Klemm Atoms of Mind

The "Ghost in the Machine" Materializes
1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-94-007-1097-9
Verlag: Springer Netherlands
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 355 Seiten

This book describes the author’s view of how the mind “thinks” at various levels of operation. These levels include nonconscious mind (as in spinal/brainstem reflexes and neuroendocrine controls), subconscious mind, and conscious mind. In the attempt to explain conscious mind, there is considerable critique of arguments over whether or not free will is an illusion. Finally, the author summarizes current leading theories for consciousness (Bayesian probability, chaos, and quantum mechanics) and then presents his own theory based on patterns of nerve impulses in circuits that are interlaced coherently into larger networks.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Klemm, W. R.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Preface;10
1.1;How to Read This Book;10
2;Acknowledgements;14
3;Contents;16
4;1: The Quest;22
4.1;Mysticism & Religion Versus Reason & Science;24
4.2;What Brains Do;31
4.2.1;Deconstructing and Representing Sensory Information;32
4.2.2;The Brain as “Information” Processor;35
4.2.3;The Brain as a Timing Device;35
4.2.4;The Brain as a Decision-Making System;36
4.3;References;38
5;2: Thinking About Thinking;39
5.1;Defining Thought Biologically;39
5.2;First Principles;42
5.3;The Brain’s Three Minds;43
5.4;Brains as Liquid-State Electronic Devices;45
5.5;Brains vs. Computers;46
5.6;The Currency of Thought;48
5.7;Brain Creation of Consciousness;54
5.7.1;Hallucinatory Consciousness;54
5.7.2;Dream Consciousness;56
5.8;Human Mind Is in the Brain;57
5.8.1;Circuits and Networks;58
5.9;Manifestations of Thought;59
5.9.1;Biochemistry;60
5.9.2;Electroencephalogram (EEG);60
5.9.3;Brain Scans;62
5.9.4;Behavior;64
5.10;The Brain as a System;65
5.11;Nonlinearity Matters;67
5.11.1;Cell-Level Consequences of Nonlinearity;67
5.11.2;Cognitive Consequences of Nonlinearity;68
5.12;Inhibition Matters;69
5.13;Bodies Think Too;71
5.14;Physiological and Behavioral Readiness;71
5.15;Triggering Consciousness;79
5.16;Where Consciousness Comes from;80
5.17;References;81
6;3: Kinds of Thought;83
6.1;Non-conscious Thought;83
6.1.1;Spinal Cord;83
6.1.2;Brainstem;85
6.1.3;Other Functions of the Non-conscious Mind;86
6.1.3.1;Autonomic Nervous System (ANS);87
6.1.3.1.1;Neuroendocrine Response;89
6.1.3.1.2;Homeostasis and the Endocrine System;90
6.2;Subconscious Thought;92
6.2.1;Cerebellum;92
6.2.2;Limbic System;93
6.2.3;Reward;96
6.2.4;Subconsciously Driven Behavior;99
6.2.5;Bias;100
6.2.6;Access by the Conscious Mind;101
6.2.7;Unmasking the Subconscious;105
6.2.8;Existential Emotions;105
6.3;Conscious Thought;108
6.3.1;What It Means to Be Conscious;109
6.3.2;Dreams Are Made of This;112
6.3.3;Conscious Identity;114
6.3.4;Conscious Influences on the Subconscious;114
6.4;The Wholeness of Multiple Minds;116
6.4.1;Making Two Minds Into One;116
6.4.2;Making Four Minds Into One;117
6.5;References;118
7;4: Carriers and Repositories of Thought;120
7.1;Brain Structure;120
7.2;Properties of Neurons;122
7.2.1;Receptive Fields;122
7.2.2;Labeled Lines;123
7.2.3;Neuronal Circuits and Networks;126
7.2.4;Topographical Mapping;131
7.2.5;Cortical Columns;132
7.2.6;Connectivity;133
7.3;Brain Physiology;134
7.3.1;Post-synaptic Field Potentials;134
7.3.2;The Nerve Impulse;140
7.3.3;Impulses in Shared Circuitry;143
7.3.4;Rate Code;145
7.3.5;Complex Spikes;145
7.3.6;Interval Code;146
7.3.7;Serial Dependency in Interspike Intervals;146
7.3.8;Compounded Voltage Fields;152
7.3.9;Stimulus-Bound Oscillation;155
7.3.10;Clustered Firing and Oscillation;156
7.4;Biochemistry;158
7.4.1;Release of Transmitter;158
7.4.2;Receptor Binding;160
7.4.3;Second Messengers;161
7.5;Elementary Thinking Mechanisms;161
7.5.1;Analog Computing;161
7.5.2;Gating;162
7.5.3;Oscillation;163
7.5.3.1;Types of Oscillations;165
7.5.3.1.1;Alpha Oscillations;165
7.5.3.1.2;Theta Oscillations;166
7.5.3.1.3;Gamma Oscillations;166
7.5.4;What Do Oscillations Do?;166
7.6;Rhythmic Change in Excitability;170
7.7;References;172
8;5: Examples of Specific Ways of Thinking;175
8.1;Time Processing;175
8.2;Sound Localization;177
8.3;Locating Body Position in Space;178
8.3.1;Relations to Phase of Hippocampal Theta Rhythm;179
8.3.2;Spatial Scale-Sensitive Neurons;181
8.3.3;Multiple Place Fields for Each Neuron;181
8.3.4;Grid Cells;182
8.4;Face Recognition;183
8.5;Visual Motion Computation;184
8.6;Attaching Value to Actions;185
8.7;Common Denominators;187
8.8;References;187
9;6: Global Interactions;189
9.1;Memories;189
9.1.1;Coding for Memory;191
9.1.2;Consolidation;192
9.1.3;Location of Stored Memories;195
9.1.4;Keeping Memories from Being Jumbled;196
9.2;Network Plasticity;197
9.3;Modularity;199
9.4;Module Interactions;202
9.5;Cerebral Lateralization;203
9.6;Combinatorics;208
9.7;The Electroencephalogram: Its Rise and Fall, and Recent Rise;212
9.8;The Importance of Oscillation and Synchrony;216
9.8.1;Synchrony;217
9.8.2;Function of Synchrony;220
9.9;EEG Coherence and Consciousness;223
9.9.1;Phase Shifting During Movements;228
9.9.2;Phase Shifting During Thought;229
9.9.3;Cross-Frequency Coherence;233
9.9.4;Ultraslow Oscillations;234
9.10;References;236
10;7: On the Nature of Consciousness;240
10.1;The Value of Consciousness;242
10.2;Sense of Identity;245
10.3;Maps in the Brain;248
10.4;The Binding Problem;250
10.5;How I Think We Think When Conscious;251
10.5.1;Working Memory Biology;251
10.6;Sleep vs. Consciousness;255
10.7;A Humpty-Dumpty Theory for Why We Dream;256
10.7.1;A Summarizing Metaphor;263
10.7.2;Fitting Known Phenomena into the New Explanation;263
10.8;Compulsions;267
10.9;Free Will;268
10.10;Free Will Debates;270
10.10.1;The Zombie Argument;270
10.10.2;A New Critique of Zombian Research;273
10.10.2.1;The Libet Experiments;273
10.10.3;Follow-up Studies;274
10.10.4;Twelve Interpretive Issues;277
10.10.5;Proposal for Next Generation of Experiments;285
10.10.6;Common-Experience Examples of Free Will;287
10.10.7;Personal Responsibility;288
10.10.8;The Purpose of Free Will;292
10.10.8.1;Consciousness as the Brain’s Planner;292
10.10.8.2;Consciousness Facilitates Learning;292
10.10.8.3;Program the Subconscious;294
10.10.8.4;No Will, No Way;296
10.11;References;297
11;8: Theories of Consciousness;300
11.1;Bayesian Probability;300
11.2;Chaos Theory;303
11.2.1;The Problem of Fast Transients;310
11.2.2;Fractal Dimension;311
11.2.3;The Take-Home Message About Chaos Theory;311
11.3;The Quantum Theory of Consciousness;312
11.3.1;A Brief Description of Quantum Theory;314
11.3.2;Specific Possible Explanations of Consciousness;318
11.3.2.1;Collapse;319
11.3.2.2;Quantum Tunneling;319
11.3.2.3;Quantum Mechanics and Exocytosis;320
11.3.2.4;Tubulin Subunits;321
11.3.2.5;Field Theory;322
11.3.2.6;Quantum Interference;323
11.3.2.7;Spintronics;324
11.3.3;Quantum Metaphors;324
11.3.4;Conclusions About Quantum Theories of Consciousness;325
11.4;Circuit Impulse Pattern Theory of Consciousness;327
11.4.1;A Little Common Sense Please;327
11.4.2;Neocortex as the Origin of Consciousness;328
11.4.3;CIP Representations of Consciousness;332
11.4.4;The Created and Remembered “I” of Consciousness;333
11.4.5;What CIPs of Consciousness Represent;336
11.4.6;Engagement of Meta-circuits;338
11.4.7;Consciousness as Brain-Constructed CIP Avatar;339
11.4.8;Learning by the Avatar;342
11.4.9;The Avatar and Its Sense of Self;343
11.4.10;How Does the Avatar Produce Consciousness?;344
11.4.11;Implications of the Brain-Constructed Avatar;345
11.4.12;Unleashing the Avatar;347
11.4.13;How the Avatar Knows It Knows;347
11.4.14;Testability of the CIP Avatar Theory;350
11.4.14.1;Disrupting CIPs;351
11.4.14.2;Monitoring CIPs;352
11.4.15;Specific Test Designs;354
11.5;References;356
12;9: Conclusions;359
13;Index;363