Quantum Physics & the Brain-Heart Relationship
In “My Double Unveiled” Giuseppe Vitiello describes how Quantum Field Theory (QFT) allows us to explain how the generation or emergence of macroscopic order (condensed matter) from microscopic behaviour (quantum fields) in living (biological) systems occurs, in order to advance the treatment of Biological Macroscopic Quantum Systems (BMQS).
Vitiello, through his work, encourages us to continue this exploration, which is far from completed and requires more creative investigation. Like in any new and pioneering field of research, resistance from misinformed disbelief and cynicism may arise, however, this is very different than healthy skepticism which is required for new exploratory and creative processes, that when properly accomplished, should give the scientist the power and stamina to overcome such cynicism and disbelief.
Vitiello had the opportunity to appreciate Karl Pribram’s work on the holographic view of the brain and later on to work and collaborate with Walter Freeman in connecting the QFT of Vitiello with the work of Freeman and Kozma in Nonlinear Brain Dynamics. In their views, they conceive the brain as the organ responsible for creating meaning and knowledge for intentional action instead of only being an information processor. This view allows us to move away from the misplaced metaphor of “a brain is like a computer”, as warned by von Neumann, as well as from the neuron doctrine, towards the notion of brain field dynamics.
The work of Freeman extended to philosophical issues associated with the complementary pair of mind~brain, very much à la Kelso, where Freeman derived inspiration from Aquinas by substituting the concept of soul from Aquinas for the concept of mind, necessary to explain intentional action from a cognitive science perspective.
Another important body of research is the one of heart coherence, and when taken together with a field brain dynamics approach like the one introduced above, it allows for a synergy that connects heart, brain and respiration as foundational systems that modulate intentional actions and values based decision making.
All of the above contributes to a new frontier that integrates cognition, consciousness and spiritual experience, and in all certainty, challenges a scientific paradigm devoid of soul, values and meaning. Pribram’s scientific views on cognition, spiritual experience and the subjective human dimension, led him to affirm that new research concerning this frontier was a necessity whose time has come.
We conjecture that a science of inner peace and social harmony, which is congruent with this new frontier, will benefit the human species via paradigms and theories that include the soul, the mind, the brain and the heart in order to explain higher cognitive functions, creativity and the benefits associated with the evolution of the soul via spiritual experiences.
Such an approach would also prevent the individual and collective costs of ignoring this dimension of human existence with a science that aims at integrating ancient wisdom and personal revelation geared at improving our decision making skills.
In the very unlikely case that science would prove the soul and the human spiritual dimension nonexistence, we would more likely have also developed an alternative sound understanding and explanation for human cognition, consciousness and behaviour. Until then we must continue to develop our human potential à la Maslow, for example, while continuing our scientific quest for the understanding of such human potential and consciousness.
For further reading see also: An Evolutionary Approach to Modelling Brain~Mind~Soul Dynamics
Vitiello, through his work, encourages us to continue this exploration, which is far from completed and requires more creative investigation. Like in any new and pioneering field of research, resistance from misinformed disbelief and cynicism may arise, however, this is very different than healthy skepticism which is required for new exploratory and creative processes, that when properly accomplished, should give the scientist the power and stamina to overcome such cynicism and disbelief.
Vitiello had the opportunity to appreciate Karl Pribram’s work on the holographic view of the brain and later on to work and collaborate with Walter Freeman in connecting the QFT of Vitiello with the work of Freeman and Kozma in Nonlinear Brain Dynamics. In their views, they conceive the brain as the organ responsible for creating meaning and knowledge for intentional action instead of only being an information processor. This view allows us to move away from the misplaced metaphor of “a brain is like a computer”, as warned by von Neumann, as well as from the neuron doctrine, towards the notion of brain field dynamics.
The work of Freeman extended to philosophical issues associated with the complementary pair of mind~brain, very much à la Kelso, where Freeman derived inspiration from Aquinas by substituting the concept of soul from Aquinas for the concept of mind, necessary to explain intentional action from a cognitive science perspective.
Another important body of research is the one of heart coherence, and when taken together with a field brain dynamics approach like the one introduced above, it allows for a synergy that connects heart, brain and respiration as foundational systems that modulate intentional actions and values based decision making.
All of the above contributes to a new frontier that integrates cognition, consciousness and spiritual experience, and in all certainty, challenges a scientific paradigm devoid of soul, values and meaning. Pribram’s scientific views on cognition, spiritual experience and the subjective human dimension, led him to affirm that new research concerning this frontier was a necessity whose time has come.
We conjecture that a science of inner peace and social harmony, which is congruent with this new frontier, will benefit the human species via paradigms and theories that include the soul, the mind, the brain and the heart in order to explain higher cognitive functions, creativity and the benefits associated with the evolution of the soul via spiritual experiences.
Such an approach would also prevent the individual and collective costs of ignoring this dimension of human existence with a science that aims at integrating ancient wisdom and personal revelation geared at improving our decision making skills.
In the very unlikely case that science would prove the soul and the human spiritual dimension nonexistence, we would more likely have also developed an alternative sound understanding and explanation for human cognition, consciousness and behaviour. Until then we must continue to develop our human potential à la Maslow, for example, while continuing our scientific quest for the understanding of such human potential and consciousness.
For further reading see also: An Evolutionary Approach to Modelling Brain~Mind~Soul Dynamics