Mental Biology by W.R. Klemm

Author:W.R. Klemm
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Published: 2014-03-13T04:00:00+00:00

Avatar Supporting Evidence

There are lines of evidence that support the CIP theory in addition to the rationale just developed. Evidence falls into two categories of predictions: (1) the CIPs, or some manifestation thereof, such as EEG frequencies, should change as the state of consciousness changes, and (2) changing the CIPs or their manifestation should change the state of consciousness.

In the first category, the whole history of EEG studies, both in laboratories and in hospital settings, attests to the fact that there is generally a clear correlation between the EEG and the state of consciousness. Note that the signal source for the EEG is the part of the brain closest to scalp electrodes, which is the neocortex. There are apparent exceptions, but I have argued elsewhere that these EEG-behavioral dissociations, as they are called, are usually misinterpretations of the state of consciousness.13

The general observations can be summarized as follows:

In the highest state of consciousness and alert wakefulness, the EEG is dominated by low-voltage, fast-activity (beta and gamma) waves, typically including oscillations in the frequency band of forty and more waves per second.

In relaxed, meditative states of consciousness, the EEG is dominated by slower activity, often including so-called alpha waves of 8–12 per second.

In emotionally agitated states, the EEG often contains a great deal of 4–7 per second theta activity. In drowsy and sleep states, the EEG is dominated by large, irregular slow waves of 1–4 per second. The large, slow electrical waves that permeate the neocortex during unconsciousness presumably reflect synchronous activity of neurons that are causing the inhibition that prevents emergence of arousal and consciousness.

In a coma state, the trend for slowing of activity continues, but the signal magnitude may be greatly suppressed, even to the point of the signal being undetectable from the scalp.

In death, there is no EEG signal anywhere in the brain. There is no EEG because neurons have stopped firing their CIPs.

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