The science of consciousness

Sunday, December 3, 2023

What Is Psychological Spin?

My manuscript, "What Is Psychological Spin? A Thermodynamic Framework for Emotions and Social Behavior," was published in Psych last week. It explores how individualistic motivations form the root causes of social inequality.

Consciousness science seeks to explain how the neural system produces psychology and social phenomena. A prominent example is quantum cognition. In this vein, the perception cycle is a reversible energy-information exchange with the environment with rapid shifts in orientation that can give rise to the dynamic and probabilistic features of perception and decision-making.

Homeostatic regulation, occurring on many levels, is vital to life. Emotional regulation, centered on the resting state, sits at the top of this hierarchy and maintains a genetically, culturally, and personally determined cognitive comfort. While the cortical library creates multidimensional emotional experiences, emotional regulatory power originates from their energy nature, consisting of only positive and negative motivation. Thus, the reversible cycle's emotional polarities are endothermic or exothermic conditions analogous to particle spin. The endothermic process increases intellect due to energy input from the environment. This is a psychological up spin, promoting openness and creativity.

In contrast, the exothermic process, which expels energy into the environment, corresponds to down spin. The fear-based and insecure orientation causes polarization and divergence. As fermions' half-spin shapes matter via the Pauli exclusion principle, it also leads to social animals' territorial or personal space needs. Contradictory and competitive tendencies generate hierarchic social structures and inequality.

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Thursday, October 26, 2023

Characterizing Consciousness Using Mathematical Tools

What is consciousness? It's a question that has philosophers and scientists baffled for centuries. But now, a new study has used the Yoneda lemma, a mathematical concept, to characterize consciousness based on its similarities to fermions, which make up matter.

What is the Yoneda lemma? The Yoneda lemma is a mathematical concept that characterizes relationships between concepts by looking at categories of objects. The Yoneda lemma states that the relationship between two categories is entirely determined by how object maps in the first category are mapped to object maps in the second category.

What are fermions? Fermions are elementary particles with half-integer spin, which provides their space-filling properties to form matter. Some examples of fermions are electrons, protons, and neutrons.

The mathematical model of the Yoneda lemma showed that consciousness and fermions have identical connection maps, proving their near-identic structures and operations (Shown below). The finding that consciousness and fermions are similar is significant because it provides a new way to think about consciousness. It suggests that consciousness is not something separate from the physical world but rather a fundamental part of it.

The findings could lead to new ways to understand and treat consciousness-related disorders, such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, the work provides a new way to think about consciousness and its relationship to the physical world.

The hypothesis is supported by many neuroscience, psychology, and social sciences findings.

Ways to test the hypothesis:

The neural system’s energy relationships, particularly neural computation, can be studied in dish brains.
Computer simulation can test the validity of the hypothesis.
Analysis of time series from electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data permits quantifying brain activity states and their corresponding transitions.

Read the article: "Can the Fermionic Mind Hypothesis (FMH) Explain Consciousness? The Physics of Selfhood."

The connection maps of consciousness and fermions according to the Yoneda lemma.

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Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Positive Psychology; Striving for Long-term Wellbeing

The contemporary interpretation of karma has paved the way for positive psychology, a field dedicated to investigating the advantages of optimistic thinking and improving the quality of life. It is defined by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi as the study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels, including personal and cultural dimensions of life. It offers evidence-based interventions to boost well-being and enhance life satisfaction by exploring concepts like flow, gratitude, resilience, and hope. It provides tools to lead more fulfilling lives and for societies to foster more thriving citizens.

The Minnesota Nun Study is a longitudinal study of Catholic sisters belonging to the School Sisters of Notre Dame congregation. The study delves into the life trajectories of these nuns, revealing that complexity, fluency, and imagination in youth protect against later cognitive impairments like Alzheimer's. Positive thought processes, a sense of dignity, and forward-looking anticipation foster well-being and healing and can contribute to longevity. Traits like faith, love, and courage catalyze enduring enthusiasm, generosity, and cooperation. Even in broken relationships or loss, one can find transcendence and closure through emotional healing.

In today's rapidly evolving society, psychological well-being is closely linked to personal growth and expanding possibilities. While happiness serves as a motivator for striving toward a brighter future, the mere act of feigning happiness proves ineffective. Deceiving our employers, friends, or partners might be possible, but deceiving our own minds remains an impossible challenge.

The principles of positive psychology extend to communities as well. Physical proximity, touch, and embracing signify group unity, cohesion, and mutual trust.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Newly Discovered Pattern of Brain Waves Signals Depression

A new report in "Nature" reveals a neural code that connects to the presence or absence of depression in the brain. This is a significant step forward in our understanding of this widely-spread condition.

– A Hub for Depression is discovered: - Subcallosal Cingulate, also known as "Brodmann area 25," is a region located deep in the brain intersecting with four major nerve fiber tracts. These pathways are closely involved in functions often affected by depression, such as emotional regulation, sleep, appetite, reward, motivation, and memory. This location is crucial to the onset and progression of depression. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) effectiveness targeting this area has increased over the years, thanks to refined techniques that enable precision.

- Promising Biomarker found: The neural code researchers found within the subcallosal cingulate could indicate relapses in depressive episodes, which can help clinicians provide more targeted interventions.

- Brain Scans & Their Revelations: Pre-surgery scans of participants indicated a correlation between damage to specific nerve fiber tracts and the severity of their depressive symptoms. These insights might lead to more advanced imaging techniques for early detection.

- Facial Expressions as Indicators: Using artificial intelligence, facial changes were discovered that mirrored the brain's wellness signals. This suggests an external and visible indicator that connects to the internal neural changes related to depression. This combination of neurology and technology shows promise for early and non-invasive diagnostic methods.

Abbott Laboratories, an American multinational medical devices and healthcare company, is now working with the FDA on a plan for a clinical trial based on these promising results.

Read the whole article: Implanted electrodes pick up a pattern of brain waves that can signal the presence or absence of depression.

Picture credit: Eva Deli: Depression

Friday, August 25, 2023

The role of beauty in the arts

The concept of beauty and art has evolved from the early cave paintings in Altamira to abstraction, film, and mediums without specific rules. Technology will undoubtedly provide new avenues for art-making and influence its future. Although AI has instantaneous technical ability, true art requires the artist's involvement. People connect with the artist's humanity and even the mark of his hand in the work.

To envision art's future, we must understand what art is. Art is a kaleidoscope of human experience, but it originates in nature, the source of all beauty, independent of subject or style. Unlike the sterility of perfection, art reflects the internal rhythm of things. Whether it expresses happiness, terror, or suffering, great art conveys a positive, optimistic message of human potential. While the audience's interpretation of the artwork may differ from that of the artist (we may never know the Altamira painters' intentions), every great piece of art, music, and literature uses the language of emotions that moves us more than logic. Art creates beauty, the symphony of surprising yet familiar. Too much novelty turns the work into bizarre, threatening, or ugly, but lacking surprise is the recipe for boredom. Therefore, repeated exposure exhausts art's originality. As Oscar Wilde said, "The moment you think you understand a great work of art, it's dead for you." Therefore, art, the servant of only emotions, not rules, is a mirror of its time.

Picture credit: https://www.evadeli.com/art

Thursday, August 17, 2023

What is Electrogenetics? Gene Control With Wearables

Electrogenetics, the combination of electronics and genetics, is an emerging field of mammalian synthetic biology. It combines genetics and electronics to influence gene expression through electrical signals. Wearable devices could serve as vehicles for these signals, to activate or silence specific genes, which holds promise for treating diseases caused by gene misregulation and advancing personalized medicine.

Traditional gene editing techniques, such as CRISPR-Cas9, involve modifying the DNA itself. In contrast, electrogenetics seeks to control genes indirectly by manipulating the electrical signals that regulate their activity. This paradigm shift has opened up exciting possibilities for non-invasive interventions.

Wearable devices have already transformed how we monitor our health, from tracking our steps to monitoring heart rate and sleep patterns. The marriage of electrogenetics and wearables takes this a step further, envisioning devices that can communicate with our cells by emitting precise electrical signals that target specific genes, modulating their expression, and potentially rectifying genetic mutations responsible for diseases. This concept taps into the body's natural communication pathways and could be harnessed to correct gene misregulation. The practical applications of electrogenetics and wearable devices in gene control have substantial potential for healthcare.

Hope for diabetes treatment

Electrogenetic treatment show promise for diabetes treatment. In just four weeks the treated mice could better battle low blood sugar from dieting, and eventually they restored their normal blood sugar levels. They were also adept at regulating blood sugar levels after a meal, something that’s difficult in people with diabetes without insulin.

In conclusion, the emergence of electrogenetics and its potential integration with wearable devices represents a pivotal moment in the field of genetics and healthcare. The ability to modulate gene expression using electrical signals has the capacity to revolutionize disease treatment and prevention. Wearable devices, once designed to merely monitor our well-being, could soon become active participants in our cellular biology.

Image by brgfx on Freepik

Friday, June 23, 2023

Depression, the state of current understanding

Depression can be a profoundly distressing and isolating experience that engulfs one's entire being. It can feel like being trapped within themselves, cut off from the world around them. The pain can be all-consuming, making it difficult to articulate or even understand what one is going through.

It's crucial to understand that depression is not a voluntary choice. It can be overwhelming and debilitating, but there is always hope for recovery. Studies have shown that depression will almost always come to an end.

Various factors can contribute to depression, including chemical imbalances in the brain. While specific genes and neurotransmitters may play a role, it's crucial to remember that these factors do not necessarily guarantee that one will become depressed. It's frequently a combination of internal and external factors that trigger depression. Furthermore, depression is not solely psychological.

People with depression don't reliably have less serotonin activity than people without the disorder. Yet serotonin inhibitors reduce depression symptoms, possibly by increasing the circulating levels of the amino acid tryptophan, a serotonin precursor which helps regulate sleep cycles. People with a family history of depression also appear vulnerable to tryptophan depletion. For example, tryptophan and serotonin regulate bacteria and other microbes growing in the gut, and chemical signals from these microbiota could affect mood.

Other neurotransmitters, which play an essential role in memory formation, and inhibit cells from sending messages to one another, may be involved in depression. Researchers also have identified about 200 genes linked to a risk of depression but explain only about 5% of cases. Moreover, simply having the genes for depression doesn't guarantee the disease outcome because the genes must be activated by internal or external conditions.

Chronic inflammation can significantly impact mental health and even trigger depressive symptoms. Inflammation can lead to appetite loss, fatigue, and a slowdown in mental and physical activity — all symptoms of major depression. Chronic inflammation can degrade synaptic connections in neural tissue, which impede healing. The loss of connections might contribute to mood disorders. Depression can feel devastating and incapacitating, but seeking help from friends, family, and qualified professionals can provide an understanding of the symptoms and manage healing and recovery.

Image credit: Wikipedia Commons