Rethinking the Mind - Prof. Mark Solms

Prof. Mark Solms, a neuroscientist and psychoanalyst, discusses his groundbreaking work on consciousness, challenging conventional cortex-centric views and emphasizing the role of brainstem structures in generating consciousness and affect.

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Key points discussed:
The limitations of cortex-centric approaches to consciousness studies.
Evidence from decorticated animals and hydranencephalic children supporting the brainstem's role in consciousness.
The relationship between homeostasis, the free energy principle, and consciousness.
Critiques of behaviorism and modern theories of consciousness.
The importance of subjective experience in understanding brain function.

The discussion also explored broader topics:
The potential impact of affect-based theories on AI development.
The role of the SEEKING system in exploration and learning.
Connections between neuroscience, psychoanalysis, and philosophy of mind.
Challenges in studying consciousness and the limitations of current theories.

Mark Solms:
https://neuroscience.uct.ac.za/contac...

Show notes and transcript: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/roipwm...

TOC (*) are best bits
00:00:00 1. Intro: Challenging vision-centric approaches to consciousness *
00:02:20 2. Evidence from decorticated animals and hydranencephalic children *
00:07:40 3. Emotional responses in hydranencephalic children
00:10:40 4. Brainstem stimulation and affective states
00:15:00 5. Brainstem's role in generating affective consciousness *
00:21:50 6. Dual-aspect monism and the mind-brain relationship
00:29:37 7. Information, affect, and the hard problem of consciousness *
00:37:25 8. Wheeler's participatory universe and Chalmers' theories
00:48:51 9. Homeostasis, free energy principle, and consciousness *
00:59:25 10. Affect, voluntary behavior, and decision-making
01:05:45 11. Psychoactive substances, REM sleep, and consciousness research
01:12:14 12. Critiquing behaviorism and modern consciousness theories *
01:24:25 13. The SEEKING system and exploration in neuroscience

Refs:
1. Mark Solms' book "The Hidden Spring" [00:20:34] (MUST READ!)
https://amzn.to/3XyETb3

2. Karl Friston's free energy principle [00:03:50]
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn2787

3. Hydranencephaly condition [00:07:10]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrane...

4. Periaqueductal gray (PAG) [00:08:57]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periaqu...

5. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) [00:13:52]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positro...

6. Paul MacLean's triune brain theory [00:03:30]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triune_...

7. Baruch Spinoza's philosophy of mind [00:23:48]
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/sp...

8. Claude Shannon's "A Mathematical Theory of Communication" [00:32:15]
https://people.math.harvard.edu/~ctm/...

9. Francis Crick's "The Astonishing Hypothesis" [00:39:57]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ast...

10. Frank Jackson's Knowledge Argument [00:40:54]
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qu...

11. Mesolimbic dopamine system [01:11:51]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesolim...

12. Jaak Panksepp's SEEKING system [01:25:23]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaak_Pa...