Sunday 28 March 2010

Reflecting nodes

The visual, auditory, linguistic, somatosensory and motor cortices have nodes spread throughout the brain which enable internal visions, sensations etc. For example an internal state of excitement is connected to a somatosensory node, creating a sensation in the abdominal area. Similarly, an internal process can be translated by a visual node creating an internal image that can more easily be interpreted by post-cognitive processes. The conscious mental world is a product of the continuous reflection between these meta sensory nodes. A perpetual qualia experience. It is therefore impossible to have an objective perceptual experience as all perceptions both internal and external are interpretations of the raw data that are subject to a myriad of interexternal conditions. Take the memory of an event, first of all the external sensory data that define it are read by the various sensory organs and translated into nervous impulses, then there is the internal data at the time such as feelings, energy levels, mental states etc, that combine with the sensory data to store this memory. How it is stored is not certain yet but it most likely involves the construction of proteins or another kind of codable molecule such as RNA. Now for this memory to be read again consciously by the beholder, it has to be reread bit by bit by a post-sensory node and this interpretation is not only subject to the various internal states at the time but also to a degree of data loss as the coded memory is not read in its entirety. The quality of storage also depends on the intensity of the event, the presence of the needed molecules and of course depending how old it is there might be degradation of the code or parts of it might be compressed for optimization purposes. This continuous process of interpretation and reinterpretation of extra-sensory, intra-sensory and post-sensory data occurs throughout the brain creating a loop between the three. This looping principle is the main mechanism of the brain and also its greatest limitation. Limited within a world of perpetuating qualia and mental simulacra, it can only evolve through continuous access to extra/intra-sensory data, post-cognitive data, and subconscious access to genetic data.

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