A neurophysiologically based field theory of consciousness

For practical clinical purposes, as well as because of their deep
philosophical implications, it is increasingly important to be aware of
contemporary studies of the brain mechanisms that generate subjective
experiences. Current research has progressed to the point where plausible
theoretical proposals can be made about the neurophysiological and
neurochemical processes which mediate perception and sustain subjective
awareness. An adequate theory of consciousness must describe how
information about the environment is encoded by the exogenous system, how
memories are stored in the endogenous system and released appropriately for
the present circumstances, how the exogenous and endogenous systems
interact to produce perception and explain how consciousness arises from
that interaction. Evidence assembled from a variety of neuroscience areas,
together with the invariant reversible electrophysiological changes observed
with loss and return of consciousness in anesthesia as well as distinctive
quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) profiles of various psychiatric
disorders, provides an empirical foundation for this theory of
consciousness. This evidence suggests the need for a paradigm shift to
explain how the brain accomplishes the transformation from synchronous and
distributed neuronal discharges to seamless global subjective
awareness. This lecture will undertake to provide a detailed description and
explanation of these complex processes by experimental evidence marshaled
from a wide variety of sources.