Consciousness | Neurologist's Unconventional Insights

[@wadehines9971]

Sad to say that all the non-materialist models of consciousness invoke magic. They are modern phlogiston. Sad because I would like a magical world. Nevertheless "if it makes you happy, it can't be that bad."

[@neurogalmd]

Thank you for sharing your perspective. It's crucial to approach discussions on consciousness with an open mind and a spirit of inquiry. While I respect your viewpoint, I urge against dismissing alternative models of consciousness as mere 'magic' without fully exploring them. As Carl Sagan famously stated, 'Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.' Nevertheless, I understand that our perspectives may differ, and that's okay. It's unfortunate, however, to lose the sense of wonder and curiosity about the vast world around us by being overly confident in one particular viewpoint. Albert Einstein once said, 'Everyone knew it was impossible, until a fool who didn't know came along and did it.' The history of science is filled with instances where seemingly impossible ideas became reality through innovation and exploration.

[@wadehines9971]

@@neurogalmd In case my closing comment misfired, I have no objection to people who believe otherwise than I do. But as you cited Penrose, yeck. That's just bad pseudoscience. You must know enough biochem to understand what microtubules are, and how they work. Invoking neomysticism around quantum mechanics just doesn't work and even violates principles of quantum mechanics as him mechanism requires non-random behavior of things thats must be random, besides involving many magnitudes greater effect than remotely possible. The math doesn't work. It doesn't work per neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, or quantum chemistry. What does work is invoking the brain developing and using modeling of self in ways analogous to how it models vision, complete with artifacts akin to optical illusions. Such modeling is functional, consistent with how we know brains work, and is expected to produce models of self, and "awareness" of self. Of course such modeling can have flaws and develop dysfunction. Repairing any dysfunctions can (and probably should) involve offering up alternative modeling patterns likely to result in healthy coping mechanisms. I would not prescribe doses of harsh reality.

[@spacewalkx]

@@neurogalmd I agree with @wadehines9971. Quantum physics IS material. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a physical mechanism we haven’t discovered behind consciousness (quantum field theory). For non-physical or supernatural, before we can even investigate if consciousness is connected to it(?) someone would need to demonstrate that it even exists!

[@ianmininger]

@@spacewalkx Could you explain please what is exactly this thing that you call "material" that you mean when you say that "Quantum physics IS this thing that I say", but only explain please what it is absent of consciousness. Please nonconsciously (not unconsciously, that would be a different thing) deliver a nonconscious explanation of what this thing is that is the thing you mean when you say "material" using only information entirely and eternally immaculately absent of any thing that consciousness is, was, or ever will be, and please deliver that information to the nonconscious me in a nonconscious way that preserves my nonconsciousness so that we may both come to an understanding of what this supposed thing is that is "material" if materiality is supposed to exclude consciousness from our consciously observed system of the catalogue of consciously made observations that we consciously put together so that our consciousness may pull from its catalogue at will, i.e. the current human system known (and consciously so, as far as I can tell) as quantum physics. Otherwise I reject the assumption that materiality has some (or as yet known any) sort of contradictory effect on the commonality or unity of these systems. Material is just the thing that your conscious experience seems to be telling you is what the things that your apparently material body is apparently interacting with are apparently like, all apparently being mediated by this thing that consciousness understands as the conscious experience of the brain that mediates what the experience of the consciousness that is perceiving that brain is like to that consciousness when it perceives that the brain has been apparently acted upon by some apparently external force sufficient to produce a consciously observed change in the brain that apparently causes the appearance of some other change in the apparent experience of that consciousness that is observing all that. But that's ALL just conscious appearance, that's NEVER the actual thing that the consciousness is believing itself to be observing. And all of that only ever became consciously knowable enough to have ever been written through the process consciousness undergoes to apparently perform conscious observation of the conscious observations of the collection of observable things that were needed in order to make my self and my brain believe that our apparent "I" had apparently observed in order to explain to my partition of consciousness why it made sense that consciousness had been instigated to write this comment in defense of itself in the first place.

[@neurogalmd]

I invite you to share your thoughts and insights on consciousness. Let's engage in a respectful and enriching conversation. I’d love to hear about them! Also, please be respectful with your comments - remember that what you say is more a reflection of you than anything else!

[@mannyfragoza9652]

what you called the "essence of conciseness" is the Essence of God infused into the human body. That essence goes back to God that created it when you die. Life is a Miracle but like Miracles, are extremely hard to dissect.

[@SirDuxDucis]

Hi Anna, how are you? Intriguing topic, of which there are no simple answers. That being said, I wish to direct you to Dr Sharon Dirckx's "Am I just my brain". She has a PhD in brain imaging, who approaches the questions regarding the correlation between the brain and mind from a neurological perspective. Here is a link to her discussions on the topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJ7KkqKcq8-JoMk Her conclusions may be up for debate, although to my mind she is asking the right questions. I hope that this may aid you in your journey of discovery. ;)

[@salvadoroliveira6632]

Dr. Ana, I think you will like to watch this video: What is the probability of a protein existing by chance?

[@salvadoroliveira6632]

Isn't it interesting that the consciousness can observe individual thoughts and concepts as if the counsciousness itself is not a collection of thoughts, but an " entity " able to examine thoughts?

[@salvadoroliveira6632]

If a person was born deaf and after years has the ability to listen to sounds, and develops verbal communicative skilks, how were his or her thoughts if there were not a single word to associate a thought with?

[@seanbarnard8598]

“If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself.” - Einstein. Clear, concise, comprehensive. Seldom do people convey these kinds of heavy topics with so much simplicity and clarity. Thank you for making this topic graspable for a pleb like me haha. You're a genius.

[@ianbaxter382]

Thank you for engaging and sharing your thoughts on what can be a difficult subject, a subject that is not well defined and almost "avoided" by mainstream practitioners. (you have got me thinking and re assessing my beliefs in this area).

[@BertiAir]

It's nice to see that more and more medical professionals are warming up to the idea that the brain does not create consciousness but merely receives it. There are so many phenomena and experiences supporting the dualistic view that I consider them "evidence".

[@12345directioner]

I am incredibly interested in this video. I am a scientist (Oceanographer) and I also have struggled with this question throughout my adult life. I am 62 years old and I totally agree with consciousness arising outside the body. I recently retired and am currently exploring my intuitive mind and the reason I have always seemed to know certain things throughout my life. It’s a wonderful journey.

[@chuckellis440]

I NOW know why I found you today - am personally having similar experiences as you on pretty much this exact topic. Last 12 - 24 months have caused me to investigate things I would not normally look into. They appear to be converging where you and the cited references in this video are indicating…whether theoretical, biological, spiritual, or physics - the dots are connecting in ways that were truly unexpected. The last couple minutes of your discussion gave it away…you had a certain look in your eyes…I know that look all too well. Best I can say is presently we may be looking for missing puzzle pieces, but possibly the puzzle itself we simply don’t fully understand as we may have not been exposed to its actual form, function, “properties”, etc…to a magnitude it becomes something identifiable/repeatable. Will for sure be following you on this particular journey…~C

[@penguinatedthings305]

I agree with your opinion about the source of consciousness being external. We are all just conduits for consciousness to inhabit. I have known this since I had my first psychedelic experience. We are all connected, through consciousness or God, or whatever you want to call it. It makes me happy that you, as a medical professional, are discussing this in such a frank and open-minded way.

[@theliftexpert]

My opinion is that consciousness is 100 percent outside of the brain 🧠. We are bodies that generate and burn energy ,and we are solar and o2 powered . We are powered from external sources and connected to a network,the onboard computer gives us our individual controls . Love you and your intellectual discussions. Cheers 🥂

[@trineskarb6021]

I agree with you. A couple of times during my life I have experienced things that suggest there is sometning more. I have seen things (clear as day) in my dreams that will happen. And it always does. So I believe there is something more based on these experiences.

[@MrNiccholas]

Wow, it's crazy that you put this video out when you did. I'm going through a very difficult time right now, both physically and mentally. I've been asking and thinking about this very thing for a few days now. I was raised in a Christian home and I have been very religious all my life. Because of that I'm very well versed in the Biblical Christian Worldview that I grew up believing. I've struggled with significant unexplained heath issues off and on since childhood, about the last 15-20 years. The last 2 years have been the worst years of my life. About 18 months ago I suffered a TBI during a rollover car accident. I also fractured T8, and that has left me in chronic pain since. I recently reached a point of exhaustion and was seriously considering ending my life because I felt I just couldn't take the pain anymore. As I thought about ending my life, I naturally started considering what happens after you die. I also started thinking about what it meant to live. I began questioning reality. What is "reality"? Why do I believe in what I'm seeing physically. I began looking into Solipsism, The Multiverse Theory, Intelligent Design, Deism, the possibilities that we are part of a Simulation and just creations of an alien "Super Computer". Ultimately I think I'm pondering on the same questions as you. Where does consciousness come from? I have also had things happen to me that have no real explanation. I think most notably would be a series of what I call "out of body experiences." As a teenager I was having episodes of extreme pain muscle spasms. As the pain increased in intensity, I would reach a level where I lost control of my body. I was still crying and rocking with pain, but I could no longer respond. Sometimes I would wake up in the emergency room with no memories of how I got there, but other times I felt like I had floated out of my body and was looking down at myself as my body continued writhing and crying in pain. It took me several years before I opened up to anyone about what I was going through and seeing. I had never heard of anything like what I was going through, and I felt ashamed. I felt like I was somehow faking it and I should have been able to keep control of my body and respond when someone asked me a question. When I finally talked to my Dad was very supportive of me, but he was also a little sceptical at the same time. That was until I started sharing things that I shouldn't know/remember. I described conversations my parents had with the Doctors and with each other when they believed I was mentally unconscious. I talked about and describe events, people, rooms, and things that had been done while I was crying and shaking and unresponsive. The doctors would lift my eyelids and find that my eyes were rolled back into my head. I remember one ER doctor who believed I was faking everything for attention and drugs so he did a sternum rub so hard I had significant bruising and pain for over a week after that night. During that night I felt like I was on the ceiling in the corner looking down seeing all of that play out like a horror movie. I tell that story because those experiences cemented for me the belief that my consciousness does not stem from my physical body. What it is and where it comes from is something I still haven't figured out. You raised some interesting information that I need to look into further. It's very interesting that you would feel the need to do a video on this topic right after a time of crisis in my life that completely shattered me and my beliefs down to the very core of my existence, (whatever that may be). I don't have any answers right now, but I'm grateful I watched this video and now have some more resources to help me as I search for answers.

[@homestudioplace]

I read your whole comment, and I hope you're doing better. Just thought it might be nice to know someone heard you.

[@neurogalmd]

Niccholas, my heart goes out to you for going through such immense pain and challenges! I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve been through so much pain, both emotional and physical. Thank you for sharing your deeply personal experiences and the insights you’ve gleaned from them. I'm grateful that my video resonated with you and sparked reflections on your own journey. I hope that you know you are not alone in your quest for understanding and grappling with some of life’s most challenging questions. It seems based on your comment that you are a deep thinker and very resilient. If you enjoy reading, you might be interested in a book called “Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife.” This book is written by a neurosurgeon who talks about NDEs and also had a very life changing NDE himself. Thank you again for sharing your story. Wishing you strength, peace, and continued curiosity on your path of self-discovery.

[@MrNiccholas]

@@homestudioplace I really appreciate you taking the time to read my rambling thoughts and then comment your support. I sometimes use KZbin comment sections as a way to force myself to put what I'm thinking into actual words. It does help to know that someone heard me.

[@MrNiccholas]

@@neurogalmd thank you again for your video, and thank you for taking the time to reply to me in a very personal way. I will definitely check out that book. I've had 2 very close NDEs and would be interested to hear a neurosurgeon's perspective, both academically and personally. One thing I've been confused about with my personal experiences is the fact that I've been much more affected well after the NDE has passed than I was during the actual danger. I don't know if this is a common reaction or not, but both times when I was very close to death I wasn't afraid or even worried, but thinking back about those times can really mess with my head for a while. Thank you for the recommendation, I really look forward to checking it out!

[@Thinktink88]

I wanted to let you know that you’re not alone. I read your entire comment. I have multiple chronic health conditions, I also deal with chronic pain, I’ve been in and out of the hospital since I was a baby. I remember one time I was have dental surgery and they don’t give me enough anesthesia so I started waking up in the middle. I have this vague memory of waking up in the middle of a different surgery as well, I think it was on my leg? Again, they didn’t give me enough anesthetic. Redheads need more anesthesia and we are oftentimes not believed when we tell doctors we need more. In my experience. Good luck your journey, I hope you find what you’re looking for.

[@salvadoroliveira6632]

Ana, I believe that consciousness is not only the result of everything going on inside our brains when we're awake, but also results from something that we cannot fathom from the current knowledge in all sciences. Like a program that we can watch in a TV set isn't produced in the TV set but received from another place, maybe our consciousness isn't solely the result of what happens inside our heads. Reports of near death experiences are intriguing. I find it fascinating, too, that we can " observe and choose our thoughts ".

[@ivanawalterdebeljak8208]

Thank you❤. Greetings from Croatia

[@philduclos9056]

Agreed, I just could not connect the dots as related to the quantum theory. Thank you for sharing your knowledge on this subject. Grateful that I came across your channel 🙏

[@Nick_Sandman]

Very interesting commentary, thank you Anna. When you mentioned Roger Penrose, I flagged this to listen to more carefully (I'm working to it now), but for now want to throw my towel into the ring to participate here. I'm partway through Penrose's "Emperors New Mind" which speaks directly to consciousness I seem to remember. Must bring it out from the bottom of my "still busy books" to read chapters again before returning here.

[@neurogalmd]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Nick! When you finish the book, would be interested to hear your thoughts about it and whether it's worth a read!

[@Nick_Sandman]

@@neurogalmd Great - now I have more incentive to progress further in this book. I never finish my non-fiction books, I read them piecemeal - according to where my flavour-of-the-month interests lead me. I also have Roger's, Road to Reality. It's about 700 pages, and in large paper size. My reality is I will never finish that book, ever. But it probably also addresses consciousness too - will give feedback on both. Looking forward to this discussion. RE: "Existential crisis", it was floating around in my subconscious overnight (when the cat is away, the mouse doth play), came up with this malaphor: Life is not fair in love and war !

[@SaintAugustine3906]

Hey, I can't remember what video I saw you talk about the book "Positive Intelligence" but that book was so helpful!! So glad I watched your video. Never would've found that book otherwise.

[@neurogalmd]

This makes me sooo happy!!! Your comment truly made my day. I'm glad you found the book helpful. Thank you so much for sharing :)

[@brun6249]

Oh and your energy is so calming, you know exactly who you are, I sense very little ego in you 👍

[@sprightlyrandom1550]

It really is good that consciousness has started to be an accepted scientific inquiry. One of the most intriguing questions for sure. Although I worry in the end it will just be a case of gambling and accepting one theory, this goes for science in general too. I’m not qualified to give a definite opinion in this area, but iirc Godel proved maths was incomplete, theories are underpinned by maths (logic) and so doesn’t this mean our theories will always remain incomplete too, there will always be a ‘what if’. If that’s the case Godel didn’t just ‘crush mathematicians dreams’ as it is said , he crushed all those who dreamt of knowing truth, I don’t know why Godel incompleteness doesn’t come as a disclaimer with everything lol, although perhaps it’s Impractical to live that way and of course I agree to a large extent . It’s definitely humbling though

[@WARHAWKLEADER1]

Very good video. I love the variation your channel has and your realistic, professional, and easy to understand material. I would ask though please do more reactions on NF's music, and give your insight into those songs. The ones you did helped me understand myself more because ive been through some things he has and my feelings and thoughts were similar as well so it is incredible to gain understanding of myself through his music via you. Thank you and keep up the work you're doing!

[@seankennedy5225]

Powerful!

[@neurogalmd]

Thank you, Sean! 🙏😊❤️

[@jakec5618]

One of the most intriguing topics. Yet poorly understood. How well is our definition of it? What is consciousness ? The nature of consciousness, is it anatomically based? Where does it "stem" from? This particular subject definitely is an immense topic that humbles even the greatest of minds. An unsolved mystery, which doesn't seem as "tangible" as other medical phenomena. Definitely thought provoking. Religion offers an answer, science is searching, yogi's(meditators) offer another take on it. The lines blur between what's subjective and objective. Interesting to hear your thoughts on it. Some other questions, when does consciousness "enter" the body (when does life become conscious), when does it "leave" the body (when does life become unconscious)?

[@alwynwatson6119]

My best guess is that it is simultaneously generated and received in a feedback loop. But knowing quantum it might be in a superposition between generation and reception.

[@franklinnose]

We are SPIRITUAL beings having a HUMAN experience.

[@gregw74]

The introduction of quantum mechanics would still reduce human consciousness to a strictly material process, a process that is still motivated by and contingent upon the cause and effect of matter, the mere interplay between quantum energy (matter) and our physical bodies/brains. This naturally leads to a kind of new age approach of the human experience as expressed through the idea of collective consciousness. Our sense of personal autonomy would still be nothing more than an illusion; so too would freewill and our capacity to observe ourselves, to freely act morally or not, to love or not love--all of these would be illusions projected by our physical brains and social constructs. This simply pushes the problem of consciousness back a step into a more fundamental form of materialism. For there to be a supernatural component to human consciousness, as I believe there is, this would suggest (by definition) a transcendent aspect to human consciousness, one that is not reducible to matter (i.e. quarks, quantum energy, energy, vibrations, etc); instead, something that is "supper" to or above nature. I personally think a more reasonable approach to the philosophy of mind and human consciousness is to understand it as the interplay between our material brain and our immaterial mind, like how the tracks of a train lead it to where it needs to go (and not go), without which the train can go nowhere; they're each separate from one other, but integral to the overall function and purpose of the train. Dr. Jeffrey M. Schwartz, a research psychiatrist at the School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles and one of the world’s leading experts in neuroplasticity is an advocate for the immaterial mind as I've described it (as something immaterial/spiritual). So too is Michael R. Egnor, MD (a former materialist), Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at State University of New York, Stony Brook. Dr Egnor also served as the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery and is an award-winning brain surgeon. Do consider looking into their various books, articles, and/or interviews, some you can find on KZbin, Mind Matters, and elsewhere. Relative to this topic, Dr Schwartz has a book, "You Are Not Your Brain" where he discusses how his approach to treating OCD and PTSD has been beneficial per this philosophy of mind. He has a video on KZbin, titled the same as his book, where you can hear some of his thoughts on this. I would highly recommend some of the podcasts and articles posted on the Mind Matters website. They also discuss the moral implications and problems of AI.

[@Schrumpelkartoffel]

(Sorry for my english maybe being strange, it's my second language) This is a topic that is living rent free in my head ever since I was a little kid (traumatic Childhood and upbringing, yay). Recently I thought about it "just" being an evolutionary thing. Like we're on top of the foodchain and as successful in reproduction as we are and all because of our conciousness. We sense ourselves and others so well, that it makes us much likelier to survive than a living being that doesn't have these skills. Simular to social skills it's needed for thriving. Well, at least it's one of my many thought-strings about this. So because it was this benefitial we've developed it evolutionary and it sustained but also can malfunction like any mental health problem you can think of and beyond our current understanding. That could mean we're just born with it like we were born being able to breathe (usually ofc..). IDK, I don't have a theory that I do in fact believe in and in the others not. It's a complex thing that can't be grabbed and it drives me mad (even more than even lol) that we'll most likely never know about it for a fact. If I could look into the distant future, I'd look for the newest science based knowledge available at this opportunity. Not to mention we know relatively nothing about animal's conciousness, yet many claim no animal has one. (and making exceptions for their own pets, ofc). Anyways.. We know so much about anatomy, yet fail to understand the one thing that understands all the other stuff, quite ironic I think :) P.S.: I'd been a nurse in stroke unit and early rehabilitation for patients with brain trauma of any kind. Most were awefully long in the hospital with us. I did witness a medical wonder and thought i lost my mind. A patient whose brain scancs came back as "not enough to call braindead" (did breathe on her own but nothing else) and was weeks with us to wait for a caring home sat upright in bed one morning i came in. I greeted my patiens and she greeted back. Which is HIGHLY unusual. She remembered everything! Which nurse used which toothbrush (electric or manual for therapy reasons), that a collegue had just married, some minor conversations we had while taking care of her, (because we talk to our patients just like any other patients, no matter which state they "show"). It was ridiculously unbelievable! We waited for a home for hospice care and one day-bam- this women left the hospital in a wheelchair, being able to walk a short distance and mostly take care of herself. We were all bummed, to say at least. I will never forget her and the moment I thought I'd started a Psychosis. Neither all of the other patients. Imprints, that will never leave, good or bad.

[@neurogalmd]

Thank you so much for sharing your profound thoughts and experiences! Your firsthand experience as a nurse in the stroke unit adds such a unique dimension to this complex topic. The story of the patient you shared is incredible. It's cases like these that remind us of how complicated consciousness is and that there is so much that we still don’t understand.Thank you again for contributing to this thought-provoking discussion :)

[@sniperhawk6969]

The idea that conciousness is external and the brain acts as some sort of an antenna that helps physically manifest it is really fascinating, but also makes me a bit sad... I have, for as long as I can remember, wanted to make an AI of sorts which could "understand", and not just predict the next word (the kind of things that AI does these days). I am not the best at putting ideas into words though, and my friends who are working on LLM research who I've tried to explain this to seem to be in the strong opinion that that is not possible since one can't define "thought", "emotions" and "understanding", and that LLMs are our best shot at vaguely approximating this. Yesterday, in a conversation with one of them, I was asked something on the lines of "how do you know that our brain is not just some huge probabilistic machine predicting the next word, just like LLMs?" to which I had no answer to, knowing that any attempt to get my point across is futile. I don't blame them, since we computer scientists are accustomed to reason about things in this manner, but this really leaves a hole in my heart to think that what I want may really never be possible. If the brain really is some antenna tapping into some existing field of consciousness, which is something I find myself agreeing with, that would confirm the impossible-ness of this even more. That aside, I could maybe take comfort in the possibility that quantum physics may play a role in our understanding of consciousness, which I have begun studying on my own accord out of an interest towards the research topics that my physics professor is working on (though I'm a computer scientist and physics is totally not my area, but still so cool). P.S. please make more videos like this!

[@alwynwatson6119]

People keep asking whether the brain and the nervous system generated Consciousness or received it. To me it seems more likely it dose both.

[@xXboingXx]

I believe consciousness arises out from quantum entropy fields intersecting to form specific patterns that our brain's electromagnetic fields become conduits for. It's fascinating that trillions of neutrinos pass through us every second, there has to be some effect on our consciousness. I'd love to hear about your supernatural experiences sometime. I've also had a couple profoundly illuminating experiences that have given me existential paradigm shifts.

[@jeffchapel79]

Such a good communicator ❤

[@MattTheMouth]

Alan Watts said "Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth." That's somewhat how I feel about consciousness. How can we properly observe, study or understand consciousness when it is the medium through which we experience our existence. I do agree with you in the sense that it exists outside of the body. I think that our body acts as a node in a network and that consciousness extends between every one of us, all around the world. In my opinion, evidence of this occurs when a scientific discovery happens while almost simultaneously occurring in another part of the world. You did say they were personal but I'm sure I'm not the only one interested in knowing more about your supernatural experiences if you ever feel up for making that video.

[@Thinktink88]

So I actually came to a similar conclusion right after I got sober from substance use disorder. It is strange how certain substances can help our consciousness speak more easily to each other. I’ve been sober for going on three years now. But I still remember when I figured out I was able to tap into my consciousness.

[@desireisfundamental]

Good points. I will come to this from the perspective of software development and working with AIs. And as my nickname suggests I truly believe that desire is fundamental. If something comes to the point of desiring something it is conscious in my view. I view consciousness as a subjective experience of having desires, desires could be the result of biological processes that increase the chances of survival and reproduction if it comes to these higher desires, but at first, it could have been just the desire to move, and evolution and natural selection picks up somewhere trough organisms that have more adaptive desires.

[@KarlaVieraMD]

This video warms the left side and right side of my brain. 😊 I am a psychiatrist and have been learning about quantum physics and the mind. I just found your channel and can’t wait to dive into more of your videos. I find physicist Michiu Kaku’s work including “The Future of the Mind” incredibly fascinating and eye opening. I have also experienced very personal experiences that ring true to consciousness being outside of the brain. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. Have you met Dr. K from Healthy Gamer? He is a Harvard trained psychiatrist and lived as a monk for a time. Huge following in you tube. The mix of western and eastern philosophy and medicine in his work is also fascinating. I can’t wait to learn more from you.

[@alwynwatson6119]

Now I think about this video I wonder if using concepts like superposition as a metaphor to describe emotions or purely synthetic colors should be taken as literal evidence.

[@em17jayvee]

Hi Doctor - here’s my theory. I like the analysis you provide concerning materialism versus duality. That makes sense to me, materialism alone can’t explain consciousness. I wasn’t aware of the quantum theory involving superposition, but I have had some thoughts about fractals, and the two working together seems possible. So my theory is that what you explained as consciousness is actually the subconscious, which is naturally connected to the universe. But consciousness is a hyper activated state which has evolved to manage endless informational minutia. Our brains collect information that eventually exists only in memory or imagination - or as entropy. The conscious mind is activated to sift through mental detritus, while it navigates the world. For example, someone who ignores their “instincts”, because the are thinking too much is too burdened by entropy to act on instinct, or from the subconscious. That is my working theory. Have you read anything on Morphic Resonance? I’m new to your channel and look forward to exploring more videos. Thank, em

[@peterdobos1606]

Well, the bad news is that the microplastics are in the air we breathe and the water we drink (they have been found literally everywhere we have ever looked for them). The good news is that this means you can use pretty much any tea you like.

[@soulshine8531]

New subscriber I really appreciate this conversation.. i loved The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

[@jeffwolfe191]

Awesome

[@Dawnarow]

I'd give it 100+ years to discover what it is from what you've told us (that is basically... most of all the hypotheses that exist). But hey I'm going to throw a pebble in your direction because I've always liked speculating, but it sucks to not know which side is up when you're deep in the sea. I've studied in neurology and linguistics and always cared more about the influences as a whole (sound, ideas -- the movie inception-- really encapsulates one of the fundamental notions that can make or break someone). On that very note: psychologists pretend that it is to be conflated (a bit like your medical take) as "awareness". Basically... being "self-aware". Self-aware is just to be able to perceive what you do and what you say Accurately in reality (unless you film yourself during the most stressful moments, when issues arise (hard to predict what makes you React unless you're unstable and, therefore, Definitely aren't self-aware or you would change your behaviors to avoid the hurt == sns responses). The brain defends itself by avoiding what you deem hurtful. Some people are hurt just by the process of thinking. Imagine that mindfuck... They're the first to say: "don't try to change me" and emotionally manipulate people to steer away from their own issues or project them onto their loved ones that are trying to help. Change = learning. I would suggest looking into "human nature" before delving into something that requires to break dogmas, first... and address vague words in the language or completely removing language to grasp what is and isn't. Tough luck. I'm 20 years down that road and, While I did find an answer that will stick to humanity until it finds itself unable to survive due to our inability to communicate properly (why so many mental disorders are rampant and we just dont get how simple it really is........... my ex was afflicted by what society calls: narcissistic personality disorder" and was hurt countless times and found coping mechanisms that would make you roll your eyes and abandon your own child if you knew how twisted a person has to become to adopt these. She did nothave access to her mind. I had known her for 10 years and she was able to make me wrong and bad despite 99% of the evidence demonstrating that she was making things up to avoid the "emotional pain" of... thinking / being wrong). I had to find impossible methods to avoid triggers... all of this crap just to instigate the beginning of her consciousness (the proof that my theories worked). In children, it's not hard... make them think about others more than themselves [theory of the mind in computer science]. But that's just the beginning of it. The means to instigate true consciousness is not complicated, but requires consistency which... people don't have for overgrown children (DJT

[@ant1010]

Shared consciousness, like when pets know when their owners are coming home,or if you teach rats a task once they've learnt it,rats kept in a different place,even a different country will learn the same task slightly quicker. Rupert Sheldrake is worth having a look at,he has vids on KZbin

[@iscosphilosophy9120]

Good vedio i think consciousness is strange especially cause of dreams and sleep. The mind generates an entire reality that feels real sometimes

[@brun6249]

This was incredible…. I think the lionsmane mushroom brings us closer /connects us more strongly to this “other consciousness” (my suspicions come from personal experiences that no science can explain) have you done a vid on lionsmane? I just wish there was more research, such a fascinating part of science

[@charronfamilyconnect]

Consciousness is beyond materiality. All ideas, inventions, and innovations originated from the realm of thought/consciousness before they materialized in the material world. We truly live in a mind (consciousness)over matter reality.

[@azubko7915]

I agree that the materialistic view of consciousness is quite reductive and if I may use a pun “narrow-minded”. I believe the brain houses our consciousness in our body, but is not the originator of our consciousness. Due to the brains physical/biological limitations, we are restricted to how we experience consciousness and what we are conscious of. But we are all still connected to that “collective unconscious”. From personal experience, it’s hard for me to believe our consciousness stems for our brain (sorry for another pun). Anyway, I think most people can agree we are not even close to fully understanding consciousness. And honestly, we probably never will fully understand due to the physical/biological limitations of our brain. At least not until we pass on, to the next “life”.

[@jack1313]

I'd love to see you check out "I Attempt The Tourettes Alphabet Challenge! by Sweet Anita" as she talks about her theories on how her brain works. She had also done a video seeing how weed affects her condition, which might be an interesting subject since their brains work differently.

[@kaman2000able]

Even if consciousness is outside the brain, it doesn't make the "I" or "me" also outside it. My definition of the "I" is a group of ideas, based on memories, acquired and supported by the senses. Whatever if left after dead, it is not "I", "me" or "you". Rupert Spira puts consciousness as the complete black "screen" when we are in deep sleep. Maybe, that's it.

[@cj6xu6ru]

I think Dr. Ian McGilchrist's book "The Matter With Things" will be very interesting for you. The second part of the book is entirely dedicated to the relationship between matter, consiousness, and reality.

[@neurogalmd]

Thank you for the recommendation!! I’ll definitely check this book out :)

[@FW-jq1ox]

I wanted to believe materialistic view, mostly for its straightforward approach, but it left me with too many other unexplainable phenomena that I feel are external to my brain. The mysterious “psychic” connection between mother and child - especially when not in the same geographic location, that feeling I get when being watched, the ASMR feeling I get when watching others, the peculiar way my dog seems to sense how I’m feeling sometimes, ways certain autistic persons can detect non-verbal emotions sometimes. While I don’t believe in the quackery of tarot cards and fake psychic powers nonsense, even a skeptic like myself must admit there is more than just a brain creating my consciousness. I feel my brain has, at times, become aware of its own consciousness and every so often a feeling of being trapped inside of my body sets in. Even with my own kids, I noticed something that I cannot explain was “infused” (to borrow that word) in them around the time they transitioned from their newborn reflexive movements to deliberate exploratory movements as infants. To experience brain deterioration in my mind must be like experiencing that transition catastrophically in reverse. As I grow closer to my own death, I struggle to understand consciousness - and where mine will “go” - more and more, knowing I’ll never really know, but hoping it won’t simply just disappear.

[@neurogalmd]

Beautiful comment. Thank you for sharing 🙏

[@RealMattHaney]

It does feel like, if you accept quantum entanglement, then this must be true. Or at least it is an interdependent mechanism (without a beginning or end?). I have had some recurring dreams where I am in the same places, but they are not places I’ve ever been to (homes I have never lived in), and part of me toys with the idea of maybe it is me in an alternate universe (and makes me thankful for the one I’m in). I also like to look at it as impacted by the part of the trinity I discovered latest in life, and the one that helps to appreciate the good we find in others, the Holy Spirit. People also have their individual personalities, and seem to often from birth (or a very young age). And not necessarily derived directly from their parents or families (but sometimes it seems to be clearly so). But also, when you see people whose brains aren’t functioning properly, it seems it is at least mediated by the brain. Dementia, for instance, as it progresses, can show the person slowly leaving over time. But I have not thought about this nearly as much or as deeply as you have!

[@neurogalmd]

Thank you for your thoughtful insights, Matt! I've also pondered the possibility of familiar yet unknown places (and even people!) in dreams being connected to alternate universes. Your perspective on the Trinity and the role of the Holy Spirit in consciousness is a fascinating one! It makes me wonder whether God = Consciousness. Regarding disorders of consciousness, I've grappled with the idea of Consciousness as a fractal, where brain pathology affects the material Consciousness in this world, but higher states persist in another dimension. Just a hypothesis, but it's a complex topic worth exploring. Your insights are always interesting, and I'm grateful for your thoughtful contributions. I'm sure we could delve into this captivating topic for hours! 😊

[@Frodojack]

Interesting topic and one that has been debated by philosophers by thousands of years. Materialism or Physicalism has a lot of problems, such as the inability to answer the question of who is making choices and decisions. In Materialism it is the atoms and subatomic particles that are making decisions randomly, and the logical consequence of that is that our experiences are illusions since we can only think and perceive what those atoms make us think and perceive. Atoms have no ability to make intelligent decisions. Everything we experience are random electrochemical reactions. It also means that we have no access to external truths or objective reality. We can't really know what is outside of us. Actually, we can't know anything since by definition knowledge is justified true belief. Materialism is therefore incoherent. It seems to me that Jung's Panpsychism (which is similar to pantheism) runs into a similar problem. Personally, I think Interactionism makes the most sense. Basically it is substance dualism where the spirit or soul is attached and interconnected with the physical body until physical death. The soul or spirit is immaterial, and even other animals and plants also have this *nephesh* or life force. Naturally this is contingent on the existence of God, which is a separate - but related - topic. That's my view.

[@salvadoroliveira6632]

Dr. Ana, I think that you would find it interesting to watch this youtube video: What is the probability of a protein existing by chance.

[@ahwass4989]

Hello, I would like to add something in case it was not clear enough: The article you showcased about quantum phenomena in the brain did not provide proof of Penrose's very promising Orch OR theory of consciousness, but rather a disproof of a common rebuttal against that theory, which is that the brain is too "warm, wet and noisy" to contain any large-scale coherent quantum phenomena. In short, they found evidence of the existence of such quantum phenomena in the brain, but not in a way that would necessarily prove Penrose's theory. So as of now, Orch OR is an unpopular (wrongfully so, in my opinion), but plausible and promising idea about what the brain has to do with the existence of consciousness.

[@Khai-Tri]

The consciousness outside of the brain that you mentioned, is it the soul? If you have time, please read the Tibetan Book of Death. You might find something interesting.

[@lauramorales9838]

I heard a talk on Sirius XM - Dr Radio - Dr Sam Parnia wrote 2 books about death/consciousness. . You may want to pickup his books: Erasing Death and What Happen hen we die.

[@neurogalmd]

Thank you for sharing! I'm definitely going to check these books out!

[@firesoldier3051]

Would love to see some reaction videos to juicewrlds music

[@GhostSamaritan]

Another neurophilosophical hypothesis called CEMI poses the idea that consciousness is the result of electromagnetic activity.

[@veganforlife5733]

My wish would be that humans who consume exploited animals get to come back after death, in sequence, as each of those animals that the human partook in consuming. The human would get to fully experience the consciousness of each animal, with each moment of misery and pain during confinement magnified. And the one additional aspect of the human's transferred consciousness would be that s/he would have knowledge of his or her purpose as a confined and exploited animal: that of being a commodity that serves human sensory pleasure, accompanied by an elevated awareness of what slaughter day would be like, you know, the prophetic awareness of a psychic with that supernatural quantum connection. Maybe that would give the humans who pay for the abuse of animals in order to satisfy their personal pleasures a more intimate view about their ethically destitute practices in their lives of entitlement. And so they can merrily pursue their supernatural conflation with the "conscious" universe and dream of reconnecting with "loved" ones on the other side, eh?

[@alwynwatson6119]

I don't see why this would only apply when people are on a "quantum level of consciousness". It seems more likely that consciousness would have a quantum component the entire time. There is no consensus on how it works or what unknown biological mechanism for engagement exists if any or how decoherence is prevented in quantum biology. What the answers to these questions are will completely change what quantum biology actually tells us about consciousness. A Lot of what is mentioned in the video is based on the many worlds hypothesis. If you can't explain some things using conventional means then ask yourself what quantum hypothesis if any explains it? Do you need to invent a new one?

[@rodgersmith6891]

Song request for you to consider reacting to: "Insomnia" by Ren

[@phillatella6470]

So my question is for those who lose consciousness is there reality? Do the doctors and nurses who are trying to attend to that person really exist?

[@neurogalmd]

Your question about the nature of reality for those who lose consciousness is incredibly thought-provoking. From a medical perspective, doctors and nurses are working within the framework of the patient's physiological state, doing their best to provide care. However, the subjective experience of the person losing consciousness is a complex and fascinating aspect that remains a mystery. It raises intriguing questions about the nature of existence and the reality we perceive, especially when we are not fully conscious in the material world. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in bringing these deep questions up, and if I have a chance, I might make a video that delves into this intriguing question in the future. What are your own thoughts on this intriguing aspect of consciousness?

[@GhostSamaritan]

Quantum theory is astrology for physicists.

[@Sam-ig4jh]

Aether

[@sdzielinski]

Søren Kierkegaard: You cannot study consciousness with a microscope. This quote comes from my memory. The phenomenology movement in philosophy rejects the dualistic and naturalistic attitudes to the study of consciousness. It instead studies consciousness as it presents itself to itself. Consciousness is reflective because it is reflexive. Using the methods developed by Edmund Husserl, a phenomenologist can study the structures of consciousness, its essential properties. These structures provide the conditions of possibility for what a human can experience. That is, consciousness can be studied along with its structures and necessary conditions without using a causal explanation with the material body as the sufficient reason for this or that state of consciousness. Is this a form of Cartesian dualism? No! Once Husserl turned to providing descriptions of the origin of consciousness, he differentiated between the material body and the lived body. A scientist would study the material body. A neurobiologist, neurologist, etc. would look for causal relations between the material body and consciousness. For Husserl, however, that is not the whole story. One can consider consciousness as an emergent property of the material body. Consciousness cannot be wholly explained by the material body although it would not exist without it. What emerges is what Husserl calls the lived body. The lived body requires the material body but also the relationship the material body has with its environment. This relationship begins in the womb, when the material conditions develop to the degree that the fetus gains awareness of its environment. In other words, when a rudimentary form of consciousness emerges from the material body. It then accumulates experiences while it grows to maturity. The body is alive in the sense that it is more than a a collection of biophysical mechanisms even though those biophysical mechanisms generate consciousness per se. Thus, it can be said that Husserl's work contains both poles of the subject-object, material-consciousness dualism while transcending both. Brain death refers back to a fully functioning nervous system being a condition for the lived body to emerge. A brain dead person has enough brain to remain alive in a rudimentary state but not enough to be a living body in the sense I want to give that term. A human being is more than the lizard brain enabling the material body to function. This phenomenological approach to these issues would include the quantum tunneling thesis as a possible component of human mentality. It's not clear to me, though, how quantum level phenomenon and their effects would make possible collective consciousness, to a collective unconsciousness. These are, to me, better explained by the intersubjective basis of human subjectivity, to communication through languages and signs, to the presence of social systems, to the presence of history in the lives of every individual. These too can provide this or that self with experiences, reactivated through learning. Regards

[@neurogalmd]

Thank you so much for sharing Kierkegaard's quote and for your explanation of Husserl's ideas, especially the concept of the lived body - that consciousness, although it cannot entirely be explained by materialism, requires a living body and experiences/environment in order to manifest in its highest human form. Does Husserl define the essence of consciousness in his work? Also I'm curious about your thoughts on whether consciousness could have fractal properties and how this would align with Husserl's ideas. Your insights are fascinating, and I'd love to hear more if you have further thoughts. Thanks again for your thought-provoking comments!

[@sdzielinski]

@@neurogalmd You're welcome! I'm happy you found value in it! I would say that, for Husserl, the essence of consciousness is that it is intentional. Consciousness is always conscious of something. There are two poles to this intentional relationship. To make the story short: On the one side, there is a noetic act. This is the pole that refers to the activity of the conscious subject as it relates to that which it is conscious of. The act has an intentional relationship with a noema. What is a noema? A thought experiment: Imagine a chair. The imagining is the noetic act and the act posits an object. The chair imagined is the noematic object. It does not matter that, in this example, the noematic object lacks material existence. Husserl's method neutralizes our belief in a real world seperate from us. Unicorns are imaginary objects. They exist in that sense. They are intelligble; they are meaningful. So too the imagined chair. The imagined chair can be examined like a real chair. One can put one's attention to the front of the chair but also to the back of the chair. These are two different acts with two different objects. But the conscious subject does not conclude that they are two different objects. The one object that persists during the consciousness of the chair front and chair back is an achievement produced by the synthesizing property of consciousness. The noematic object provides clues that motivate the subject to move her gaze from one side if the chair to the other. The value in using an imaginary object instead of a real object is this: An imagined object and a real object are the noematic correlates of noetic acts and both are structures of consciousness. They are, in other words, events attributable to a subject. (It's improper to say within a subject even though one subjects mental events cannot be noematic objects for another subject except through immagination. Mind reading is impossible. ) Husserl was a transcendental idealist. He spent most of his life developing an his transcendental idealism so that the transcendental ego -- an 'I' -- requires transcendental intersubjectivity. This points to the importance of the lived body-material body distinction. Both show the transcendental ego as available to other transcendental egos (the ego is a phenomenon of the world) and the material body grounds the transcendental ego in material reality. That it is part of material reality means it can be studied with the methods of the natural sciences. Husserlian phenomenology does not isolate the from others and matter. Others and matter are necessary components of living human beings. Husserl's thought is much more complex than the telling I gave it. He likely had OCD and extensively studied consciousness, subjectivity and their relationship to the world in great detail. We're talking about tens of thousands of pages of these studies. Much of this work was not published during his lifetime. The best part of his work consists of unpublished manuscripts. Today their is much work being done on the use of cognitive science research to enrich phenomenology. Regards

[@JangoTat-qc4xk]

Are you familiar with Eckhart Tolle and his views on consciousness?

[@neurogalmd]

Hello! I am familiar with Eckhart Tolle, yet am quite rusty on his views about consciousness. I read his book The Power of Now a looong time ago before med school. I’m going to look into him again though, as I am intrigued to relearn what his views are. Thank you for referencing him!

[@kaa7728]

Gorgeous ❤

[@neurogalmd]

Thank you! 😊

[@DennisBolanos]

9:01 I thought that Carl Jung was a psychiatrist. 🤔❔

[@neurogalmd]

Thank you for your comment! You're correct; Carl Jung was indeed a psychiatrist. I appreciate your observation and hope the information in the video was helpful. If you have any more questions or thoughts, feel free to share!

[@Erock100]

soooo hot & intelligent

[@jg7088]

U like melatonin supplements ?

[@bnaji]

Did you ever read any of Neville Goddard stuff?

[@neurogalmd]

Yes! His work resonates with me.

[@OysterOfDoom]

Consciousness is beyond the brain in the sense of culture and society. Every brain is like a neuron in a larger brain. It's still materialistic, though. Also, quantum physics is not an exception to materialism. 50% probability is fundamentally the same as 100% probability. A coin flip doesn't have consciousness or free will. Consciousness itself is not an all or none thing. Dreaming while asleep can be considered a form of consciousness depending on your definitions. Is a person's experience under anesthesia different if they don't remember? I don't believe quantum entanglement, or anything quantum, scales to consciousness and free will. It doesn't matter if a single neurotransmitter molecule has a probability of binding to a receptor when you scale up the number of molecules, synapses, etc

[@timzstr]

😅😅😅consciousness comes from your soul obviously tf so hard about that

[@Schrumpelkartoffel]

If it's so obvious, then prove it to all the scientists and get your name written into history books. What's your profession?

[@theliftexpert]

Where is your soul bro , is it inside of you or is it outside of you?

[@timzstr]

@@theliftexpert inside your mom

[@timzstr]

@@Schrumpelkartoffel what a loser