It is certain that there is a passage and an "interface" between the physio-neurological activity of the brain and its mental states through its integrative activity. Physiologically, the complex brain activity is able to create an advanced integration of the physiological processes, but the way in which the jump from this preparatory integrative activity to the integrated state is done is not yet known. J. Konorski100 considers that the neurons in the brain constitute "gnosic" units. For him these gnosic units are entirely stimulated by several specific elements of a complex stimulus. These elements make the stimulus be recognized in its entire self. This happens, for example, when we recognize a face according to same characteristic features.The gnosic units form gnosic fields101.



Fig. 25

The gnosic units and the gnosic fields represent an integrative concept expressing the need for constructing a model of brain's integrative activity. However, such a model is still missing. We believe that at the moment three types of models are possible:

  1. The integration is done through a mentalfield, either a physical or (in extreme) a mere mathematicalconcept explaining the actual functioning of our brain.

  2. The mental field is an objective reality,a new way of material manifestation in our known, 4-dimensional,universe. This field is generated by the complexity of brain functioningand it has properties that science has still to discover. This model, in first approximation, does not negate the possibility of orthoexistence, but one connected to our universe only viainert substances.

  3. The mental field is an objective reality made up of a substance that can be found as such only in orthoexistence. Hence the mental field itself is placed in orthoexistence.
Among these three kinds of models we incline philosophically towards the third (C). This model offers an exit from the existence paradox, offers a rationality of existence, and at the same time an opening towards creation, since the latter can only result from a turmoil of the matter, from reaching a superior informational state manifested by intelligence and high psychological properties. In view of this model the human spirit appears as integrative mental activity,(on the psychological plane) and beingness. These ideas are sketched in Fig. 26.



Fig. 26

Beingness has a specific role, it is neither thought nor spirit. Beingness is that giving man properties above machine and automaton. But the human brain continues to remain a material device with its principal functions being thinking, affectionate life and will, under the influence of social life and of beingness. The affectionate life is a particular type of thinking of the human brain, having a neuronic machine-background similar to abstract thinking, but specific. Kant eliminated the affectionate aspect from reasoning, although it has an important role in man's spiritual life which, at its higher levels, implies beingness, awareness; and it is one of the source elements for social values and ideology. Will is also a form of thinking and, as we have seen, it can be understood in various shades. Psychologically and neurologically, the will is perhaps the least understood102.



V. The Class of "PSY" Phenomena


There is a lot of literature regardingexperiments and spontaneous cases of "psy" processes. The psy processes, (also called para-psychological or para-normal) are classed into two types:

  1. extra sensory perception (ESP) containing the mental perception of some physical states (MPPS or clairvoyance), telepathy, and precognition;
  2. psychokinesis, representing the direct influence of mind upon matter.
The existence of certain psy processes cannot be doubted experimentally, especially regarding telepathy105, sometimes referred to as bio-radio106. The fact that this is not an electromagnetic field interaction (i.e. no radio-mental activity) has been clarified through numerous experiments that showed that the telepathic effect does not decrease in the ratio 1/d2 (i.e. inversely proportional to the squared distance) like inradio transmissions; on the contrary, when the subjective impression is eliminated, the distance seems to bear no effect at all. Similarly, electromagnetic screening has no effect either107. However, the information contents transmitted via telepathy is not very rich. Having a spontaneous manifestation, usually under strong dramatic emotions108, this phenomenon was experimentally successful only in transmitting simple geometric figures, or some images.

Charles A. Tart, author of several models for describing psy processes believes that although there is experimental evidence regarding these events, scientists do not accept them yet since science has not yet got a theory for explaining them. These phenomena are "meaningless in connection with the currenttheories about the world"109, since "mind seems to transcend the usual laws of space and time"110. The hypothesis has also been raised of whether these phenomena were not an "arbitrary reprogramming of the biologic computer"111, but Charles A. Tart maintains that there is experimental evidence in their favour. His model112 for the ESP phenomena is that of Fig. 27, the brain receiving information through a transmission and decoding channel that is different from the usual, sensorial way.

Biology and Psychology in Relation with Awareness 67