Dissipative structure and the mind-body problem.
G G Dudley
Medical Hypotheses April 1, 1991 DOI: 10.1016/0306-9877(91)90047-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Brain Neural analyzers Humans Behavior Ego Mental processes Awareness Consciousness Perception Models, neurological Models, psychological |
| Key points | Proposes a theory in which personal awareness is a figure against the ground of infinity, and in which a tension between dissipation and structural integrity determines awareness's 'illumination' and specificity. Argues that mind influences the body through a 'regressive discrepancy' relative to the body's current organization, driving behavior in a predictable direction, and that reality is fundamentally personal. |
Abstract
A theory explaining the link between mind and body is presented which depends upon viewing personal awareness as a figure against the ground of infinity. It is proposed that a tendency toward dissipation, in tension with an opposite tendency toward structural integrity, determines both the 'illumination' and specificity of awareness. Mind, as an aspect of the awareness bubble, is envisioned as influencing the body via a regressive discrepancy in relation to the current organization of the body mass - a conclusion derived from the fact that the origin of the tension between structure and its dissipation extends regressively back to the time when self was infinite or boundless, i.e., non-existent. This regressive discrepancy drives behavior in an expectable and therefore visible direction [corrected]. The entire thesis rests upon viewing reality as fundamentally personal, such that the linkage between a sensory field and neural activity can be explained on the basis of a simple gap between structure and its dissipation. The significance of this viewpoint for understanding the brain is briefly discussed.