Brain and learning potential

[HydrogenBond]

The easiest way to begin is to look at the stereo-typical neuron. The neuron has a cell body with two types of branching processes, called the dendrites and axons. These define a potential gradient with respect to the neuron. The easiest way to see this potential gradient is to follow the flow of cations. In the stereo-typical neuron cations enter the dendrite and exist the axon. This direction of positive current shows the potential flow.

 

Another way to see this, is by looking at the synapse that forms when an axon approaches a dendrite branch. The axon side of the synapse sort of form a bulb process. The axon branch before the synapse is skinnier, implicit of higher curvature and higher surface tension. The increase the radius of curvature at the synapse, implies the surface tension lowering. Or the potential of the axon is highest where it is skinniest and lowers potential when it hooks up with a dendrite at the synapse. This implies the dendrite is at lower potential. This allows the positive current to flow from the axon into the dendrite with constant reliability.

 

If we go inside the neuron the potential gradient is opposite. Inside the neuron the positive current flows from dendrite to the axon. The reason for this dual gradient is the affect of the cation pumping. In all cells, the cation pumping causes the cell membrane to become negative on the inside and positive on the outside. Relative to the neuron, the axon has a higher potential separation, between inside and outside, making the outside more positive and inside more negative. The firing of the synapse and the reversal at the dendrite makes its time average gradient potential lower relative to the more steady nature of the axon.

 

If you look at a neuron, as a whole, there is a positive current loop. The positive current inside the neuron's cell body sees the lower inside negative charge of the axon area and flows toward it. It is pumped out into the region of the higher exterior positive charge of the axon. It has to leave there and flows along the outside of the neuron cell body, back toward the dendrite. This is not obvious when a neuron is not firing, since the dendrite's exterior surface is not seeing much in the way of ion pump reversal. But when firing and reversal occurs, the loop allows the neuron speedier recovery in the area of the dendrite.

 

The brain is set up using the same basic schema. The cerebral matter is doing most of the firing. From the cerebral there are large axon type processes which converge in the core of the brain. This flow of current is more internal. Due to the neuron loop, it sets up a backflow current that will return to the cerebral. The creation of memory require regions in the core of the brain. The cerebral current flows into the core and the backflow current carries the core changes to make the memory stick.

 

If we were to do an energy balance of the brain, there is more current coming from the cerebral, flowing into the core, than in reverse. Much of this extra current just keeps going through, into the body. The question becomes, since the upstream current is smaller than the downstream from the cerebral, what use is this smaller upstream current? The brain has a trick up its sleeve to make it very useful. Rather than use a wide fan, the core will focus the backflow and saturate particular cerebral areas, to increase the local potential.

 

If you look at brain waves, the brain is constantly bulk firing. If the brain waves were to stop, we would be brain dead. What the brain waves do is create a constant upstream pressure. The core continually fans the focus to induce the entire cerebral to evolve over longer periods of time.

 

A good analogy is a having a sprinker system to water the garden. If it was on a fine mist, it may evaporate as fast as we water, with all the plants being deprived of water. Instead if we use a hose and soak the ground near each plant, this deeper watering will last longer and allowing the plants to do better.

 

If we go back to the neurons, these have a gradient potential. If we added more potential to the entire neuron, then the axon will branch smaller and smaller or increase surface tension to reflect its increasing potential. The dendrite will also want to branch, since it will try to create a higher proportion of surface, this is not under the gun, needing to fire.

 

The core has other tricks up its sleave if it needs more backflow. It can alter the blood potential or the cerebral spinal fluid potential by tweaking key areas within the core of the brain connected to the limbic system. For example, if the core cause adrenaline to flow into the blood, the brain waves will get cranking. That means more bulk firing. The higher backflow coming to a focus, allows consciousness more focus and energy. It can also tweak the CSP potential for more subtle tweaks of potential. It can create an emotional state that focus the mind for memories.

 

What is interesting about brain waves, is that the bulk firing of the cerebral sort of causes all our memories to fire, more or less. This dynamic memory grid is who we are. It is sort of a constant projection of us. The backflow, working in the context of this projection, cycles its focus to help iall of us to evolve.

 

The core does not focus the energy directly. Instead it is sort of a jukebox of personality and behavior software. The focus is not just white light, but is sort of broken down into a spectrum, with certain colors playing at a time. For example, if the love software becomes active (fall in love), the filter for the focus takes on a certain ambiance for creation of memory. It more than ambience, it also motivates and drives the dynamics so one gets involved in the process of tweaking the environment.

 

There is one last thing I will add to the model, which is the affect of the sensory systems. As an example, consider the eyes. The absorption surface of the eye is sort of a dendrite analogy that fires with respect to the visual input. The axon aspect goes into the brain and fires cerebral matter. Because these dendrites are firing, they are lowering potential. Because the backflow is at higher potential, this will become the place of where the backflow will tend to drift and come to a focus. One might picture cation current flowing down dendrite tubes, like taking the stopper out of the tube. This is now the best place to get rid of the backwash so it drifts to drain coming into focuses there.

 

Here is model in summary. The brainwaves are constantly firing. The backflow current from the core fans its focus. At times, it uses various software filters while it is focusing, to develop all aspect of who we are. If the sensory systems begin to fire, this opens a drain and the focus goes there. The affect of the focus on that area, increases its potential. In the short term it help fire existing neurons. This due to increasing the upper end of the neuron potential making it need to fire. In the longer term, it icause neurons to branch into new memories. Now the brainwaves project additional data and understanding of what we have learned. The is then uses the focus to further extrapolate what we have learned.

 

This model is does not take into consideration all the pathways that are wired and integrated for a particular task. It is more like the basic schema behind all these various possiblities.

[InfiniteNow]

That's wrong on a number of fronts, and I've already shown you why in several posts at another forum. Do you intentionally ignore the real data, or is a psychological issue of some sort?

[HydrogenBond]

I posted these considerations to open the mind. The more scientific understanding that you are aware of tells us a lot, but it can't address consciousness. This is a very big variable that is left out of the analysis.

 

The model of the neuron is not intended to address all the details of potential flow into and out of the cell. All I did was put a box around a neuron (stereo-typical) and see where cations net enter and net exit. This is the direction of a potential, which in this case is postive potential, instead of the usual electron or negative potential. The only reason it would net flow that way is if the inside of the axon is more negative than the inside of the dendrite. One could have inferred that due to the firing and induced ion pump reversal at the dendrite. This is a dynamics system that needs to stay steady, so nature designed both ends to be different, so the gradient remains under all conditions.

 

Since the inside membrane potential is directly related to the outside membrane potential, the axon zone by having the lowest inside potential will have the highest outside positive potential. This could also be inferred by the dendrites firing. The exterior flow of potential always goes from higher to lower or from axon to dendrite. It is just a reflection of how the inside of the neuron is set up, with opposite flow currents additive or the best way to minimize the energy for the entire neuron. One may not see cation current flowing, but having a potential will cause some type of energy movement from higher to lower potential. The high potential axon stays more or less steady, the dendrite is a fluctuating potential that is always at slightly lower potential that the exterior of the axon.

 

All I did was scale this basic energy balance up. My knowledge of the brain's nomenclature is rather thin, so all I was trying to do was show how to follow the potential flow within the bulk brain and offer a way to explain how the neurons can be induced to branch without having to use some form of preprogrammed genetic potential. There is current flow from the cerebral into the body or we would not be able to consciousnessly move our muscles. This, by default, has to go through the core. All I did was recycle some of this directed current back into the cerebral. In other words, the flow of current one way will induce a countercurrent flow since the vehicle of transmission are neurons which work in loops.

 

If you look at brain scans, very rarely is the entire brain glowing with the same color. Typically, certain areas of the brain are the focus. I didn't pull this out of the air. The whole scientific movement toward specialization shows that most people can't help, but act with brain focus. It is more work to distribute the focus such that specialized focus defaults. This is good since it provide a way to make a modest recycle become more.

 

The core that I described is very broad. If we peeled off the cerebral matter and the cerebellum, what is left is the core that I was talking about. This may be the wrong terminology. I was not prepared to break that down into all its many areas. It was not necessary. All I was concerned with was cerebral energy generation and some recycle. One only has to look at the formation of memory to see that it starts in the cerebral, uses aspects of the core, and gets stored in cerebral. This follows the basic loop of the energy balance.

 

If you look at a synapse, the flow of positive charge into the dendrite, shows movement from higher to lower potential. That is just how energy potential works. This implies higher potential is what is inducing the synapse to fire. What the backflow current does is provide a constant source of higher potential to make neurons fire. If we add the focus to this, we now have a source of energy focus for consciousness. The brainwaves are causing a cyclic firing of the memory. This not only provides a steady current from cerebral to the core for recycle, but also projects who we are, so focus is in the context of who we are. All the pieces are there for a foundation model.

 

The next step is to interface this with all the existing details of neuro-chemistry-anatomy and psychology. This foundation can be extrapolated in both directions. The existing neural models stick with bio-chemistry, but ignor the energy balance. Consciousness is also stuck at philosophy since that interface can't be made with chemistry alone.

[InfiniteNow]

My knowledge of the brain's nomenclature is rather thin

That much is obvious. You ignore the mountains of information available to us on sodium/potassium gating and neurechemically induced action potentials and myelin sheathing. My problem stems from the fact that you present an unproved premise, then argue based on that faulty premise escheloning cascades of speculative dribble.

 

New ideas = Good.

Ignoring existing data that disprove new ideas = Bad.

 

Simple enough?

 

If you are interested in the field, which you clearly seem to be, then go learn about it. Study what has been researched, what is known, and what remains to be known. While doing so, restructure your preconceived notions to account for the valid explanations which already exist. Right now, you're thought surfing on purple unicorns and leprechaun whiskers, and while you use words that work well together in other contexts, you're wrong far too often to be taken seriously.

[HydrogenBond]

I begin this study exactly, where you suggested, many moons ago. I moved in other directions, because the science lost track of the forest because of all the trees. For example, why do neurons fire in the first place? I am not talking about what happens when they fire, but how does consciousness cause a neuron to fire? If I think about a waterfall, one might be able to can trace that to a part of the brain, to neurons, synapses, sodium/potassium gating and neurechemically induced action potentials and myelin sheathing, etc.. But that is not the question. The question is how does consciousness start this chain of events?

 

If one leave this variable out of the analysis, then it any extrapolation, beyond the mechanisms, is half baked. That is where I used to hit a wall in my studies. The abstractions got to complicated to be right. An analogy of the state of affairs is like an auto. We know how all the parts works, but the mind turning the key, to make it start, is stuck at philosophy.

[HydrogenBond]

The brain appears to store memory in layers. If one looks at a synapse, it is not an on-off switch like the binary memory of computers. The synapse can be tweaked with neuro-transmittors to get many settings. With computer memory, if we could, slow down or speed up, the flipping of the on-off switches, the memory in that sector would not change. The only thing that would change is how fast the memory can turn over.

 

For example, if the processor was too fast and the switch too slow, the memory can not be processed, by the processor, in real time. The only switches the processor can use in real time, need to fire fast enough to keep up with the processor. The slow switch would still flip, but by then the processor is already somewhere else, such that only the switches which are tuned to its speed, can provide real time data.

 

Within the brain there are two CPU's. The first is often called in the inner self. This is the core CPU with the fastest speed. It is more connected to the unconscious mind. For example, a sudden noise, will cause us to react or jump, even before we are fully conscious of the source of the noise. The central CPU is already doing the number crunching.

 

The secondary CPU is human consciousness or who we are. After the body is already tense, adreneline is flowing, or sensors are on high alert, the secondary CPU, starts to process the data at hand. This extreme example is the easiest to see. At slower data speeds, if often appears that there is only the secondary CPU, doing all the data crunching.

 

I tried many scenarios in an attempt to explain how the secondary CPU fits into the variable memory speeds. The best one that can correlated most data is that the secondary CPU has a given set point. Memory with firing rates within this set point range are the most conscious. If the speed is too fast or too slow, these will only be partially conscious.

 

For example, subliminal programming is often too fast to be conscious. Yet the unconscious mind or core CPU, can stores this data. It can sometimes be retrieved with hypnosis. What the hypnosis does is put one into a calm state of mind. This slows the memory speed, so the memories that are usually firing too fast, to be fully conscious, can be slowed enough so they fire closer to the set point. These become conscious.

 

The subliminal message may say, "hunger". This is a very primative behavior, so it should not require very fast memory speed. Under ideal circumstance, the individual will subconsciously begin to crave. The hunger memory is firing too slow to be fully conscious. But once one gets into motion to satisfy the hunger, this will have the opposite affect of hypnosis, or speeds up the memory. At that point it become conscious, so the person is consciously seeking food.

 

Subliminal doesn't work as well as once thought. This example was only used to show the constrast between faster and slower memory, using a given ego set point. Once the secondary core begins to seek food, since the brain is firing faster, the memory grid of the core CPU, has also changed or speeded up. Instead of displaying the subliminal, it begins to work with slower memory that have gotten faster, Typically, this goes along with the ego and provides the logistics of motion, etc.

 

If the ego didn't go with the subconscious craving, but started to question, "why am I getting hungry, I just ate", it may calm the hunger. This slows the memory grid, so the hunger memory is again too slow to be fully conscious. It lowers the craving since it is less conscious. The core CPU uses this slower speed to access more complex memory. It may make the secondary aware, of the subliminal, it didn't originally see. The scientist would put 2 and 2 together and recall the trigger.

 

The primary CPU can tweak the brain to shift the grid. This not only shifts its own grid, but also the grid for the secondary. The classical example is falling in love. This memory speed (layer) is focused at romance. One has to fight this impulse, and slow the brain, so it can be rational again. But the core CPU may need the data, and resets the brain speed, again. The male may get over hyped, causing the speed to increase even more. So rather than just a romance ritual, his focus is more base athletic.

 

The unconscious is firing faster than the secondary set point. While the subconscious are the memories firing slower than this set point. In all these examples, the memory grid only needs to shift and another layer becomes conscious for the secondary, with core support. What is subconscious can become conscious at the fast speeds and what is unconscious can become conscious with the slower speeds.

[InfiniteNow]

Just in case any kids decide to use this as a reference for school or something... god forbid... I find the below important.

 

You have an awful habit of making a premise which is unfounded, and then rooting vast speculation in that unproven premise. While I'm sure you have fun doing this, your full of defication.

 

 

The brain appears to store memory in layers.

This is an unsupported speculation and is alternative to the actual work being done in memory.

 

If one looks at a synapse, it is not an on-off switch like the binary memory of computers. The synapse can be tweaked with neuro-transmittors to get many settings.

The synapse is a space between nerve cells with lots going on. None of what you posted above is relevant to synaptic space. Synapses don't turn on and off. They just are. Nerve cells "turn on and off" when they fire, but that firing is all or nothing.

 

Again, this is an unsupported speculation and is alternative to the actual work being done with synapses.

 

With computer memory, if we could, slow down or speed up, the flipping of the on-off switches, the memory in that sector would not change. The only thing that would change is how fast the memory can turn over.

That's great, but the analogy of the human nervous system to computer memory fails on a plethora of levels.

 

For example, if the processor was too fast and the switch too slow, the memory can not be processed, by the processor, in real time.

This isn't how memory works though.

 

The only switches the processor can use in real time, need to fire fast enough to keep up with the processor. The slow switch would still flip, but by then the processor is already somewhere else, such that only the switches which are tuned to its speed, can provide real time data.

So is the professor trying to program a computer now? I'm confused. This has no relevance to how the human nervous system functions, so what are you doing with this? It's unsupported speculation that is alternative to work in the field of learning.

 

Within the brain there are two CPU's.

This is unsupported speculation that is alternative to the work in the field of neuroanatomy.

 

The first is often called in the inner self. This is the core CPU with the fastest speed. It is more connected to the unconscious mind. For example, a sudden noise, will cause us to react or jump, even before we are fully conscious of the source of the noise. The central CPU is already doing the number crunching.

This is unsupported speculation that is alternative to the work being done in the field of cognition.

 

The secondary CPU is human consciousness or who we are. After the body is already tense, adreneline is flowing, or sensors are on high alert, the secondary CPU, starts to process the data at hand.

This is unsupported speculation that is alternative to the work being done in the field of perception and neurophysiology.

 

This extreme example is the easiest to see. At slower data speeds, if often appears that there is only the secondary CPU, doing all the data crunching.

This is unsupported speculation that is alternative to the work being done by... **** dude... anyone who actually studies these things.

 

I tried many scenarios in an attempt to explain how the secondary CPU fits into the variable memory speeds. The best one that can correlated most data is that the secondary CPU has a given set point. Memory with firing rates within this set point range are the most conscious. If the speed is too fast or too slow, these will only be partially conscious.

When did you define consciousness? How did you measure it? What equipment did you use? What parameters did you use to determine the cut-off point for "most conscious" and "partially conscious?"

 

Ah... never mind. I'm sure you cannot answer that. This is unsupported speculation that is alternative to all of our actual knowledge and information in the relevant fields.

 

For example, subliminal programming is often too fast to be conscious. Yet the unconscious mind or core CPU, can stores this data. It can sometimes be retrieved with hypnosis. What the hypnosis does is put one into a calm state of mind. This slows the memory speed, so the memories that are usually firing too fast, to be fully conscious, can be slowed enough so they fire closer to the set point. These become conscious.

Hmmm... So... Unicorns did it, eh?

 

The subliminal message may say, "hunger". This is a very primative behavior, so it should not require very fast memory speed.

Maybe the subliminal messages use carrier pigeons, did you ever think of that?

 

Under ideal circumstance, the individual will subconsciously begin to crave. The hunger memory is firing too slow to be fully conscious. But once one gets into motion to satisfy the hunger, this will have the opposite affect of hypnosis, or speeds up the memory. At that point it become conscious, so the person is consciously seeking food.

Just in case you were curious how this actually works, the cells run low on energy and cause a neurochemical signal which activates certain parts of the brain responsible for survival and motivation to take action. It's a very similar pathway to the response of drug withdrawal. However, you haven't really proven that you are curious how this ACTUALLY works, so I'll leave it at that.

 

Subliminal doesn't work as well as once thought.

How is this wellness measured? What was the previous state of it's wellness that was "once thought?" More unicorns I'm afraid.

 

This example was only used to show the constrast between faster and slower memory, using a given ego set point. Once the secondary core begins to seek food, since the brain is firing faster, the memory grid of the core CPU, has also changed or speeded up. Instead of displaying the subliminal, it begins to work with slower memory that have gotten faster, Typically, this goes along with the ego and provides the logistics of motion, etc.

Neato. What other works of fantasy have you done? Again, this is unsupported speculation that is alternative to work being done in the field of memory, clinical psychology, cognition, biomechanics, and all manner of others.

 

If the ego didn't go with the subconscious craving, but started to question, "why am I getting hungry, I just ate", it may calm the hunger. This slows the memory grid, so the hunger memory is again too slow to be fully conscious. It lowers the craving since it is less conscious. The core CPU uses this slower speed to access more complex memory. It may make the secondary aware, of the subliminal, it didn't originally see. The scientist would put 2 and 2 together and recall the trigger.

Wouldn't they get 4? :confused:

 

The primary CPU can tweak the brain to shift the grid. This not only shifts its own grid, but also the grid for the secondary. The classical example is falling in love. This memory speed (layer) is focused at romance. One has to fight this impulse, and slow the brain, so it can be rational again. But the core CPU may need the data, and resets the brain speed, again. The male may get over hyped, causing the speed to increase even more. So rather than just a romance ritual, his focus is more base athletic.

 

The unconscious is firing faster than the secondary set point. While the subconscious are the memories firing slower than this set point. In all these examples, the memory grid only needs to shift and another layer becomes conscious for the secondary, with core support. What is subconscious can become conscious at the fast speeds and what is unconscious can become conscious with the slower speeds.

 

Need I say it again? Unsupported speculation. Alternative to everything. Alternative is actually too nice. What you say is flat out wrong, and you're decision to disregard everything that we've studied for the past several decades is enormously frustrating and disrespectful to those of us who have actually devoted time and energy to understanding the human mind.

 

Just because you got paid as a chemist or engineer and had a few therapy sessions does not mean you can speculate your way to greater truths on the human mind. The worst part is you don't even take criticism and update your concepts when new contrary information is presented. You just keep on truckin' like a creationist. Good for you. That's really super.

[questor]

An interesting discussion, but like so many medical discussions it is on a macro level and does not inform us as to the cellular and subcellular enzymatic and particulate behavior that causes all this machinery to work.

we don't know how a thought or emotion is formed, we don't know on which particulate level life exists. we don't understand the biochemical reactions that must occur to facilitate these electron flows. DNA research will give us a huge amount of information, but we are far from that day.