or performance. The children exhibited “typical suppressive behavioral effects”. The children became: “distinctly more bland or “flat” emotionally, lacking both the age-typical variety and frequency of emotional expression.  They responded less, exhibited little or no initiative […]