Electromagnetic theories of consciousness

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The electromagnetic field theory of consciousness is a theory that says the electromagnetic field generated by the brain (measurable by ECoG) is the actual carrier of conscious experience.

This theory was initially proposed by Susan Pockett, Johnjoe McFadden(CEMI Field Theory)[1][2][3]and E. Roy John. Related is Andrew and Alexander Fingelkurts theory "Operational Architectonics framework of brain-mind functioning".[4][5][6]

The starting point for these theories is the fact that every time a neuron fires to generate an action potential and a postsynaptic potential in the next neuron down the line, it also generates a disturbance to the surrounding electromagnetic (EM) field. Information coded in neuron firing patterns is therefore reflected into the brain's EM field. Locating consciousness in the brain's EM field, rather than the neurons, has the advantage of neatly accounting for how information located in millions of neurons scattered throughout the brain can be unified into a single conscious experience (sometimes called the binding problem): the information is unified in the EM field. In this way EM field consciousness can be considered to be 'joined-up information'.

This theory accounts for several otherwise puzzling facts, such as the finding that attention and awareness tend to be correlated with the synchronous firing of multiple neurons rather than the firing of individual neurons. When neurons fire together their EM fields generate stronger EM field disturbances; so synchronous neuron firing will tend to have a larger impact on the brain's EM field (and thereby consciousness) than the firing of individual neurons.[7] However their generation by synchronous firing is not the only important characteristic of conscious electromagnetic fields — in Pockett's original theory, spatial pattern is the defining feature of a conscious (as opposed to a non-conscious) field.[8]

The different EM field theories disagree as to the role of the proposed conscious EM field on brain function. In McFadden's cemi field theory, the brain's global EM field modifies the electric charges across neural membranes and thereby influences the probability that particular neurons will fire, providing a feed-back loop that drives free will. However in the theories of Susan Pockett and E. Roy John, there is no necessary causal link between the conscious EM field and our consciously willed actions.

In the Orchestrated Objective Reduction(Orch OR)theory of Stuart Hameroff and Roger Penrose,[9] quantum-superposed states develop in microtubule subunit proteins ("Alpha and Beta tubulins"), remain coherent and recruit more superposed tubulins until a mass-time-energy threshold (related to quantum gravity) is reached. At that point, self-collapse, or objective reduction (OR) abruptly occurs. We equate the pre-reduction, coherent superposition ("quantum computing") phase with pre-conscious processes, and each instantaneous (and non-computable) OR, or self-collapse, with a discrete conscious event. Sequences of OR events give rise to a "stream" of consciousness. Microtubule-associated-proteins can "tune" the quantum oscillations of the coherent superposed states; the OR is thus self-organized, or "orchestrated" ("Orch OR"). Each Orch OR event selects (non-computably) microtubule subunit states which regulate synaptic/neural functions using classical signaling.[10][11]

In Topological Geometro Dynamic (TGD) theory, proposed by Matti Pittkanen and Alex Kaivarainen, solitonic black holes (electrons/axions)[12][13][14] and white holes (positrons/psychons)[15][16] formed in the vacuum of the Alpha and Beta tubulin protein pockets[17][18] via graviton collapse, can be utilzed to connect human consciousness to the Earth's geomagnetic field.[19]TGD theory states that multiple consciousness can be connected as a type of neuronal internet network. An extension of this theory is Noetic Field Theory of Richard Amoroso,stating that solitonic singularity formation (photon/geon)[20][21]in the superposed Gamma tubulin vacuum is responsible for self consciousness.[22] The Noetic Field Theory states that dual channel photon production (Calabi-Yau manifold/Noeon) may be responsible for higher dimensional phenomena such as psychokinesis.[23][24][25]

If true, the theory has major implications for efforts to design consciousness into Artificial intelligence machines; current microprocessor technology is designed to transmit information linearly along electrical channels, and more general electromagnetic effects are seen as a nuisance and damped out; if this theory is right, however, this is directly counterproductive to the process of creating an artificially-intelligent computer, which on some versions of the theory would instead have electromagnetic fields that synchronized its outputs—or in the original version of the theory would have spatially patterned electromagnetic fields.

The first experiments on physical implementation of the electromagnetic theory of consciousness are carried out by the Russian research group[who?] of scientists claiming to have built McFadden-style EM field consciousness hardware. Researchers K. N. Shevchenko, N. V. Shevchenko, and B. V. Shulgin at the experimental physics department of Ural State Technical University – UPI created a model of neural network on neurons (EM (electromagnetic) neurons)[26] with additional channels for information exchange via electromagnetic field and patented it (Patent RU 2309457 C1, Int. Cl. G06N 3/06, G06G 7/60. Neuron Network Model. Application 06.05.2006; Date of publication 27.10.2007; Bulletin 30).[27][28] Channels for interaction by electromagnetic field are implemented in an original construction of neural axons, resembling a chain of in-series radio-frequency pulse self oscillators with self-quenching circuits and radio-pulse envelope separators. The concept of EM neurons is nearly the same as that described in McFadden’s CEMI theory, but with one exception: the mechanism of EM field information exchange between neurons is different. These engineered neurons have much in common with their biological counterparts and correspond with typical neurological patterns of behavior.

The issue of spontaneous generation of consciousness in networks with this type of architecture remains open, however, and research is ongoing.

[edit] Further reading

published in: Journal of Consciousness Studies (2002) 9: 23-50

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Johnjoe McFadden (2002). "The Conscious Electromagnetic Information (Cemi) Field Theory: The Hard Problem Made Easy?". Journal of Consciousness Studies 9 (8): 45–60. http://www.surrey.ac.uk/qe/pdfs/mcfadden_JCS2002b.pdf. 
  2. ^ Johnjoe McFadden (2002). "Synchronous Firing and Its Influence on the Brain’s Electromagnetic Field: Evidence for an Electromagnetic Field Theory of Consciousness". Journal of Consciousness Studies 9 (4): 23–50. http://www.surrey.ac.uk/qe/pdfs/cemi_theory_paper.pdf. 
  3. ^ Jack A. Tuszynski (2006). "12. The CEMI Field Theory: Seven Clues to the Nature of Consciousness". in Springer. The Emerging Physics of Consciousness. Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 385-404. http://www.surrey.ac.uk/qe/pdfs/Seven%20Clues%20to%20the%20Origin%20of%20Consciousness.pdf.  (the chapter author is Johnjoe McFadden)
  4. ^ Andrew A. Fingelkurts and Alexander A. Fingelkurts, Mapping of the Brain Operational Architectonics, published in: Chen, F. J. (ed.) Focus on Brain Mapping Research, Nova Science Publishers, 2005 pp. 59-98
  5. ^ Fingelkurts AnA, Fingelkurst AIA, operational architectonics of the human eeg NI2001 World Congress on Neuroinformatics, Vienna, Austria, September 24-29, 2001
  6. ^ Andrew A. Fingelkurts, Alexander A. Fingelkurts, Operational architectonics of perception and cognition (a principle of self-organized metastable brain states, talk presented at VI Parmenides Workshop, of Institute of Medical Psychology, University of Munich, Elba Italy, April 5 to 10, 2003
  7. ^ Chris King(1996)"Fractal Neurodyamics and Quantum Chaos :Resolving the Mind-Brain Paradox Through Novel Biophysics"
  8. ^ Susan Pockett(2000)"[http://www.phy.auckland.ac.nz/assets/pdf/TheNatureofConsciousnessAHypothesis.pdf The Nature of Consciousness A Hypothesis]"
  9. ^ Stuart Hameroff and Roger Penrose "Conscious Events as Orchestrated Space-Time Selections"
  10. ^ Stuart R. Hameroff(1987)"[http://www.quantumconsciousness.org/pdfs/UltComp_v51.pdf Ultimate Computing: Biomolecular Consciousness and NanoTechnology]"
  11. ^ D.V. Nanopoulos(1995)"[http://xxx.lanl.gov/PS_cache/hep-ph/pdf/9505/9505374v1.pdf Theory of Brain Function, Quantum Mechanics and Superstrings]"
  12. ^ Philip Benjamin(2007)"Dark Chemistry or Psychic Spin Pixel?"
  13. ^ Arnd Brandenberg and Frank Daniel Steffen(2004)"Axino Dark Matter From Thermal Production"
  14. ^ David H. Lyth(1993)"Dilution Of Cosmological Densities By Saxino Decay"
  15. ^ An Evolution Theory In The Tradition of Panpsychism(1999)"The Psychon Theory"
  16. ^ Donald E.Watson and Bernard O.Williams(2003)"Eccles' Model of the Self Controlling Its Brain:The Irrelevance of Dualist-Interactionism"
  17. ^ Alex Kaivarainen "[http://www.emergentmind.org/Unif%20Mod_L-A.pdf Unified Model of Bivacuum, Particles Duality, Electromagnetism, Gravitation & Time. The Superfluous Energy of Asymmetric Bivacuum]"
  18. ^ Peter H. Fraser(2007)"[http://www.nutrienergetics.com/downloads/7_Major_Principles.pdf Seven Major Principles of the Human BodyField According to NES Theory]"
  19. ^ Matti PitkÄanen(2006)"TGD:An Introduction"
  20. ^ Richard L.Amoroso(2008)"How Mind-Body Interactions Surmount the Uncertainty Principle"
  21. ^ John Archibald Wheeler and Kenneth Ford Norton(1998)"Geons,Black Holes & Quantum Foam"
  22. ^ Richard L. Amoroso(1999)"An Introduction to Noetic Field Theory: The Quantization of Mind"
  23. ^ Richard L. Amoroso(2000)"The Physical Basis of Consciousness:A Fundamental Formalism"
  24. ^ Saul-Paul Sirag"Consciousness:A Hyperspace View"
  25. ^ Jeffrey Mishlove,PhD "Consciousness and the New Physics"
  26. ^ K. N. Shevchenko, N. V. Shevchenko, B. V. Shulgin"Neural Network Model With An Additional Information Interchange Channel Between Neurons"
  27. ^ Colak, Set Brian(1999)"Neural net with spatially distributed functionalities"
  28. ^ Fabbrizio,Vito Colli, Gianluca Kramer, Alan(2000)"Low-voltage, very-low-power neural network"
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