alt.conspiracy,alt.magick,francom.esoterisme
http://unisci.com/stories/20022/0516026.htm
Our Conscious Mind Could Be An Electromagnetic Field
Are our thoughts made of the distributed kind of electromagnetic field
that permeates space and carries the broadcast signal to the TV or
radio.
Professor Johnjoe McFadden from the School of Biomedical and Life
Sciences at the University of Surrey in the UK believes our conscious
mind could be an electromagnetic field.
“The theory solves many previously intractable problems of
consciousness and could have profound implications for our concepts of
mind, free will, spirituality, the design of artificial intelligence,
and even life and death,” he said.
Most people consider "mind" to be all the conscious things that we are
aware of. But much, if not most, mental activity goes on without
awareness. Actions such as walking, changing gear in your car or
peddling a bicycle can become as automatic as breathing.
The biggest puzzle in neuroscience is how the brain activity that
we’re aware of (consciousness) differs from the brain activity driving
all of those unconscious actions.
When we see an object, signals from our retina travel along nerves as
waves of electrically charged ions. When they reach the nerve
terminus, the signal jumps to the next nerve via chemical
neurotransmitters. The receiving nerve decides whether or not it will
fire, based on the number of firing votes it receives from its
upstream nerves.
In this way, electrical signals are processed in our brain before
being transmitted to our body. But where, in all this movement of ions
and chemicals, is consciousness? Scientists can find no region or
structure in the brain that specializes in conscious thinking.
Consciousness remains a mystery.
“Consciousness is what makes us ‘human,’ Professor McFadden said.
“Language, creativity, emotions, spirituality, logical deduction,
mental arithmetic, our sense of fairness, truth, ethics, are all
inconceivable without consciousness.” But what’s it made of?
One of the fundamental questions of consciousness, known as the
binding problem, can be explained by looking at a tree. Most people,
when asked how many leaves they see, will answer "thousands." But
neurobiology tells us that the information (all the leaves) is
dissected and scattered among millions of widely separated neurones.
Scientists are trying to explain where in the brain all those leaves
are stuck together to form the conscious impression of a whole tree.
How does our brain bind information to generate consciousness?
What Professor McFadden realized was that every time a nerve fires,
the electrical activity sends a signal to the brain’s electromagnetic
(em) field. But unlike solitary nerve signals, information that
reaches the brain’s em field is automatically bound together with all
the other signals in the brain. The brain’s em field does the binding
that is characteristic of consciousness.
What Professor McFadden and, independently, the New Zealand-based
neurobiologist Sue Pockett, have proposed is that the brain’s em field
is consciousness.
The brain’s electromagnetic field is not just an information sink; it
can influence our actions, pushing some neurons towards firing and
others away from firing. This influence, Professor McFadden proposes,
is the physical manifestation of our conscious will.
The theory explains many of the peculiar features of consciousness,
such as its involvement in the learning process.
Anyone learning to drive a car will have experienced how the first
(very conscious) fumblings are transformed through constant practice
into automatic actions.
The neural networks driving those first uncertain fumblings are
precisely where we would expect to find nerves in the undecided state
when a small nudge from the brain’s em field can topple them towards
or away from firing. The field will "fine tune" the neural pathway
towards the desired goal.
But neurons are connected so that when they fire together, they wire
together, to form stronger connections. After practice, the influence
of the field will become dispensable. The activity will be learnt and
may thereafter be performed unconsciously.
One of the objections to an electromagnetic field theory of
consciousness is, if our minds are electromagnetic, then why don’t we
pass out when we walk under an electrical cable or any other source of
external electromagnetic fields? The answer is that our skin, skull
and cerebrospinal fluid shield us from external electric fields.
“The conscious electromagnetic information field is, at present, still
a theory. But if true, there are many fascinating implications for the
concept of free will, the nature of creativity or spirituality,
consciousness in animals and even the significance of life and death.
"The theory explains why conscious actions feel so different from
unconscious ones - it is because they plug into the vast pool of
information held in the brain’s electromagnetic field,” Professor
McFadden concluded.
The University of Surrey is one of the UK’s leading professional,
scientific and technological universities with a world class research
profile and a reputation for excellence in teaching and research.
(Reference: The paper “Synchronous firing and its influence on the
brain’s electromagnetic field: evidence for an electromagnetic field
theory of consciousness" by Johnjoe McFadden is published in the
current edition of the Journal of Consciousness Studies, along with a
commentary by Dr. Susan Pockett.)
16-May-2002
On Tue, 11 Oct 2005 10:13:29 GMT, Quintal
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
<xavie…@ZEGJEROGclub-internet.fr> wrote:
>alt.conspiracy,alt.magick,francom.esoterisme
>http://unisci.com/stories/20022/0516026.htm
>Our Conscious Mind Could Be An Electromagnetic Field
>Are our thoughts made of the distributed kind of electromagnetic field
>that permeates space and carries the broadcast signal to the TV or
>radio.
>Professor Johnjoe McFadden from the School of Biomedical and Life
>Sciences at the University of Surrey in the UK believes our conscious
>mind could be an electromagnetic field.
>“The theory solves many previously intractable problems of
>consciousness and could have profound implications for our concepts of
>mind, free will, spirituality, the design of artificial intelligence,
>and even life and death,” he said.
>Most people consider "mind" to be all the conscious things that we are
>aware of. But much, if not most, mental activity goes on without
>awareness. Actions such as walking, changing gear in your car or
>peddling a bicycle can become as automatic as breathing.
>The biggest puzzle in neuroscience is how the brain activity that
>we’re aware of (consciousness) differs from the brain activity driving
>all of those unconscious actions.
>When we see an object, signals from our retina travel along nerves as
>waves of electrically charged ions. When they reach the nerve
>terminus, the signal jumps to the next nerve via chemical
>neurotransmitters. The receiving nerve decides whether or not it will
>fire, based on the number of firing votes it receives from its
>upstream nerves.
>In this way, electrical signals are processed in our brain before
>being transmitted to our body. But where, in all this movement of ions
>and chemicals, is consciousness? Scientists can find no region or
>structure in the brain that specializes in conscious thinking.
>Consciousness remains a mystery.
>“Consciousness is what makes us ‘human,’ Professor McFadden said.
>“Language, creativity, emotions, spirituality, logical deduction,
>mental arithmetic, our sense of fairness, truth, ethics, are all
>inconceivable without consciousness.” But what’s it made of?
>One of the fundamental questions of consciousness, known as the
>binding problem, can be explained by looking at a tree. Most people,
>when asked how many leaves they see, will answer "thousands." But
>neurobiology tells us that the information (all the leaves) is
>dissected and scattered among millions of widely separated neurones.
>Scientists are trying to explain where in the brain all those leaves
>are stuck together to form the conscious impression of a whole tree.
>How does our brain bind information to generate consciousness?
>What Professor McFadden realized was that every time a nerve fires,
>the electrical activity sends a signal to the brain’s electromagnetic
>(em) field. But unlike solitary nerve signals, information that
>reaches the brain’s em field is automatically bound together with all
>the other signals in the brain. The brain’s em field does the binding
>that is characteristic of consciousness.
>What Professor McFadden and, independently, the New Zealand-based
>neurobiologist Sue Pockett, have proposed is that the brain’s em field
>is consciousness.
>The brain’s electromagnetic field is not just an information sink; it
>can influence our actions, pushing some neurons towards firing and
>others away from firing. This influence, Professor McFadden proposes,
>is the physical manifestation of our conscious will.
>The theory explains many of the peculiar features of consciousness,
>such as its involvement in the learning process.
>Anyone learning to drive a car will have experienced how the first
>(very conscious) fumblings are transformed through constant practice
>into automatic actions.
>The neural networks driving those first uncertain fumblings are
>precisely where we would expect to find nerves in the undecided state
>when a small nudge from the brain’s em field can topple them towards
>or away from firing. The field will "fine tune" the neural pathway
>towards the desired goal.
>But neurons are connected so that when they fire together, they wire
>together, to form stronger connections. After practice, the influence
>of the field will become dispensable. The activity will be learnt and
>may thereafter be performed unconsciously.
>One of the objections to an electromagnetic field theory of
>consciousness is, if our minds are electromagnetic, then why don’t we
>pass out when we walk under an electrical cable or any other source of
>external electromagnetic fields? The answer is that our skin, skull
>and cerebrospinal fluid shield us from external electric fields.
>“The conscious electromagnetic information field is, at present, still
>a theory. But if true, there are many fascinating implications for the
>concept of free will, the nature of creativity or spirituality,
>consciousness in animals and even the significance of life and death.
>"The theory explains why conscious actions feel so different from
>unconscious ones - it is because they plug into the vast pool of
>information held in the brain’s electromagnetic field,” Professor
>McFadden concluded.
>The University of Surrey is one of the UK’s leading professional,
>scientific and technological universities with a world class research
>profile and a reputation for excellence in teaching and research.
>(Reference: The paper “Synchronous firing and its influence on the
>brain’s electromagnetic field: evidence for an electromagnetic field
>theory of consciousness" by Johnjoe McFadden is published in the
>current edition of the Journal of Consciousness Studies, along with a
>commentary by Dr. Susan Pockett.)
>16-May-2002
#1 why is this here?
#2 this theory is nothing new…..I studied it deeply in the
1980′s—many science students in undergrad studies of many
departments plus philosophy classes would argue these points
#3 I appreciate the post, but fail to see how many here would give a
Rat’s AS*
PAX
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
Quintal wrote:
> alt.conspiracy,alt.magick,francom.esoterisme
> http://unisci.com/stories/20022/0516026.htm
> Our Conscious Mind Could Be An Electromagnetic Field
> Are our thoughts made of the distributed kind of electromagnetic field
> that permeates space and carries the broadcast signal to the TV or
> radio.
> Professor Johnjoe McFadden from the School of Biomedical and Life
> Sciences at the University of Surrey in the UK believes our conscious
> mind could be an electromagnetic field.
> "The theory solves many previously intractable problems of
> consciousness and could have profound implications for our concepts of
> mind, free will, spirituality, the design of artificial intelligence,
> and even life and death," he said.
thats what ive been saying!!
if we opened to the idea of fields, including thought fields, we might
see why genuine computer intelligence is impossible with only a
material body to support it. when we look at the whole objective human
then we might be able to immitate it and create subjectivity.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> Most people consider "mind" to be all the conscious things that we are
> aware of. But much, if not most, mental activity goes on without
> awareness. Actions such as walking, changing gear in your car or
> peddling a bicycle can become as automatic as breathing.
> The biggest puzzle in neuroscience is how the brain activity that
> we’re aware of (consciousness) differs from the brain activity driving
> all of those unconscious actions.
> When we see an object, signals from our retina travel along nerves as
> waves of electrically charged ions. When they reach the nerve
> terminus, the signal jumps to the next nerve via chemical
> neurotransmitters. The receiving nerve decides whether or not it will
> fire, based on the number of firing votes it receives from its
> upstream nerves.
> In this way, electrical signals are processed in our brain before
> being transmitted to our body. But where, in all this movement of ions
> and chemicals, is consciousness? Scientists can find no region or
> structure in the brain that specializes in conscious thinking.
> Consciousness remains a mystery.
i agree that to neuroscience it is a mystery…but they do know the
area specializing in conscious thinking, dont they? they even know the
areas associated with illumination.
> "Consciousness is what makes us ‘human,’ Professor McFadden said.
> "Language, creativity, emotions, spirituality, logical deduction,
> mental arithmetic, our sense of fairness, truth, ethics, are all
> inconceivable without consciousness." But what’s it made of?
this reduction of interiors to energy-field exteriors is exactly the
same as neurological reductions of consciousness….its taking a
perfectly interior dimension and, feeling abstracted from their
objective comfort zone, having to earth it in some kind of objective
facts…whether that is the brain, or chakras, it makes not much
difference. materialism isnt the only problem, any kind of
objective-reductionism kills the spirit of spirit. not that simply
earthing is bad, i think that is good and this opening to the idea of
energy-fields is probably a very good step for science…could even
turn ai into actual-intelligence aswe said.
what im unsure of about this em field is whether its the lowest,
grossest, level of our energy system or if it contains all.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> One of the fundamental questions of consciousness, known as the
> binding problem, can be explained by looking at a tree. Most people,
> when asked how many leaves they see, will answer "thousands." But
> neurobiology tells us that the information (all the leaves) is
> dissected and scattered among millions of widely separated neurones.
> Scientists are trying to explain where in the brain all those leaves
> are stuck together to form the conscious impression of a whole tree.
> How does our brain bind information to generate consciousness?
> What Professor McFadden realized was that every time a nerve fires,
> the electrical activity sends a signal to the brain’s electromagnetic
> (em) field. But unlike solitary nerve signals, information that
> reaches the brain’s em field is automatically bound together with all
> the other signals in the brain. The brain’s em field does the binding
> that is characteristic of consciousness.
this may be the same conclusion ive been thinking about only
yesterday… that the energy acts as the medium between consciousness
and matter… of all exterior-input/output to and from intention and
awareness.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> What Professor McFadden and, independently, the New Zealand-based
> neurobiologist Sue Pockett, have proposed is that the brain’s em field
> is consciousness.
> The brain’s electromagnetic field is not just an information sink; it
> can influence our actions, pushing some neurons towards firing and
> others away from firing. This influence, Professor McFadden proposes,
> is the physical manifestation of our conscious will.
> The theory explains many of the peculiar features of consciousness,
> such as its involvement in the learning process.
> Anyone learning to drive a car will have experienced how the first
> (very conscious) fumblings are transformed through constant practice
> into automatic actions.
> The neural networks driving those first uncertain fumblings are
> precisely where we would expect to find nerves in the undecided state
> when a small nudge from the brain’s em field can topple them towards
> or away from firing. The field will "fine tune" the neural pathway
> towards the desired goal.
> But neurons are connected so that when they fire together, they wire
> together, to form stronger connections. After practice, the influence
> of the field will become dispensable. The activity will be learnt and
> may thereafter be performed unconsciously.
> One of the objections to an electromagnetic field theory of
> consciousness is, if our minds are electromagnetic, then why don’t we
> pass out when we walk under an electrical cable or any other source of
> external electromagnetic fields? The answer is that our skin, skull
> and cerebrospinal fluid shield us from external electric fields.
> "The conscious electromagnetic information field is, at present, still
> a theory. But if true, there are many fascinating implications for the
> concept of free will, the nature of creativity or spirituality,
> consciousness in animals and even the significance of life and death.
this is all pretty cool. i think paraneuropsychology will be the next
big thing in science:)
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> "The theory explains why conscious actions feel so different from
> unconscious ones - it is because they plug into the vast pool of
> information held in the brain’s electromagnetic field," Professor
> McFadden concluded.
> The University of Surrey is one of the UK’s leading professional,
> scientific and technological universities with a world class research
> profile and a reputation for excellence in teaching and research.
> (Reference: The paper "Synchronous firing and its influence on the
> brain’s electromagnetic field: evidence for an electromagnetic field
> theory of consciousness" by Johnjoe McFadden is published in the
> current edition of the Journal of Consciousness Studies, along with a
> commentary by Dr. Susan Pockett.)
> 16-May-2002
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
m-urana wrote:
> Quintal wrote:
> > alt.conspiracy,alt.magick,francom.esoterisme
> > http://unisci.com/stories/20022/0516026.htm
> > Our Conscious Mind Could Be An Electromagnetic Field
> > Are our thoughts made of the distributed kind of electromagnetic field
> > that permeates space and carries the broadcast signal to the TV or
> > radio.
> > Professor Johnjoe McFadden from the School of Biomedical and Life
> > Sciences at the University of Surrey in the UK believes our conscious
> > mind could be an electromagnetic field.
> > "The theory solves many previously intractable problems of
> > consciousness and could have profound implications for our concepts of
> > mind, free will, spirituality, the design of artificial intelligence,
> > and even life and death," he said.
> thats what ive been saying!!
> if we opened to the idea of fields, including thought fields, we might
> see why genuine computer intelligence is impossible with only a
> material body to support it. when we look at the whole objective human
> then we might be able to immitate it and create subjectivity.
> > Most people consider "mind" to be all the conscious things that we are
> > aware of. But much, if not most, mental activity goes on without
> > awareness. Actions such as walking, changing gear in your car or
> > peddling a bicycle can become as automatic as breathing.
> > The biggest puzzle in neuroscience is how the brain activity that
> > we’re aware of (consciousness) differs from the brain activity driving
> > all of those unconscious actions.
> > When we see an object, signals from our retina travel along nerves as
> > waves of electrically charged ions. When they reach the nerve
> > terminus, the signal jumps to the next nerve via chemical
> > neurotransmitters. The receiving nerve decides whether or not it will
> > fire, based on the number of firing votes it receives from its
> > upstream nerves.
> > In this way, electrical signals are processed in our brain before
> > being transmitted to our body. But where, in all this movement of ions
> > and chemicals, is consciousness? Scientists can find no region or
> > structure in the brain that specializes in conscious thinking.
> > Consciousness remains a mystery.
> i agree that to neuroscience it is a mystery…but they do know the
> area specializing in conscious thinking, dont they? they even know the
> areas associated with illumination.
> > "Consciousness is what makes us ‘human,’ Professor McFadden said.
> > "Language, creativity, emotions, spirituality, logical deduction,
> > mental arithmetic, our sense of fairness, truth, ethics, are all
> > inconceivable without consciousness." But what’s it made of?
> this reduction of interiors to energy-field exteriors is exactly the
> same as neurological reductions of consciousness….its taking a
> perfectly interior dimension and, feeling abstracted from their
> objective comfort zone, having to earth it in some kind of objective
> facts…whether that is the brain, or chakras, it makes not much
> difference. materialism isnt the only problem, any kind of
> objective-reductionism kills the spirit of spirit. not that simply
> earthing is bad, i think that is good and this opening to the idea of
> energy-fields is probably a very good step for science…could even
> turn ai into actual-intelligence aswe said.
> what im unsure of about this em field is whether its the lowest,
> grossest, level of our energy system or if it contains all.
> > One of the fundamental questions of consciousness, known as the
> > binding problem, can be explained by looking at a tree. Most people,
> > when asked how many leaves they see, will answer "thousands." But
> > neurobiology tells us that the information (all the leaves) is
> > dissected and scattered among millions of widely separated neurones.
> > Scientists are trying to explain where in the brain all those leaves
> > are stuck together to form the conscious impression of a whole tree.
> > How does our brain bind information to generate consciousness?
> > What Professor McFadden realized was that every time a nerve fires,
> > the electrical activity sends a signal to the brain’s electromagnetic
> > (em) field. But unlike solitary nerve signals, information that
> > reaches the brain’s em field is automatically bound together with all
> > the other signals in the brain. The brain’s em field does the binding
> > that is characteristic of consciousness.
> this may be the same conclusion ive been thinking about only
> yesterday… that the energy acts as the medium between consciousness
> and matter… of all exterior-input/output to and from intention and
> awareness.
> > What Professor McFadden and, independently, the New Zealand-based
> > neurobiologist Sue Pockett, have proposed is that the brain’s em field
> > is consciousness.
> > The brain’s electromagnetic field is not just an information sink; it
> > can influence our actions, pushing some neurons towards firing and
> > others away from firing. This influence, Professor McFadden proposes,
> > is the physical manifestation of our conscious will.
but is it just em
i think not just our conscious mind but luminous and causal experiences
have "energy signatures" at a higher level of subtlety…the em field
might die but there are higher "bodies" supporting our consciousness.
in my view theres a tree of consciousness, and trees of correlating
neural structures/functions and energy-fields…(psyberware, fleshware,
and psiware;)…each coevolving through levels of conscious depth,
material complexity, and energy-field subtlety. but consciousness and
energy are or appear to be less dependent on the body than the body is
on consciousness-energy, we could sever the psychic link to our bodies
and our bodies would die but in most theory the energy body lives on.
i see this integration occuring. energy science will take off on its
own, at first focusing upon lower level manifestations, and as this
happens there will be an integration with neuropsychology too, while at
the same time spirituality is still being integrated with psychology..
and we are going to end up with a new field of science..something like
paraneuropsychospirituality..lol (not to mention technological
integration!)
in this there are divisions that have to be clear. interior
consciousness, exterior world, and the levels in each domain..and the
relation of each tree to each other tree has to be clarified.
the interior-exterior split just becomes a worse and worse headache.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> > The theory explains many of the peculiar features of consciousness,
> > such as its involvement in the learning process.
> > Anyone learning to drive a car will have experienced how the first
> > (very conscious) fumblings are transformed through constant practice
> > into automatic actions.
> > The neural networks driving those first uncertain fumblings are
> > precisely where we would expect to find nerves in the undecided state
> > when a small nudge from the brain’s em field can topple them towards
> > or away from firing. The field will "fine tune" the neural pathway
> > towards the desired goal.
> > But neurons are connected so that when they fire together, they wire
> > together, to form stronger connections. After practice, the influence
> > of the field will become dispensable. The activity will be learnt and
> > may thereafter be performed unconsciously.
> > One of the objections to an electromagnetic field theory of
> > consciousness is, if our minds are electromagnetic, then why don’t we
> > pass out when we walk under an electrical cable or any other source of
> > external electromagnetic fields? The answer is that our skin, skull
> > and cerebrospinal fluid shield us from external electric fields.
> > "The conscious electromagnetic information field is, at present, still
> > a theory. But if true, there are many fascinating implications for the
> > concept of free will, the nature of creativity or spirituality,
> > consciousness in animals and even the significance of life and death.
> this is all pretty cool. i think paraneuropsychology will be the next
> big thing in science:)
> > "The theory explains why conscious actions feel so different from
> > unconscious ones - it is because they plug into the vast pool of
> > information held in the brain’s electromagnetic field," Professor
> > McFadden concluded.
> > The University of Surrey is one of the UK’s leading professional,
> > scientific and technological universities with a world class research
> > profile and a reputation for excellence in teaching and research.
> > (Reference: The paper "Synchronous firing and its influence on the
> > brain’s electromagnetic field: evidence for an electromagnetic field
> > theory of consciousness" by Johnjoe McFadden is published in the
> > current edition of the Journal of Consciousness Studies, along with a
> > commentary by Dr. Susan Pockett.)
> > 16-May-2002
notre mental conscient pourrait être un champ électromagnétique.
un professeur d’une université britannique le pense.
"la théorie résout de nombreux problèmes d’étude de la conscience
précédemment intraitables et pourrait avoir des implications profondes
pour nos concepts de mental, libre arbitre, spiritualité, la
conception de l’intelligence artificielle, et même la vie après la
mort." a-il dit.
On Tue, 11 Oct 2005 10:13:29 GMT, Quintal
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
<xavie…@ZEGJEROGclub-internet.fr> wrote:
>alt.conspiracy,alt.magick,francom.esoterisme
>http://unisci.com/stories/20022/0516026.htm
>Our Conscious Mind Could Be An Electromagnetic Field
>Are our thoughts made of the distributed kind of electromagnetic field
>that permeates space and carries the broadcast signal to the TV or
>radio.
>Professor Johnjoe McFadden from the School of Biomedical and Life
>Sciences at the University of Surrey in the UK believes our conscious
>mind could be an electromagnetic field.
>“The theory solves many previously intractable problems of
>consciousness and could have profound implications for our concepts of
>mind, free will, spirituality, the design of artificial intelligence,
>and even life and death,” he said.
>Most people consider "mind" to be all the conscious things that we are
>aware of. But much, if not most, mental activity goes on without
>awareness. Actions such as walking, changing gear in your car or
>peddling a bicycle can become as automatic as breathing.
>The biggest puzzle in neuroscience is how the brain activity that
>we’re aware of (consciousness) differs from the brain activity driving
>all of those unconscious actions.
>When we see an object, signals from our retina travel along nerves as
>waves of electrically charged ions. When they reach the nerve
>terminus, the signal jumps to the next nerve via chemical
>neurotransmitters. The receiving nerve decides whether or not it will
>fire, based on the number of firing votes it receives from its
>upstream nerves.
>In this way, electrical signals are processed in our brain before
>being transmitted to our body. But where, in all this movement of ions
>and chemicals, is consciousness? Scientists can find no region or
>structure in the brain that specializes in conscious thinking.
>Consciousness remains a mystery.
>“Consciousness is what makes us ‘human,’ Professor McFadden said.
>“Language, creativity, emotions, spirituality, logical deduction,
>mental arithmetic, our sense of fairness, truth, ethics, are all
>inconceivable without consciousness.” But what’s it made of?
>One of the fundamental questions of consciousness, known as the
>binding problem, can be explained by looking at a tree. Most people,
>when asked how many leaves they see, will answer "thousands." But
>neurobiology tells us that the information (all the leaves) is
>dissected and scattered among millions of widely separated neurones.
>Scientists are trying to explain where in the brain all those leaves
>are stuck together to form the conscious impression of a whole tree.
>How does our brain bind information to generate consciousness?
>What Professor McFadden realized was that every time a nerve fires,
>the electrical activity sends a signal to the brain’s electromagnetic
>(em) field. But unlike solitary nerve signals, information that
>reaches the brain’s em field is automatically bound together with all
>the other signals in the brain. The brain’s em field does the binding
>that is characteristic of consciousness.
>What Professor McFadden and, independently, the New Zealand-based
>neurobiologist Sue Pockett, have proposed is that the brain’s em field
>is consciousness.
>The brain’s electromagnetic field is not just an information sink; it
>can influence our actions, pushing some neurons towards firing and
>others away from firing. This influence, Professor McFadden proposes,
>is the physical manifestation of our conscious will.
>The theory explains many of the peculiar features of consciousness,
>such as its involvement in the learning process.
>Anyone learning to drive a car will have experienced how the first
>(very conscious) fumblings are transformed through constant practice
>into automatic actions.
>The neural networks driving those first uncertain fumblings are
>precisely where we would expect to find nerves in the undecided state
>when a small nudge from the brain’s em field can topple them towards
>or away from firing. The field will "fine tune" the neural pathway
>towards the desired goal.
>But neurons are connected so that when they fire together, they wire
>together, to form stronger connections. After practice, the influence
>of the field will become dispensable. The activity will be learnt and
>may thereafter be performed unconsciously.
>One of the objections to an electromagnetic field theory of
>consciousness is, if our minds are electromagnetic, then why don’t we
>pass out when we walk under an electrical cable or any other source of
>external electromagnetic fields? The answer is that our skin, skull
>and cerebrospinal fluid shield us from external electric fields.
>“The conscious electromagnetic information field is, at present, still
>a theory. But if true, there are many fascinating implications for the
>concept of free will, the nature of creativity or spirituality,
>consciousness in animals and even the significance of life and death.
>"The theory explains why conscious actions feel so different from
>unconscious ones - it is because they plug into the vast pool of
>information held in the brain’s electromagnetic field,” Professor
>McFadden concluded.
>The University of Surrey is one of the UK’s leading professional,
>scientific and technological universities with a world class research
>profile and a reputation for excellence in teaching and research.
>(Reference: The paper “Synchronous firing and its influence on the
>brain’s electromagnetic field: evidence for an electromagnetic field
>theory of consciousness" by Johnjoe McFadden is published in the
>current edition of the Journal of Consciousness Studies, along with a
>commentary by Dr. Susan Pockett.)
>16-May-2002