Synergetics of brain function.
International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology May 1, 2006 Hermann Haken
The brain is a self-organizing system that operates near points of instability, where collective variables called order parameters govern the activity of individual neurons. This principle is demonstrated through experimental and theoretical studies of finger movement coordination and MEG measurements. The paper focuses on visual pattern recognition, showing that bistability, hysteresis, and oscillations in visual perception can be modeled using order parameters. At the microscopic level, a network of pulse-coupled neurons accounts for both pulse synchronization and pattern recognition. The concept of quasi-attractors is introduced to describe how the visual system shifts between states depending on incoming signals. The paper also interprets consciousness in terms of order parameters and discusses nonlinearity, the binding problem, and the psychological present.