Chapter 19 - Brain, Mind and Consciousness

Question 1

Brain structure and development

Answer 1

human brain has 100 billion cells, each of which connects to avg 3000 other brain cells, for total of over 100 trillion connections
If each connection is capable of 10 levels of activity, number of potential brain states is 10^14
Within each cell is skeleton of which are hollow cylindrical molecules - right size to amplify quantum effects or act as waveguides for photons of light; act as miniature computers and memories within each cell
Taking these into account, brain’s computing power becomes 10^27 operations/sec

Question 2

Reptilian brain

Answer 2

regulates breathing and metabolism, controls instinctive reflex reactions and movements

Question 3

limbic system

Answer 3

evolved around reptilian brain, seats emotions, memory and learning

Question 4

neocortex

Answer 4

with arrival of mammals, overlaid limbic system - center of perception and thought which achieves greatest size and complexity in human
Within structure are smaller scale features which are location of specific functions

Question 5

Brain function

Answer 5

Modular - specialist areas in which particular functions are locked
Holistically - functions widely and flexibly distributed

Question 6

Mind-body interactions

Answer 6

Experience of reality changed by different chemicals
Connections in brain modified by every experience, action and thought
Physical symptoms connected with emotions

Question 7

Robert Sheldrake

Answer 7

Argues that mind extends beyond body; images we see are not in brains but outside where they appear to be
Believes memories are held in fields outside brain in morphic field for behavior and memory, and we remember because of resonance with ourselves
Morphic fields should get stronger as more people adopt behavior, hence traditional skills should be easier to learn than new ones; observed that successive generations of experimental animals learn particular tasks more and more easily even when parents didn’t take part in earlier experiments; similarly, new skills developed by animals in one place often spread rapidly to other populations

Question 8

Memory

Answer 8

Standard theory says brain stores memories like computer database, memories associated with same areas of brain as related perception
Memories would survive only as long as local pattern of connections between brain cells; molecules replaced and brain cells die, connections continually remade
No one has located specific memories in brain, often survive removal of parts of brain

Question 9

Hippocampus

Answer 9

essential for forming memories

Question 10

Hologram

Answer 10

Alternate theory where memories are stored holographically within patterns and rhythms of whole network of brain cells; every part of brain records all memories
Supported by evidence that recall is better when context is similar to that which memory was laid down and many methods rely on association

Question 11

Psi field

Answer 11

Brain can access info stored here which contains whole history of universe

Question 12

Brain and consciousness

Answer 12

Brain restricts consciousness, senses detect only tiny proportion of what is happening; it’s when these filters fail that new forms of consciousness may break through