> -----Original Message-----
> From: MindBrain@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:MindBrain@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Cass Silva
> Sent: Sunday, 12 July 2009 1:06 PM
> To: MindBrain@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [Mind and Brain] Paper: Rhythms of
> Consciousness: Binocular Rivalry Reveals Large-Scale
> Oscillatory Network Dynamics Mediating Visual Perception
>
>
>
> see below
>
>
>
> From: chris lofting <lofting@...>
> To: MindBrain@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sunday, 12 July, 2009 12:37:39 AM
> Subject: RE: [Mind and Brain] Paper: Rhythms of
> Consciousness: Binocular Rivalry Reveals Large-Scale
> Oscillatory Network Dynamics Mediating Visual Perception
>
>
<snip>
> The EIC work covers the differences of consciousness
> making assessments of a
> situation vs the unconscious in the form of primary
> emotions making the
> assessment. As such the 'falling asleep' focus reduces
> brain integration
> where such is essential for mediations, resolution
> power is reduced, things
> get 'vague' etc.
>
>
>
> Cass: What do you mean reduces brain integration?
> There is either integration occuring through the brain or
> something independant upon brain as otherwise our breathing
> would cease. Are you suggesting that the brain in a semi
> unconscious or semi integrated state has the ability to
> maintain automatic functional responses?

Sure - read up on the autonomic nervous system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomic_nervous_system


The act of falling asleep reflects a fragmentation of brain dynamics with
different stages of sleep manifesting different parts asleep and others
awake. The etymology of the full brain shows different brains developing
from/ontopof older brains - this introduces neural hierarchy and the ability
for levels in that hierarchy to operate semi-autonomously. The three main
distinctions have been on (a) what we share with reptiles, (b) what we share
with mammals, and (c) our primate skills and development as humans. We find,
for example, differences in hormone communications, noradrenalin/serotonin
dominating old levels, dopamine with its increase in precision
dominating/emerging midbrain, and neuropeptides dominating neocortex. The
overall development is from general to particular with frontal lobes/pfc
areas dominating the 'executive brain' and dynamics of consciousness working
top-down as mediation.

Sleep acts to reduce the differentiating nature of consciousness, to lessen
precision etc (and so dreams take on a logic that is grounded in symmetry
rather than asymmetry and so instincts and our social being over our
singular being).

The controller of sleep cycles is in the back of the brain and reflects its
roots in early neural life - if we take the brain out if its container we
see a tree structure of a spine (trunk) and branches etc circadian rhythms
operate front/back, oscillations left/right etc etc. The bias that emerges
in lateralisation of hemispheres is identifiable in a weak form in the
'reptilian' brain areas (RAS etc). Increased lateralisation is in the limbic
system (equates with mammal behaviours) and strong lateralisation is in the
neocortex.

<snip>
>
> The tie of consciousness to parietal cortex dynamics
> and brain oscillations
> is a tie to relational space, not object space.
> Relational space is what is
> 'in-between' stimulus/response and recursion presents
> us with a spectrum of
> POSSIBLE patterns usable to resolve any
> stimulus/response issues - as such
> thought is not 'free', consciousness is expensive (work
> on survival in the
> concentration camps of WW2 brought out conservation of
> energy and
> surrendering in most of 'high level' thinking to live
> off instincts etc.) -
> thus consciousness is an emergent property and can be
> objectified through
> creations of memory etc.
>
>
>
> Cass: According to your theory - consciousness is
> produced by brain. What do you mean by relational space and
> object space?

The integrating element covers relational space - linking the 'dots' and so
a focus on BETWEEN and WITHIN 'things'. The differentiating element covers
object space, the 'dots'. Our brains reflect this
differentiating/integrating dichotomy (aka objects/relationships aka
crisp/vague aka FM/AM aka PULSE/WAVE etc etc) spanning all levels down to
the humble neuron - as such our top level brain activity is a finer
representation (more bandwidth) of the neuron activity.

> The brain oscillations occur when dealing with the
> new/complex. Simple stuff
> can be managed with lobes of the brain, they don't need
> full range
> oscillations. Brain oscillations equate with the making
> of distinctions and
> so differentiating. Differentiating is equated with a
> WELL developed
> consciousness, as compared to primitive, 'tribal'
> mindsets that come with
> our species natures.
>
>
>
> Cass: Why would the brain oscillation be dependent upon
> whether what we were confronting was simple or complex? Are
> you suggesting that complex problems cause the brain to
> oscillate at a higher rate? If this is the case the brain
> would be oscillating at maximum rate when confronted with the
> complex issue of dying.
>

The fractal nature of the brain covers issues of precision and the KNOWN
(labelled, precise, differentiated) vs the UNKNOWN (no labels, vague
sensations, approximations, undifferentiated etc). Intra hemisphere
functions can handle the known and simple tasks but the complex/unknown
require more depth in derivation of classes of meanings to be used in
representing the new/complex. Thus inter hemisphere oscillations are
required where such reflect recursion of differentiate/integrate to elicit
more classes of meanings usable in making a representation. Once a set of
labels have been created so future experiences of the same stimulus will be
reduced due to it now being KNOWN.

See references covered in the first few pages of "Categories of Mediation -
theory" - http://members.iimetro.com.au/~lofting/myweb/categoriesTheory.pdf
and the general IDM summary page
http://members.iimetro.com.au/~lofting/myweb/AbstractD.htm

When a person is dying there is brain activity dependent upon how much
energy is available. Near Death Experience cover the random firing of
neurons as the oxygen flow dries-up where such firing elicits the overall
experience of a 'light at the end of a tunnel'.

The PRECISION issue in our brains brings out variations in sample rates -
from the 'red' end of the spectrum to the 'blue' end of the spectrum where
the language of the neuron is in frequencies etc and so covering variations
in precision (the red end is more vague, qualitative, AM-like. the blue more
crisp, FM-like, open to quantitative representations etc)

For the brain as a high/low band filter see refs given in
http://members.iimetro.com.au/~lofting/myweb/general.html and
http://members.iimetro.com.au/~lofting/myweb/wavedicho.html

Chris.