Biophysics Of Consciousness

Author : Roman R Poznanski,Jack A Tuszynski,Todd E Feinberg
Publisher : World Scientific
Page : 664 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2016-08-23
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789814644273

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Biophysics of Consciousness by Roman R Poznanski,Jack A Tuszynski,Todd E Feinberg Pdf

The problem of how the brain produces consciousness, subjectivity and "something it is like to be" remains one of the greatest challenges to a complete science of the natural world. While various scientists and philosophers approach the problem from their own unique perspectives and in the terms of their own respective fields, Biophysics of Consciousness: A Foundational Approach attempts a consilience across disparate disciplines to explain how it is possible that an objective brain produces subjective experience. This volume unites the crème de la crème of physicists, neuroscientists, and psychiatrists in the attempt to understand consciousness through a foundational approach encompassing ontological, evolutionary, neurobiological, and Freudian interpretations with the focus on conscious phenomena occurring in the brain. By integrating the perspectives of these diverse disciplines with the latest research and theories on the biophysics of the brain, the book tries to explain how consciousness can be an adaptive and causal element in the natural world.

Author : H. S. Green,Terry Triffet
Publisher : World Scientific
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 1997
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9789810229214

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Sources of Consciousness by H. S. Green,Terry Triffet Pdf

The phenomenon of consciousness has long been one of the great mysteries of life, perhaps because it is inexplicable in terms of the deterministic theories of classical science. Today there is some consensus that the key to the understanding of the workings of the mind should be sought in the area of indeterministic quantum mechanics, but until recently there has been little substantial progress in unravelling the mystery. This book is the culmination of several decades of research by the authors in the physical sciences, neurosciences and computer sciences, with comprehensive summaries and references to related work by many other scientists, and presents important advances toward solving the problem. Written for the most part in plain language but supported by appropriate symbolism, the book is truly interdisciplinary, designed for the needs of a wide variety of students and scholars.

Author : Jack A. Tuszynski
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 487 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2006-09-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783540367239

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The Emerging Physics of Consciousness by Jack A. Tuszynski Pdf

Seeks answers to these questions using the underlying assumption that consciousness can be understood using the intellectual potential of modern physics and other sciences. There are a number of theories of consciousness, some based on classical physics while others require the use of quantum concepts. The latter ones have drawn criticism from the parts of the scientific establishment while simultaneously claiming that classical approaches are doomed to failure. The contributing authors presents a spectrum of opinions from both sides of this on-going scientific debate, allowing readers to decide for themselves which of the approaches are most likely to succeed.

Author : Evan Harris Walker
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Biophysics
ISBN : OCLC:1194913231

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The Physics of Consciousness by Evan Harris Walker Pdf

For decades, neuroscientists, psychologists, and an army of brain researchers have been struggling, in vain, to explain the phenomenon of consciousness. Now there is a clear trail to the answer, and it leads through the dense jungle of quantum physics, Zen, and subjective experience and arrives at an unexpected destination. In this tour-de-force of scientific investigation, Evan Harris Walker, a pioneer in the science of consciousness, describes the outcome of his fifty-year search for the true nature of reality. Drawing on a deep knowledge of quantum physics and Zen philosophy, Walker shows how the operation of bizarre yet actual properties of elementary particles support a new and exciting theory of reality, based on the principles of quantum physics; a theory that answers questions such as "What is the nature of consciousness, of will?" "What is the source of material reality?" and "What is God?" Clearly written in non-technical, lyrical prose, The Physics of Consciousness is more than just the explanation of a science - it is a new vision of life.

Author : Alfred Kaszniak
Publisher : World Scientific
Page : 568 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2001-07-19
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789814493871

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Emotions, Qualia, And Consciousness by Alfred Kaszniak Pdf

The experience of emotion is a ubiquitous component of the stream of consciousness; emotional qualia interact with other contents and processes of consciousness in complex ways. Recent research has supported the hypothesis that important functional aspects of emotion can operate outside the conscious awareness. Primary types of emotions are found in animals, while secondary, more complex types are involved in interpersonal relationships. Emotions both influence genetic repair mechanisms of individuals and are responsible for group behavior. Many scholars and scientists believe that no scientific or philosophic account of consciousness can be complete without an understanding of the role of emotion.

Author : Cloe Taddei-ferretti,C Musio
Publisher : World Scientific
Page : 608 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 1999-05-14
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9789814495707

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Neuronal Bases And Psychological Aspects Of Consciousness - Proceedings Of The International School Of Biocybernetics by Cloe Taddei-ferretti,C Musio Pdf

For a few decades, the puzzle of consciousness, which for centuries was analysed by philosophers, has been finding a wide interest in the scientific field, where previously it was not entitled to be a member. It has become one of the most-debated problems in the cognitive sciences. The anatomical bases, neurophysiological correlates and elementary mechanisms underlying complex processes arising with consciousness have been compared with the psychological (perceptive, cognitive, volitive, emotional) aspects of conscious expressions, in normal and pathological conditions. Various theories, which attempt to fit systematically and coherently neural and psychological data, have been debated, proving the emergence of the phenomenon of consciousness.

Author : Alwyn Scott
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 233 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9781461225102

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Stairway to the Mind by Alwyn Scott Pdf

Human consciousness has perplexed philosophers, artists and scientists for centuries. Some hold it to be purely physical, while others believe it transcends the material world. Now comes a book that offers a new perspective - based entirely on evidence from the natural sciences - whereby materialism and dualism co-exist. The author - a distinguished pioneer of nonlinear dynamics - bases his argument on a hierarchical view of mental organization; a stairway. Atoms give rise to molecules, neurons form the brain and individual consciousness leads to shared culture. All steps are needed to complete the picture and each level derives from the previous one. The book shows specialists how each of their fields adds to the overall picture, while providing general readers with an introduction to this investigation.

Author : Chandre Dharma-wardana
Publisher : World Scientific
Page : 518 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2013
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789814425421

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A Physicist's View of Matter and Mind by Chandre Dharma-wardana Pdf

This is a highly interdisciplinary book straddling physics and complex systems such as living organisms. The presentation is from the perspective of physics, in a manner accessible to those interested in scientific knowledge integrated within its socio-cultural and philosophical backgrounds. Two key areas of human understanding, namely physics and conscious complex systems, are presented in simple language. An optional technical presentation is also given in parallel where it is needed.

Author : Werner Loewenstein
Publisher : Basic Books
Page : 352 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2013-01-29
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780465033973

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Physics in Mind by Werner Loewenstein Pdf

No one can escape a sense of awe when reflecting on the workings of the mind: we see, we hear, we feel, we are aware of the world around us. But what is the mind? What do we mean when we say we are “aware” of something? What is this peculiar state in our heads, at once utterly familiar and bewilderingly mysterious, that we call awareness or consciousness? In Physics in Mind, eminent biophysicist Werner R. Loewenstein argues that to answer these questions, we must first understand the physical mechanisms that underlie the workings of the mind. And so begins an exhilarating journey along the sensory data stream of the brain, which shows how our most complex organ processes the vast amounts of information coming in through our senses to create a coherent, meaningful picture of the world. Bringing information theory to bear on recent advances in the neurosciences, Loewenstein reveals a web of immense computational power inside the brain. He introduces the revolutionary idea that quantum mechanics could be fundamental to how our minds almost instantaneously deal with staggering amounts of information, as in the case of the information streaming through our eyes. Combining cutting-edge research in neuroscience and physics, Loewenstein presents an ambitious hypothesis about the parallel processing of sensory information that is the heart, hub, and pivot of the cognitive brain. Wide-ranging and brimming with insight, Physics in Mind breaks new ground in our understanding of how the mind works.

Author : John C. Eccles
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 204 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783642492242

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How the SELF Controls Its BRAIN by John C. Eccles Pdf

In this book the author has collected a number of his important works and added an extensive commentary relating his ideas to those of other prominentnames in the consciousness debate. The view presented here is that of a convinced dualist who challenges in a lively and humorous way the prevailing materialist "doctrines" of many recent works. Also included is a new attempt to explain mind-brain interaction via a quantum process affecting the release of neurotransmitters. John Eccles received a knighthood in 1958 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine/Physiology in 1963. He has numerous other awards honouring his major contributions to neurophysiology.

Author : S.R. Hameroff
Publisher : Elsevier
Page : 380 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2014-04-11
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9780444600097

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Ultimate Computing by S.R. Hameroff Pdf

The possibility of direct interfacing between biological and technological information devices could result in a merger of mind and machine - Ultimate Computing. This book, a thorough consideration of this idea, involves a number of disciplines, including biochemistry, cognitive science, computer science, engineering, mathematics, microbiology, molecular biology, pharmacology, philosophy, physics, physiology, and psychology.

Author : Helmut Wautischer
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 669 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2008-04-11
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262232593

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Ontology of Consciousness by Helmut Wautischer Pdf

Scholars from many different disciplines examine consciousness through the lens of intellectual approaches and cultures ranging from cosmology research and cell biophysics laboratories to pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and Tibetan Tantric Buddhism in a volume that extends consciousness studies beyond the limits of current neuroscience research. The "hard problem" of today's consciousness studies is subjective experience: understanding why some brain processing is accompanied by an experienced inner life. Recent scientific advances offer insights for understanding the physiological and chemical phenomenology of consciousness. But by leaving aside the internal experiential nature of consciousness in favor of mapping neural activity, such science leaves many questions unanswered. In Ontology of Consciousness, scholars from a range of disciplines—from neurophysiology to parapsychology, from mathematics to anthropology and indigenous non-Western modes of thought—go beyond these limits of current neuroscience research to explore insights offered by other intellectual approaches to consciousness. These scholars focus their attention on such philosophical approaches to consciousness as Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, North American Indian insights, pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilization, and the Byzantine Empire. Some draw on artifacts and ethnographic data to make their point. Others translate cultural concepts of consciousness into modern scientific language using models and mathematical mappings. Many consider individual experiences of sentience and existence, as seen in African communalism, Hindi psychology, Zen Buddhism, Indian vibhuti phenomena, existentialism, philosophical realism, and modern psychiatry. Some reveal current views and conundrums in neurobiology to comprehend sentient intellection. Contributors Karim Akerma, Matthijs Cornelissen, Antoine Courban, Mario Crocco, Christian de Quincey, Thomas B. Fowler, Erlendur Haraldsson, David. J. Hufford, Pavel B. Ivanov, Heinz Kimmerle, Stanley Krippner, Armand J. Labbé, James Maffie, Hubert Markl, Graham Parkes, Michael Polemis, E Richard Sorenson, Mircea Steriade, Thomas Szasz, Mariela Szirko, Robert A.F. Thurman, Edith L.B. Turner, Julia Watkin, Helmut Wautischer

Author : Christof Koch
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 587 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2004-10-28
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9780195181999

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Biophysics of Computation by Christof Koch Pdf

Neural network research often builds on the fiction that neurons are simple linear threshold units, completely neglecting the highly dynamic and complex nature of synapses, dendrites, and voltage-dependent ionic currents. Biophysics of Computation: Information Processing in Single Neurons challenges this notion, using richly detailed experimental and theoretical findings from cellular biophysics to explain the repertoire of computational functions available to single neurons. The author shows how individual nerve cells can multiply, integrate, or delay synaptic inputs and how information can be encoded in the voltage across the membrane, in the intracellular calcium concentration, or in the timing of individual spikes.Key topics covered include the linear cable equation; cable theory as applied to passive dendritic trees and dendritic spines; chemical and electrical synapses and how to treat them from a computational point of view; nonlinear interactions of synaptic input in passive and active dendritic trees; the Hodgkin-Huxley model of action potential generation and propagation; phase space analysis; linking stochastic ionic channels to membrane-dependent currents; calcium and potassium currents and their role in information processing; the role of diffusion, buffering and binding of calcium, and other messenger systems in information processing and storage; short- and long-term models of synaptic plasticity; simplified models of single cells; stochastic aspects of neuronal firing; the nature of the neuronal code; and unconventional models of sub-cellular computation.Biophysics of Computation: Information Processing in Single Neurons serves as an ideal text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in cellular biophysics, computational neuroscience, and neural networks, and will appeal to students and professionals in neuroscience, electrical and computer engineering, and physics.

Author : Christof Koch
Publisher : Roberts Publishers
Page : 456 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Medical
ISBN : UOM:39015060562132

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The Quest for Consciousness by Christof Koch Pdf

Consciousness is the major unsolved problem in biology. Written as an introduction to the field and drawing upon clinical, psychological and physiological observations, this book seeks to answer questions of consciousness within a neuroscientific framework.

Author : JAMES T. CULBERTSON
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 1950
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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CONSCIOUSNESS AND BEHAVIOR: A NEURAL ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR AND OF CONSCIOUSNESS by JAMES T. CULBERTSON Pdf