EEG synchrony and negentropic entanglement

If one accepts the vision about life as something in the intersection of real and p-adic worlds 40 Hz EEG synchrony can be interpreted as a correlate for the generation of negentropic entanglement between cortical neurons. Before proposing this interpretation let us first describe the experimental findings of a finnish neuroscientist Antti Revonsuo (see his article Binding and the Phenomenal Unity of Consciousness).

Findings

The interpretation for 40 Hz EEG frequency inspired by the binding hypothesis is as a synchronizing frequency necessary for the generation of unified percepts. This hypothesis has been studied using auto-stereograms. There was no detectable difference in the power spectrum at 36-44 Hz range in the situation when auto-stereogram was experienced as a set of random dots as compared to the situation when it was perceived as a coherent, symmetrical gestalt. The situation was same also in 8-13 Hz and 13-20 Hz beta bands.

On the other hand, when the conscious percept was transformed from a random set of points to a coherent gestalt, there was a detectable increase in 40 Hz power in the occipital and right posterior sites for EEG electrodes in a time window 300-500 ms before the unified percept was reported. There could be also some time lapse between the unified percept and the report about it but probably this cannot explain the entire lapse. No increase of power in beta bands was detected: this might be due to the fact that the widths of the measured bands are much wider than the widths ofthe narrow sub-bands reported masked by other EEG activity according to Nunez (Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 23, 2000). Note that in the model for a hierarchy of EEGs based on dark matter hierarchy beta band correspond to data communicated to the magnetic body (see this).

That the change in activity is associated with the emergence of a new percept suggests that the temporary increase of the EEG power could be assigned to the communications of the forming percept to the magnetic body.

Interpretation in terms of a generation of a negentropic entanglement

A fresh view about what really happens during 40 Hz synchrony came with the realization that negentropic entanglement is possible in the intersection of real and p-adic worlds. The generation of negentropic entanglement between two subselves means that the corresponding mental images are fused (see see this and this). The process is experienced by the fusing subselves as an expansion of consciousness whereas consciousness is lost when when bound state entanglement is generated. Also the meditative states begin with enchanged 40 Hz activity and interpretation would be same. Quite generally, the generation of negentropically entangled neuron groups could be a correlate for the emergence of a new idea or a new holistic pattern emerging from a chaos. Synchronous firing would be a natural correlate for the synergic state resulting in this manner. The paradoxical looking reduction of the oxiditative metabolism associated with 40 Hz firing could be seen as a signature of reduced dissipation when dissipating ensemble of neurons forms a single quantum coherent system.

What could then be the interpretation of the 300-500 ms time scale and synchronous firing in TGD framework?

1. If one assumes that only brain is involved, one must answer whether the new percept emerges after such a long time period. One would naively expect that negentropic entanglement immediately gives rise to the percept. Negentropic entanglement however means that a quantum superposition of several alternative percepts is involved. In the beginning the new percept is present with only small probability so that one would only know that the moment of heureka is quite near (this is indeed the experience that one has) and in the final situation it dominates but not completely since it requires conscious effort to preserve the percept.

2. Also magnetic body should be involved in TGD framework. The natural question is "Why this synchronous neuronal firing?". The natural answer would be that it allows to communicate the new percept as a consequence of a generation of negentropic entanglement to the magnetic body. The frequency scale of 40 Hz corresponds to a time scale of 25 milliseconds and corresponds to a length scale involved is about .75× 10⁷ m, a good candidate for the size of the part of the magnetic body involved. This time scale is much shorter than 300-500 seconds. If the layer of the magnetic body in question corresponds to the fundamental 100 millisecond time scale assignable to electron as is natural in case of sensory percepts, the time lapse could be essentially due to the communication. If one takes the time scale literally the value of Planck constant which is about 3 to 5 larger than its standard value would suggest itself. Of course, the development of the percept from a fuzzy inkling to the final heureka could involve several communication loops between brain and magnetic body so that the interpretation as a lapse due the slowness of communications need not be inconsistent with the first interpretation.

3. The time scale 300-500 ms could characterize the duration of negentropic entanglement but this is not necessarily the case since negentropic entanglement would be un-necessary after the percept has been represented symbolically so that one knows what is lurking behind the chaos.

For background see the chapter Magnetic Sensory Canvas Hypothesis.