Medical Hypotheses
Volume 55, Issue 2 , Pages 126-132, August 2000

Homeostatic biophasal conscious regulation

  • Y. Naisberg

      Affiliations

    • Sha’ar Menashe Mental Health Center, Mobile Post, Hafer, 38814
  • ,
  • I. Modai

      Affiliations

    • Sha’ar Menashe Mental Health Center, Mobile Post, Hafer, 38814
  • ,
  • A. Weizman

      Affiliations

    • Research Unit, Geha Psychiatric Hospital, and Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqva, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Received 22 July 1999; accepted 18 October 1999.

Abstract 

A new theory on consciousness is presented. According to our neuroscientific model, focal awareness is the result of neurophysiological patterns of voluntary or involuntary information, registration, storage and retrieval performed in accordance with organismic biphasal homeostatic rules and regulations that follow the demand–supply principle. The information-processing operation consists of three major elements: 1. Involuntary activated ‘inherited schematic representation’ (ISR) programs that monitor homeostatic negative feedback programs and remain inert during the storage period; 2. Voluntary activated ‘acquired engram linkage’ (AEL) programs that monitor the preferential self-efforts designed to maintain homeostasis and dynamic adaptational survival; this information remains fixed in the storage reservoir; and 3. Outer, nonselective sources of activation that derive from the assembly of the sensory information system. Consciousness is limited by the microneurostructural boundaries of ‘conscious instrument panel’ (CIP) needed to handle this unique biological experience. At any unit of time, the conscious subjectively identifies states of pleasure (first phase of homeostasis maintenance) or displeasure (second phase of homeostasis) which are associated with the alarm subsystem of the ‘organismic defense system’ (ODS).

Thus, consciousness is a form of neurophysiological activity that excludes unconscious existence in order to monitor information. This model promotes our understanding of the biological essences of consciousness.

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PII: S0306-9877(99)91023-X

doi:10.1054/mehy.1999.1023

Medical Hypotheses
Volume 55, Issue 2 , Pages 126-132, August 2000