Thursday, December 28, 2017

Why Alzheimer does not destroy some aspects of consciousness?

Some aspects of consciousness seem to survive Alzheimer. Alzheimer patient can understand singing and also express himself by singing (see this). Why?

  1. Singing is conventionally associated with holistic aspects of consciousness whereas language corresponds to reductionistic, local, and linear representation of conscious experience. Holistic-reductionistic dichotomy is often associated with right-left dichotomy. One should be of course cautious with this identification and be happy with holistic-reductionistic dichotomy.

  2. In any case, we know that left brain talks and right brain sings. Singing is a representation in terms of frequencies. It is 2-dimensional because also the pitch matters unlike in the case of speech. Everyone familiar with Fourier transform knows that frequency representation is holistic: Fourier amplitude carries information about the function in the entire domain of definition but not about details for low enough frequencies such as occur in singing (maybe the duration of duration of nerve pulse of order millisecond could serve as standard, could notes with pitch below kHz frequency be low frequencies?).

  3. Why cognition does not survive in Alzheimer is easy to understand. Cognition is by definition about details: left brain is responsible for language and language indeed local , linear(!), and reductionistic. Maybe 1-D neural strings and loops assignable to magnetic loops provide a realization of spoken and written language? Alzheimer would destroy synaptic connections and would split these strings. The disappearence of even single bridge in the loop/string splits the loop/string (into two): this is just 1-D topology. Communication line would be broken. Cognitive skills and language would be lost.

  4. Why would the holistic aspects of consciousness survive in Alzheimer? Suppose that right brain involves 2-D net-work like structures instead of 1-D neural strings having much more connections and giving rise to quantum tensor network (see this) as it would be fashionable to say. Quantum entanglement is very probably involved and would be actually responsible for the holistic and hologram-like aspects of neural activities known for a long time. It would not be surprising if brain waves with frequency spectrum below kHz would be important for this representation. EEG waves are almost by definition in the range 1-100 Hz.

    What happens to 2-D networks in the destruction of synapes. Practically nothing! Quite a number of synaptic connections can disappear but this does not split the 2-D network into pieces as it splits 1-D string: 2-D topology! Communications take place and the structure can take care of itself. Holograms are not affected by the local splitting of the synaptic connections. The right brain would happily continue its singing!

    Note that 2-D networks are also natural for the representation of sensory data as images and the language of images is different from the language of words: I have discussed the differences between these two different languages here).

    The natural question is whether could one approach to Alzheimer rely on activation of right brain: could art therapies such as music and visual arts help in Alzheimer? Could guided transition to holistic, artistic mood of conscious existence help to overcome the negative effects of Alzheimer?

See the article Is it possible to reverse Alzheimer's disease? or the chapter Quantum Mind and Neuro Science of "TGD based view about consciousness, living matter, and remote mental interactions".

For a summary of earlier postings see Latest progress in TGD.

Articles and other material related to TGD.

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