The ‘Conscious Pilot’

1. The ‘Conscious Pilot’ Stuart Hameroff University of Arizona

2. Non-conscious/ • Unconscious Conscious • Chalmers Easy problems Hard problem • Crick/Koch Zombie modes Consciousness • Block (?) Access Cs. Phenomenal Cs. • McCrone Habitual Conscious • Hodgson Auto-pilot

3. Non-conscious/ • Unconscious Conscious • Chalmers Easy problems Hard problem • Crick/Koch Zombie modes Consciousness • Block (?) Access Cs. Phenomenal Cs. • McCrone Habitual Conscious • Hodgson Auto-pilot Conscious pilot (SH)

4. Cognitive brain functions are conducted in • either non-conscious or conscious modes • Sensory processing • Control of behavior • Learning • Memory • Attention • Sleep • Eye movements • Visceral/Sexual functions • …either accompanied by consciousness, or not • …what is the distinction?

5. Cognitive brain functions are conducted in • either non-conscious or conscious modes • Sensory processing • Control of behavior • Learning • Memory • Attention • Sleep • Eye movements • Visceral/Sexual functions • …either accompanied by consciousness, or not • …what is the distinction? • Gamma synchrony EEG

6. Non-conscious/ • Unconscious • Chalmers Easy problems • Crick/Koch Zombie modes • Block (?) Access Cs. • McCrone Habitual • Hodgson Auto-pilot …are accounted for by neuronal network computation based on axonal-dendritic feed-forward and feed-back synaptic networks…. Brain as computer with neuronal firings as ‘bits’ …..classical ‘neuro’computation…

7. We can explain the non-conscious computerized activities of the auto-pilot

8. We can explain the non-conscious computerized activities of the auto-pilot By computation in brain neuronal networks

9. Computing in the brain… Ramon-y-Cajal: brain composed of individual cells – “neurons”

11. Integrate

12. Fire

26. What about consciousness?

27. We can explain the computerized activities of the auto-pilot Where’s the pilot?

30. The conscious pilot (NCC) is dendritic synchrony, moving through the brain’s neuronal networks to mediate consciousness

31. Where in the brain does consciousness occur?

32. BING!!!

33. Consciousness with attention involves activity in both prefrontal and posterior regions.. …top-down, bottom-up, recurrent feedback ….more or less global

34. But sensations of pure color arise from isolated activity in visual cortex color area V4 (Zeki) BING!!!

35. Deeper emotional feelings occur in emotional core BING!!! Dopaminergic paths in VTA/nucleus accumbens cingulate/limbic “emotional core” So some process/activity is specific for consciousness

36. In the brain consciousness can occur • Globally • (e.g. attention-mediated, bottom-up/top-down; ?holographic) • Locally • (e.g. Zeki and pure color experience in V4) • Regionally • (posterior cortex, e.g. Malach; • brainstem/limbic, Panksepp, Damasio) • ‘Here, there or everywhere’

37. In the brain consciousness can occur • Globally • (e.g. attention-mediated, bottom-up/top-down; ?holographic) • Locally • (e.g. Zeki and pure color experience in V4) • Regionally • (posterior cortex, e.g. Malach; • brainstem/limbic, Panksepp, Damasio) • ‘Here, there or everywhere’ • Accompanied by gamma synchrony EEG

42. Sideways Synchrony Neuronal network dendrites linked by gap junctions (“dendritic webs”) depolarize coherently in gamma synchrony Dendritic post-synaptic potentials are synchronized, may drive coherent spikes

43. BING BING BING BING

44. Sideways synchrony Dendritic webs embedded in neuronal networks …allowing collective, synchronized integration phases in laterally-connected input/integration layers

45. BING BING BING

46. The Halle Berry neuron (Koch) BING!!!

47. BING!!!BING!!! BING!!! BING!!!BING!!!BING!!! FIRE BING!!!BING!!!BING!!!

48. In the brain..