Consciousness as a Physical Process Caused by the Organization of Energy in the Brain
To explain consciousness as a physical process we must acknowledge the role of energy in the brain. Energetic activity is fundamental to all physical processes and causally drives biological behavior. Recent neuroscientific evidence can be interpreted in a way that suggests consciousness is a produc...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02091/full |
| _version_ | 1818420501537619968 |
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| author | Robert Pepperell |
| author_facet | Robert Pepperell |
| author_sort | Robert Pepperell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To explain consciousness as a physical process we must acknowledge the role of energy in the brain. Energetic activity is fundamental to all physical processes and causally drives biological behavior. Recent neuroscientific evidence can be interpreted in a way that suggests consciousness is a product of the organization of energetic activity in the brain. The nature of energy itself, though, remains largely mysterious, and we do not fully understand how it contributes to brain function or consciousness. According to the principle outlined here, energy, along with forces and work, can be described as actualized differences of motion and tension. By observing physical systems, we can infer there is something it is like to undergo actualized difference from the intrinsic perspective of the system. Consciousness occurs because there is something it is like, intrinsically, to undergo a certain organization of actualized differences in the brain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T12:55:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cb157e6883f14f0aa0148b01d9eec305 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T12:55:28Z |
| publishDate | 2018-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-cb157e6883f14f0aa0148b01d9eec3052022-12-21T23:00:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782018-11-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.02091393597Consciousness as a Physical Process Caused by the Organization of Energy in the BrainRobert PepperellTo explain consciousness as a physical process we must acknowledge the role of energy in the brain. Energetic activity is fundamental to all physical processes and causally drives biological behavior. Recent neuroscientific evidence can be interpreted in a way that suggests consciousness is a product of the organization of energetic activity in the brain. The nature of energy itself, though, remains largely mysterious, and we do not fully understand how it contributes to brain function or consciousness. According to the principle outlined here, energy, along with forces and work, can be described as actualized differences of motion and tension. By observing physical systems, we can infer there is something it is like to undergo actualized difference from the intrinsic perspective of the system. Consciousness occurs because there is something it is like, intrinsically, to undergo a certain organization of actualized differences in the brain.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02091/fullconsciousnessmetabolismenergybraininformation theoryfeedback |
| spellingShingle | Robert Pepperell Consciousness as a Physical Process Caused by the Organization of Energy in the Brain Frontiers in Psychology consciousness metabolism energy brain information theory feedback |
| title | Consciousness as a Physical Process Caused by the Organization of Energy in the Brain |
| title_full | Consciousness as a Physical Process Caused by the Organization of Energy in the Brain |
| title_fullStr | Consciousness as a Physical Process Caused by the Organization of Energy in the Brain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Consciousness as a Physical Process Caused by the Organization of Energy in the Brain |
| title_short | Consciousness as a Physical Process Caused by the Organization of Energy in the Brain |
| title_sort | consciousness as a physical process caused by the organization of energy in the brain |
| topic | consciousness metabolism energy brain information theory feedback |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02091/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertpepperell consciousnessasaphysicalprocesscausedbytheorganizationofenergyinthebrain |