The science of consciousness: 2019

Monday, December 30, 2019

Meaning is an essential part of a healthy life

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? The long title of Paul Gauguin's famous painting raises deep, existential questions. In the past, most people were preoccupied with survival, making it impossible to ponder these questions. Today, remarkable technological advances have made philosophical, scientific, theological, and metaphysical speculation accessible to many.

The dramatic change in our living conditions has left our insecurities intact. Feelings of inferiority, fear, and insecurity cause conflict both at home and at work. Thus, we often find it hard to stay motivated for goals beyond everyday worries. Without clear goals and a sense of fulfillment, jobs provide little real satisfaction. Constant busyness and overloaded routines keep us hooked on an endless stream of information and the adrenaline rush of staying busy. This constant shifting of focus only delivers fleeting pleasure; it leaves behind feelings of vulnerability and spiritual hunger. A global mental health crisis marked by depression, anxiety, high suicide rates, and the rise of mental illnesses shows the depth of the crisis.

Human well-being is positively linked to meaning and purpose. Coherence in our beliefs and actions reliably enhances our sense of meaning. However, having a purpose beyond our immediate needs, financial concerns, and existential struggles provides the best foundation for long-term happiness. Similarly, having long-term goals and contributing positively to others and the world fosters a sense of purpose. Whether you believe in a higher power or trust the interconnectedness of the cosmos, cultivating passion for your life is vital. Meaningful growth requires stepping outside your comfort zone. If you feel comfortable, try to empathize with others' pain; if you experience pain, let the world embrace you.

Discover more about consciousness and purpose by ordering my book, "Emotional Reasoning: Insight into the Conscious Experience."

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Healthy living and exercise

You are humble, like the dirt under your feet, but your mind carries the reflection of the universe. You are a beautiful, wholesome human being, who deserves to be cherished, respected, and loved. It is your first job to live according to that truth by serving your psychological and bodily health. When you appreciate yourself, then the world takes notice and will respect you in turn. Success is about the future. Not giving the best care to your body and your mind cancels the results of your work.

Exercise and healthy eating habits are not only for your body but also vital for the mind. A healthy regime that serves your needs and aligns with your goals creates a stable framework that underlies good motivation. The discipline of adhering to a particular eating habit introduces a regular order, which increases your confidence and self-respect. After all, your destiny is formed by the way you live every day. Even small positive steps can have a profound influence on how you feel. Systematic life changes can rejuvenate your spiritual world.

Studies have consistently shown that exercise has a powerful positive influence on memory and executive function. Weight-bearing movements increase muscle mass and boost the biochemical foundation of the nervous system. Neurological health depends as much on signals sent by the muscles to the brain as it does on directives going to the muscles. Exercise triggers the creation of new neurons, releases feel-good hormones, improves physical and intellectual performance, and life functionality; it is the only proven fountain of youth to date. To stop or reverse the physical and executive decline during aging is a gift that extends the energy and agility of youth. Just do it.

Active people are naturally happy.

My straightforward handbook, The Power of Joy, gives you the tools and advice you need to liberate yourself from your negativity and become the best version of yourself.

What if Amazon took Sprint's place as the US's fourth wireless ...

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Sunday, November 17, 2019

Specific neurons map location in the human brain

Illustration of parts of the brain - EPS VECTOR format also available in my portfolio.

The brain records our experiences in memory, enabling us to make fast decisions. Spatial cognition is represented by "place cells" and "grid cells" in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (located on the side of the brain). Individual neurons function as "memory-trace cells" that track spatial memory. Diseases like Alzheimer's disrupt the activity of location cells. Place cells and grid cells in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex are among the first regions affected by the onset of Alzheimer's disease. These degradations lead to the observed memory deficits.

Patients with implant electrodes in the brain can activate special "memory-trace cells" when they think of a particular place. Acting like a GPS, the neurons record and memorize the position in space. The activity of these neurons unmistakably identifies a location. A recent study has found that these memory-specific individual neurons function as a kind of GPS. Memory-trace cells in the entorhinal cortex encode memory representations through a memory-specific rate code. Single neurons change their spatial tuning to target relevant memories for retrieval.

Flexibility to change might improve our resilience to the disease.

Read the original article in Nature Neuroscience by Qasim and colleagues.

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Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The importance of sleep for your body and your mind

Sleep is so critical for our bodies and minds that sleep deprivation can cause death without any morphological changes to the brain. It strengthens the immune system and helps regulate metabolism. It can clear out toxins that build up in the brain and prevent neurodegenerative diseases. All phases of sleep, from the lightest slumber to the deepest unconsciousness, are essential processes that allow our minds and bodies to recover from the messiness of our day. Sleep also improves learning and memory.

Sleep can also initiate unique neuronal firing patterns, which serve as templates for upcoming events. This way, our current mindset influences tomorrow’s psychology.

Sleep deprivation makes us less intelligent, more forgetful. It damages our immune system, which increases the likelihood of disease. Abnormal sleep seems to play a role in many diseases like heart conditions, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. Lack of sleep appears to damage gene function, trigger adverse hormone functions, premature aging, and even early death.

There are practical steps you can take to improve the quality of sleep. Spend time in sunlight or artificial bright light during the day, but soften the lights, especially blue light exposure in the evening. Limit the extent of daytime naps and go to bed at the same time every day. Invest in a good quality mattress and pillow and keep your bedroom temperature at a relatively cool temperature. Limit your food intake and vigorous exercise a few hours before bedtime to ensure a more restful sleep.

My straightforward handbook, The Power of Joy, gives you the tools and advice you need to liberate yourself from your negativity and become the best version of yourself.

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Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Social change must go hand in hand with technological transformation

Since the formation of the first city-states in ancient Mesopotamia, social structures went through an impressive evolution in search of a progressive and democratic social structure. Because technological progress has been closely intertwined with social changes in the past, the breathtaking speed of technological transformation is indicative of an incoming social upheaval. Increasing social tension in many parts of the world indicates that only serious reforms can address the current economic and social problems.

The internet represents the roughness and lawlessness of the wild west. Patients records are not safe in Hospitals, interference from foreign governments taints democratic elections, and company security is uncertain, in spite of enormous investments. The stability of financial systems depends on government intervention.

We are at a threshold of a dramatic technological leap that requires unprecedented changes in the social structure. Automatization is about to replace tedious jobs with positions that require creativity and intelligent decision-making. The incoming block technologies will increase the safety and security of social institutions and financial systems. The combination of cheap energy and mechanization will make significant increases in GDP possible.

Hundred years ago, social security and access to health care gave dignity to the aging population. In the twenty-first century, we need to extend similar protection to everyone. A security net from catastrophic events, such as major diseases will reduce crime, it will reduce bureaucracy, and it will liberate the human intellect. To protect the social fabric, the introduction of the universal basic income is necessary, as well. I believe the above changes will liberate the phenomenal human intellect. Because we do not trust the security of our future, we devote immense mental power to cheat others and the system. Trust in our government institutions, companies, the internet, and each other is only possible by feeling underlying security in the future. When people work for the common good instead, we will achieve incredible progress.

My straightforward handbook, The Power of Joy, gives you the tools and advice you need to liberate yourself from your negativity and become the best version of yourself.

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Saturday, November 2, 2019

Mental Energy and the social brain

According to the philosopher Thomas Nagel, our greatest intellectual challenge is to explain the physical basis of mental processes. The physics of the mind is becoming a popular subject of scientific investigation. By integrating the animal's past, and present, the mind projects sensory experience to anticipate the future and produce motivation.

The brain's self-regulation is based on its ground state, the so-called resting-state networks, which are dense connectivity hubs to integrate information. The continually changing brain state relies on the constancy of the resting-state. Stimulus evokes a repeating period, but the brain recovers its resting-state automatically. Every evoked cycle changes the complexity of the brain's neural network, which allows consideration of energy and information cycle in the brain.

Mental energy or intrinsic motivation is a long-term ability based on mental fluidity that allows trust, belief, and confidence. It enables a consistent exertion of mental effort toward achievement. It increases future freedom, predicts enhanced performance, learning, and creativity, and it plays a vital role in personality development and wellness across life. Thus mental energy is essential for achievement.

The evoked cycle during positive emotions increases mental energy. It increases mental freedom, trust, immune function, and other parameters of health. Confidence and ambition are drivers of progress because ambitious people choose more challenging jobs, they solve more challenging problems and pick the hard, more thorough path toward success.

During negative emotions, the cycle runs in the reverse direction and accumulates information. The information-rich states reconstruct the past and cause regret, rumination, and remorse. The reduction of mental energy causes anxiety, insecurity, and might play a role in psychiatric diseases, and depression. The process might be a detectable first signal before functional and anatomical changes. Publications by respected laboratories show that the loss of mental energy might be the harbinger of AD, schizophrenia, and immune problems.

A happy mind is key to a healthy body.

The Power of Joy is your practical guide for self-betterment.

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Wednesday, October 2, 2019

How to introduce order into your life

A regular daily feeding and walking schedule can effectively rehabilitate abused and neglected dogs. Children also thrive on the predictability and organization in their lives. Consolidating our daily, weekly routine into a regular, predictable activity provides a reassuring balance. Breaking up big tasks into manageable steps with deadlines increases the likelihood of completion. Organizing tasks based on importance and urgency is the effective management of your workflow.

The mind projects expectations for the future based on experiences; even without a detailed plan, it constructs action steps toward clear objectives. Freeing yourself of regrets, pains, and mental chaos can form an orientation toward goals. Empty entertainments are like empty calories; they leave you spent and scattered. Experiences of beauty, learning, happiness, and joy improve your mental strength, patience, and persistence.

Some people have difficulty starting expansive projects, while others have trouble streamlining and finishing their work. Perfection, the constant upgrading of expectations, and insecurity can postpone your finish time indefinitely. Rain-in your shortcomings by maintaining a strict discipline throughout the project.

FINANCES Confident about their welfare, the wealthy have a greater appreciation for the quality of life by choosing vacations and entertainments. Their relaxed attitude encourages choices toward well-being and wealth, whereas the poor are locked in an endless struggle for survival. You are the center of your universe. Honor your unique position with your financial choices. Increase your access to time by getting services, gadgets that save time spent on mindless tasks. Financial security greatly influences our attitude toward money. As starvation creates an insatiable appetite for food, a constant lack generates a scarcity mindset, which increases the tendency to accumulate things. The resulting penny-pinching, the use of coupons, watching for deals and garage sales, causes aimlessness and lack of focus.

My straightforward handbook, The Power of Joy, gives you the tools and advice you need to liberate yourself from your negativity and become the best version of yourself.

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Picture credit: Eric Wand

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Wednesday, September 4, 2019

The thermodynamic Brain and Mental Energy

The connection between the mind and the brain is a fascinating puzzle. Idealism, represented by Kant, Hegel asserts the primacy of consciousness, whereas materialists, such as Dennett, and Churchland considers the mind an illusion produced by brain circuits and mechanisms. Incongruences between the mind and the brain-inspired dualism, a separation of physical and mental states.

The psyche was not subject to a scientific investigation until the focus shifted to the physics of the mind. In emotional animals, the brain produces motivation. Sensory experiences integrate the organism's past, present, and future into an abstract and temporal mental world.

The brain's self-regulation sustains a ground energy state, the so-called resting-state networks (RSNs). Their activity increases in the absence of external stimuli. Information integration formulates a highly abstract representation.

Neuronal activation is built on the resting potential, and the brain’s evoked states are founded on the resting state. The recurring activation cycle in both systems is governed by thermodynamic principles, such as the reversed Carnot or the Carnot cycle, a theoretical ideal thermodynamic cycle. The first process controls the future and enhances intellect and future freedom of action, whereas the second reconstructs the past. Emotional states are related to the brain's energy level.

The resting states maintain the constancy of the self. The sense of effort depends on their constantly shifting energy. Reduction of mental energy might be a diagnostic tool before functional and anatomical changes in Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, psychiatric disorders, and immune problems.

Establishing the energy nature of emotional states can inspire progress in neurology, psychiatry, psychology, and social sciences. Greater understanding of the thermodynamic processes of the brain’s intelligent computational power will allow the development of novel techniques and applications in the rapidly changing fields of AI and robotics.

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