I. JULIA BRAIN - A FRACTAL MODEL of the LIMBIC SELF and NEURO-MENTAL COMPLEX DYNAMICS
by Matti Bergström and Pia Ikonen
On the base of experimental sensory physiological findings in human subjects it was concluded that the human limbic system, the "neurophysiological Self " can be treated as a complex number space. We consider that the complex space is a good candidate for representation of free human thinking, both conscious and subconscious. In addition to the decision making obeying conscious logical rules, it is often "colored" by emotions (Damasio 1999), beliefs and values. These, mostly unconscious effects, may often guarantee that one is making a right decision. Considering that the limbic Self represents a complex number space, we concluded that an iterative mapping of the limbic function allowes for a modeling of the dynamics of mental thinking. In order to show this, we selected a situation with human subjects, resembling a situation described by Popper (see Eccles 1989), where the subject gets a proposition and begins to argument (the highest mode of thinking) in his thoughts how to relate to this proposition (a Darwinian dynamics). In knowing the proposition (C) and the immediate, first attitude (Zo) of the subject, and the amount (r) of knowledge (information), as well as the strength (i) of belief (on a certain value background) attached to both C and Zo (both considered as being represented by complex numbers) there could be applied a Julia equation: Zo^2 + C = N and let it iterate (in a computer). The iterations were thought to map the argumentative thinking of the subject (application patented). Hereby the r-projections exhibit the conscious, logical knowledge (cortical) part of the process and the i-projections the subconscious, evaluative (brain stem) part of the process. Degrees of knowledge and of belief were semantically programmed (Petri Kuittinen, MA, B.Sc.). The subject got the "story" written to him, about what he really had been thinking, in spite of not knowing all of it consciously. In a separate interview afterward it was "digged out" how conform the iteration was with arguments that he was familiar with in doing the task. Until now about 60 cases were studied, with a minimum of 60 % conformance between iterations and interview. This was considered to verify the hypothesis. - An example of the semantic output of the Julia program: Proposition C: "Go out!". Subjects first attitude Zo: "Oh, perhaps I should", thinking over the strange situation! - The semantic output of Julia brain program: "I try to find more information, and I believe fully! No... but I still believe... I really don´t know anything, but I believe fully! - But now I feel confused and blackout: I don´t know anything and I don´t believe at all! - Oh no! Now I understand what the proposition means! ...", and so on. - An interview afterwards verified the unconscious part of the "story", the subject understanding what he really was thinking.
II. TYPOLOGY of CONSCIOUSNESS - with Special Reference to Fractal, Neuro-Mental Thinking (special comments on Terrorist Type)
by Matti Bergström and Pia Ikonen
In Skövde (2001) we presented a report on that thinking, taking place in the human brain´s Limbic Self (a Mandelbrot Landscape), is a fractal complex process where subconscious (CON) and conscious (SCI) effects meet, determining the outcome of CON-SCIous thoughts. Investigating different subjects, we could observe that they used in their thinking different parts of the available 3-dimensional complex number space (p, i, r), with the coordinates real number p (Possibilities available), imaginary number i (subconscious Value) and real number r (conscious Knowledge). Eight types of the thinking mode could be differentiated, due to which part of the (p, i, r)-space was mostly used by the subject. The method consisted of giving the subject a "Proposition", of which the pir-coordinates were estimated. The subject then had to give his/her immediate attitude (also for this the coordinates were estimated) towards the proposition. Having these data, and programing them in to the Julia equation (J) representing a special case of the Mandelbrot equation so that the Proposition was described as a constant complex number (C) and the immediate attitude of the subject as the variable complex number (Z) and letting the equation iterate in the complex space, by computer, the argumentative thought process (conformal with Poppers theory of the argumentative language as the highest mode of thinking) was succesfully modelled as to the subconscious and conscious contents observed. The distribution of the iterational steps (the thinking process) in the pir-space, revealed the type of the thinking process of the subject. Eight types of thinking could be identified and differentiated: 1) The Creator (Child type: p, i, -r), 2) The Fundamentalist (Religious type: -p, i, -r), 3) The Successor (Female type: p, i, r), 4) The Logician (Male type: -p, i, r), 5) The Scientist (Analyst type: p, -i, r), 6) The Official (Perfectionist type: -p, -i, r), 7) Politician (Opportunist type: p, -i, -r), 8) Void (Empty type: -p, -i, -r). These types are also CON-SCIousness types (see Pia Ikonen and Matti Bergström, Skövde 2001). - On this background we can understand certain typical conflicts in the society: man/woman, teist/ateist, humanist/scientist, innovator/conservative, extrovert/introvert etc. Also if the genetic type of thinking is in conflict with daily thinking at workplace, it may result in mental and organic symptoms, the latter since the limbic system regulates our vegetative organs. A kind of typotherapy is possible, as we have shown in our experiments. The method implemented in the Julia Brain program (patented) should find application in e.g. decision making and selecting suitable people to enterprises or selecting consumers for special products. - An actual interest (attack of 11. 9. 2001) relates the Terrorist type . The "empty", frightend Void type has only an uncontrolled primitive, chaotic and destructive force. If the brain of a Void/Empty is combined with the brain of a Fundamentalist, it results in a dangerous 2-Brain-Unit: a fanatic fundamentalists Value gets control over an Empty/Void type with its primitive and destructive force, directing it to destroy brains with other values! Such 2-Brain-Units can also explaine the violent actions of children and youth.
Matti Bergström is Professor em (Physiology, Medical Faculty) at University Helsinki, Finland. Pia Ikonen is Med. Lic. and Researcher at the Department of Ophtalmology, University Helsinki, Finland
III. ARCHITECTURE of a CONSCIOUSNESS METER based on a Definition of Consciousness
Pia Ikonen, Helsinki School of Economics, and Matti Bergström, Helsinki University,
It has been proposed that a Consciousness Meter should be constructed in order to be able to measure Consciousness directly (Chalmers 1996). Our view is that there has to be a proper definition of what Consciousness is. Our research has been on the ontogenetic and phylogenetic development of the systemic properties of the brain in animal and man (an Entropy model 1969, a Chaos-Order model 1997). Hereby the brain was considered being a "Dipole", with an input of chaotic signal streams from the randomly connected networks of the primitive brain stem, and an input of ordered signal streams from the organized neocortical, developed structures. On this back- ground the definition of Consciousness can be based on the system characteristics of the brain. Consciousness thus would "Bridge" between states of the individual brain, expanding from states of the brain stem to states of cortical areas. Then, what is Consciousness? These inputs from the both subsystems meet in the Limbic system (see e.g. MacLean), that by virtue of its emotional and value centres can be considered as forming the "Neuromental Self" of the brain. This Neuromental Self consequently possesses 2 dimensions: one for the effect of the deep Brain stem, and one for the effect of Neocortex. The space is a complex number space, since states dominated by the brain stem, in psycho-physical experiments, have to be represented with imaginary numbers (Bergström 1964). There thus applies in this space a fractal dynamics of Mandelbrot type. The fractal processes of the Self can be considered to form our thinking. Thinking thus "bridges" between the "holistic" (Bohm) and "element-oriented" state of our mind. Ethymologically the word "Consciousness" shows this also, in Con meaning "Whole" and Sci meaning "Cut in parts" (lat. sciare). Consciousness thus is definied as Bridging with Thinking between the deep brain stem and cortex along the developmental axis through brain´s Self. For the construction of a Consciousness meter we used results of our earlier psycho-physical experiments (Bergström 1957), where in the proprioceptive modality the stimulus that the subject experienced, varied between cortical and brain stem states. The variation factor, that could be calculated with a special program, describes the state of consciousness of brain´s Self. In order to measure the Consciousness directly, we are letting the subject select a suitable answer (A) of the Meter, that fits a proposal (P) presented by the Meter. The program of the Meter performs the calculation of the Consciousness-factor, giving also a semantic description of the thinking with concepts conform with the fractal process of the Neuromental Self of the subject´s brain.
Pia Ikonen, Med.lic., Researcher, Studying at Helsinki School of Economics Matti Bergström, Professor em., Physiology, Medical Faculty, University Helsinki.
IV. RESULTS of MEASUREMENTS of the STATE of CONSCIOUSNESS with the CONSCIOUSNESS METER
Pia Ikonen and Matti Bergström
At the Tucson Conference 2004 we presented the Architecture of a Consciousness Meter, based on a definition of consciousness. The method consisted of the presen- tation of a proposition (P) to the testperson and the registration of his/her immediate answer (A) to the propsition. P and A were treated with a Mandelbrot equation (P the constant and A the variable term) describing the dynamics of thinking in brain´s limbic Self, according to our theory of this Self being a fractal complex number space (see above Abstract 2004). The iteration of the equation is considered to form the thinking process, so that the immediate answer (A) is conscious and the iterative steps are subconscious. A semantic presentation (see below) of the iterative steps in our program showd the movment of the complex number vector in the space of Self in relation to its 2 dimensions (knowledge of content of proposition and belief on it).
Here are shown typical results of measurements in males, females and children: P (the proposition) in all cases was "You should buy yourself new clothes!"
Case Typical man: the immediate conscious answer was "Yes, I know excactly what it means, in spite of not quite believing it would be the right thing to do". Iterative steps of subconscious thinking:
Case Typical child: the immediate conscious answer was "Yes you are right! I believe in your proposal, in spite of not knowing exactly what it would mean". Iterative steps of subconscious thinking:
Case Typical woman: the immediate conscious answer was "I understand your points of view. I know what it would mean, and I believe it would be good". Iterative steps of subconscious thinking:
From these results we can see how, despite unconscious hesitation, a typical man depends on objective knowledge only, how a child depends on subjective belief only and how a typical woman depends on both objective knowledge and subjective belief. She is an understander! The philosophical interpretation is that men are 3´rd person, children 1´st person and women 1´st and 3´rd person thinkers. The scientific interpre- tation is that men are cortical, children brain stem and women whole brain types. Con- sciousness consequently is a whole brain concept, its state varying along the develop- mental axis between cortical and brain stem centres (see above reference).
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