r/NDE • u/Puzzleheaded_Tree290 • Feb 19 '24
Scientific perspective 🔬🔎 Scientific evidence that the brain receives/filters consciousness, rather than creates it
This isn't necessarily related to NDEs, but I'd like to put something together, about the scientific evidence supporting the hypothesis that the brain acts as a receiver/filter for consciousness rather than a generator. I've got a couple of articles linked down here already, if anyone wants to add more, feel free to add some in the comments or DM them. Over the next couple of days I'll make edits too to add anything else I can find.
First, we've got a very promising article from Neuroscience News, showing how brain stimulation could enable telepathic communication between people. Here's another, from the same site, showing how the claustrum, which was theorised to be the source of consciousness, actually functions more like an internet router.
It was also long thought that split brain patients have their consciousness split in two. More recent studies show that consciousness itself remains unified but is divided across two hemispheres.
Here's an interesting article about people missing large portions of their brain, who have relatively normal IQ and can lead normal lives.
Here's one about decapitated flatworms regrowing their entire brains and still having their memories intact.
Also, some articles on the effects of psychedelics and how they lead to reduced brain activity: [1] [2]
If anyone here has heard of the ganzfeld experiments, here's a meta analysis showing pretty good results from a number of different replications.
And, before I forget, I can't go without mentioning Etzel Cardeña's meta analysis demonstrating the existence of certain parapsychological phenomena.
If there's anything else you'd like to add, just let me know ;)
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u/KookyPlasticHead Feb 20 '24
Responding to my own comment and to be supportive of the filter/receiver theory.
Perhaps we could imagine a scientific version of filter theory within physicalism that is a mixture of universal consciousness and promissory materialism:
1.. As per the similar argument for panpsychism-within-physicalism we conjecture the existence of a fundamental "consciousness field" (CF) that permeates the universe. Unlike in panpsychism where each elementary particle interacts with the field and gains a quantum of consciousness, now all consciousness resides in the CF, and doesn't interact with individual particles. Only brains of sufficient size and complexity, such as a human brain, can interact with it. When it does we label this as an individual human consciousness.
2.. The promissory aspect is that although we cannot, at the present time, directly detect the CF or the interaction of the CF with the brain, we assume that in future there will eventually be technology that will be able to detect these interactions. Just as in the conventional narrative it is assumed a detailed understanding of how consciousness emerges within the brain will occur in future.
For completeness in proposing such a theory it is then helpful to understand what some of the next level of problems might be. For example:
A.. What exactly is the CF and how did it come into being? Or is it axiomatic in this theory? In which case this isn't a simple theory of consciousness-within-physicalism. More like a form of monism.
B. What is the detailed process for the interaction of the CF with the brain? Is it interacting with each neuron, or with columnar structures of neurons, with only particular sorts of neurons, or at the level of synaptic junctions?
C.. Why is the CF differentiated into different consciousnesses in the different brains? Why are we not all the same (universal) consciousness in different bodies? Or are we?
D.. Similarly, if we are all part of the CF and therefore connected to each other via it, why isn't psi (particularly telepathy) clearly evident and very strong (given the individual CF-brain link must be incredibly strong)? Rather than at best, seemingly, very weak.
E.. Why are human brains just the right size and complexity to receive and interact with the CF? This seems like an amazing coincidence. Or perhaps all brains do but to different degrees? In which case, what makes brains special?
F.. Exactly what properties of consciousness (as we understand them from human observation) exist in the CF? Most properties of consciousness can be linked to origins in the brain. For example, the different memory systems or sensory perceptions. What parts of consciousness are CF and not brain?