Archiv für Oktober, 2017

murdered-in-cold-blood

Quite often BBC is involved in Western propaganda, but three years ago they produced a very honest documentaion: „Rwanda´s Untold Story“, putting things concerning Rwanda, Burundi and DR Congo right. No wonder that the Kagame_regime_went_nuts over the documentation since the film delivers a compelling_case_of_Kagame_as_war_criminal.

In fact the docu works itself the hard way through all the myths Western media have spread about their darling Kagame and his RPF. It´s a „Must See“:

Rwanda´s Untold Story, Pt 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4DKBgJlif8&feature=youtu.be

Rwanda´s Untold Story, Pt 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5pAg5uwr9E

Take the pain to have illusions chattered!

Andreas Schlüter

Links:

Half the Truth is a whole Lie! 20 Years of brazen Desinformation!https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/rwanda-half-of-the-truth-is-a-whole-lie-twenty-years-of-brazen-desinformation/

BBC, Rwanda: Did Kagame´s Murder Inc hit again? Death of Komla Afeke Dumor”: https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2015/10/17/bbc-rwanda-did-kagames-murder-inc-hit-again/

G20 Africa-Partnership-Conference – Some Questions also Concerning Paul Kagame”: https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/g20-africa-partnership-conference-some-questions-also-concerning-paul-kagame/

Africa: Crisis in Burundi? What´s Behind the Whole Turmoil?”: https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/africa-crisis-in-burundi-whats-behind-the-whole-turmoil/

Tweeting in Kagame-Style: a Rwandan Going Rampant on Twitter and Speaking out a Death Treat!”: https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2017/10/23/tweeting-in-kagame-style-a-rwandan-going-rampant-on-twitter-and-speaking-out-a-death-treat/

My articles on Africa: https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/african-struggles-for-social-justice-freedom-and-democracy-in-perspective-reflected-in-a-series-of-articles/

brain-image

deutsche Version unten

Between Neurophysiology and Philosophy: Some Speculations about Consciousness

Acknowledgement:

When I wrote this article I was not aware – what could easily happen to the layman if so „brave“ as to deal with a field that is not his own – to what extend the here expressed ideas about the role of field phenomenons with consciousness are already in the focus of a number of scientists, which is shown here for example:

http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Field_theories_of_consciousness

My Article:

Something that fascinated me since childhood is the question of „self“ and of consciousness. I well remember that even already at age eight I was experiencing moments of being aware of that I was being aware of that I was being aware…! I also recall that one morning my son being about the same age asked me: „Daddy, what I always wanted to ask you: why am I me?“The state of the self reflective awareness I experienced at that age I soon connected to the experiment of holding two mirrors near to face each other and seeing an „infinite“ series of mirrors. I have also vivid memories of very early conditions of awareness – from a bit more than age two – those days directed mostly at toys and my surrounding in general. Here´s not the space to go too far into that but it might give an impression of the attention I paid early to the concept of „one self“. Children might be early Philosophers in a much higher degree than adults usually assume – and remember.

Throughout the higher grades in school I spent lots of time on the contemplation about existence and time, having got into early contact (maybe age 14) with Relativity Theory and later on Quantum Physics. After all I became a Sociologist by and large confronting myself more with the problems of social interaction, oppression and exploitation, which is reflected in many topics I deal on this blog since end of 2010. But the basic question of „self“ and consciousness never really left me alone. And I developed more precise ideas about possible „mechanisms“ underlying those phenomena.

Julian Jaynes

It was not too long ago that discussions about consciousness with a good friend confronted me again with those long harbored ideas. Those discussions with that friend circulated around the works of Julian_Jaynes of whom I thus heard for the first time. I started reading in his book „The_Origin_of_Consciousness_in_the_Breakdown_of_the_Bicameral_Mind“ and found many fascinating points. He was a brilliant analyst concerning concrete aspects pointing clearly to all what we can do without being conscious, giving many insights, well summarized_here.

But, and there´s a big „but“, it didn´t convince me in its final conclusions. As well as it gives insight into mental disorders, it dates the coming up of consciousness some 3000 years ago in a somehow circumscribed area in the Near East connected to the coming up of urban life and more extended usage of writing. Uh, means that all other people were not conscious?! It results in some sort of ethnocentric view, which Jaynes possibly might not have really intended, the more since he didn´t link it to genetic concepts but social and historical circumstances, but that would be the conclusion. It could serve also as an excuse for all colonial atrocities, those people living under quite different conditions were not conscious, how could they really have suffered?! The hidden arrogance surfaces in this: „In the golden age of Greece, when men traveled about in freedom while slaves did the work, consciousness was as free as that“ (page 7). Thus it seems to be „consequent“ slaves were regarded in antiques as „speaking tools“.

Two Poles

Well, let´s leave the moral aspect aside, how could I have been conscious before having learned how to read and write (which I clearly was, even contemplating about death after my grandmother died before I started school), provided Jaynes was correct? And even if at a time people might have had a divided consciousness and heard the voices of Gods or ancestors coming from the other half of their brains, with the receiving half of their brain were conscious in a way.

So Jaynes must be regarded as one pole of the discussion. The other pole is to be seen in „Panpsychism“, the view that there is a „self“, a perceiving unit in everything, even in subatomic particles. This in deed appears to be equally absurd and has to be dismissed.

The Core of the Topic

It might be very difficult to describe what consciousness really is, but in a way we all know it very well, because we experience it, though at the same time often messing it up with different phenomena (which in deed Jaynes shows brilliantly). It is in a way the „space“ in which we combine the inner, including happiness, joy, desire, fear and anxiety, curiosity, friendship and hostility, and the orientation in the outside as well as our memories. And all this „Yet somehow we perceive it all as one unified conscious experience“ (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/bobby-azarian/post_10079_b_8160914.html).

Mind, Self and Consciousness

At times misleading, but not totally false it is equated to mind as „self“. This gets clear when it comes to the term Theory_of_mind. This term plays a growing part also in the understanding of higher animals. Science becomes more and more aware that for example Great_Apes_have_theory_of_mind, and so might have other animals.

It would in fact be difficult to understand playing_animalsor animals like dogs wildly enjoying reunions without being aware of the self and „the other“. The more difficult it would be to understand friendships_across_different_species without that potential. Even more impressive is the ability for example of Bonobo_Kanzi_using_a_touchpad to speak, so that another „self“ (a human) understands him.

The Scope of Consciousness

In Jaynes book there´s a good metaphor, consciousness like a torchlight in a dark room wandering over things. We´re not conscious all the time of all we know and of all what happens around us. To follow this metaphor, the torchlight could have different strength, the space the light covers could be varying, there could be fog in the room and so on. Remembering our own development of consciousness we can see how the space covered by the „torchlight“ had expanded, likewise the distance things could be reached. The channels of information developed. The content of our consciousness thus expands from our immediate surrounding, our parents and siblings to more remote things. Adding to those things brought to us by our senses comes „abstract“ knowledge, in which reading and nowadays the media play a great part.

We start being conscious about our immediate life space to extended family, to school, to town, to country, possibly we become conscious of „the world and its problems“, possibly of our solar system and maybe of the galaxy and maybe of what science has found out about the universe. Possibly we become conscious about the deeper questions concerning time, space, existence and so on. We could become conscious of suppression, of injustice, of exploitation. This again might reflect on our actions, adding to our daily life activities. All this surely goes far beyond the consciousness of even the most intelligent animals, but it would be very arrogant to deny them being conscious of themselves and many other things. After all the scope of things to get into consciousness is one thing, the basic nature of it is another thing.

What Creates Consciousness?

It is obvious that we can hardly imagine consciousness without a brain, so to speak, the – highly complicated – hardware. This „hardware“ works with bio-electrical processes, processing information. Great efforts have been undertaken to integrate what is known so far, like in this great_article_by_Dr_Avinash_de_Sousa from 2013.

In the last section of his article he formulates interesting questions:

  1. Is an integrated theory encompassing all fields on the neurobiology of consciousness possible? Is it necessary?
  2. Is it possible to understand true biological substrates of consciousness or are we looking at pure phenomenology?

  3. Does the study of altered states of consciousness, with an approach from pathology to normalcy, hold the key to the neurobiology of consciousness?

  4. Should research groups from various arenas come together to form a more integrative research protocol to study consciousness?

  5. Do we need further focused neurobiological studies both at a micro and macro level to understand consciousness?

  6. Do we need to go top down from cognitive psychology to neurobiology to understand consciousness or should the reverse be done?

  7. Will we in the near future impinge upon an ultimate holistic theory that solves the riddle of the neurobiology of consciousness?

  8. Will better neuroimaging studies and modalities in the future, together with advances in cellular neuroscience, help solve the puzzle of consciousness?

  9. Will all stakeholders agree to a comprehensive definition of consciousness?

It all makes me believe that something is missing here yet which has come to my mind since long.

My Speculations on the Matter

What came to my mind many years ago is that the bio-electrical activities can not be all what is contributing to consciousness. There should be field phenomena taken into consideration. Since years Magnetic_resonance_imaging is used to get a deeper insight into_our_brain_activities. Since consciousness seems to bear holistic aspects as well, field phenomena come very close to that holistic aspect. Shouldn´t we think of the possibility that the bio-electrical processes in our brains create field phenomena which are having effect on the bio-electrical processes and influence it, thus forming circles of effects?

Neurological structures can be receptive to field phenomena in many ways. Obviously birds_brains_are_receptive_to_magnetic_fields. Even very primitive beings show Magnetoreception. Electromagnetic sensitivity is the basis of our ability to see. In sharks Electroreception is highly developed. Electrosensibility_in_humans is nowadays discussed and researches have found sensitivity_of_neurons_to_weak_electric_fields. The anatomic situation of the cerebral cortex could make it plausible that the field effects influence other parts of the brain which again bio-electrically influence the cortex to have repercussion again on the fields. And we even might not be aware of all kind of field phenomena.

Possibly the receptivity within certain brain cells might have taken the evolutionary start at the problem of orientation in the larger surrounding like with birds and then expanded its receptivity to the field effects produced by the brain cells themselves.

Thus consciousness could imply a new quality of resonance, which itself could be modified by various factors. If these assumptions would be true, consciousness would have emerged at a certain point of evolution bringing about a new quality, somehow as a „big bang“ in the final sense allowing parts of the Universe to become aware of itself. After genetic evolution had reached a certain point, this new quality would have had repercussions on the genetic evolution as well.

brain-waves

What Could be the Consequence if these Assumptions would be true?

If these assumptions would be true more consequences would be imaginable. The brain would thus be an emitter as well as a receiver. It possibly could not only be an emitter to influence the brain itself but it might be an emitter to the outside as well. Would it be possible that in evolution it served the early hominids already to find back to each other in the open savannas after roaming around for hunting and gathering? It surely wouldn´t be a very accurate way of „communication“ but could even function as a basis for some sort of telepathic communication, at least in the way of an „alarm system“.

This might be a bit far fetched but it could explain why in the West as in the East as well quite some amount of money was spent on secret_telepathic_projects. The effect of those things might be highly questionable, the dangers coming from our sensitivity towards (especially electromagnetic) fields might no more be questionable as shown for example by mysterious_illnesses_that_strike_people_in_their_own_homes. Likewise this sensitivity makes us vulnerable to electro-magnetic_weapons either designed to be weapons or just functioning as such.

Final Remarks

As said at the beginning I´m just a Sociologist and not an expert in the field of Neurobiology. Thus on this matter I can only express assumptions and hypotheses. Living science nevertheless has always from time to time got inspirations from laymen or laywomen, and this is what I want to contribute here. Maybe one ore another expert might contemplate on the ideas expressed here and develop methods to further explore whether there´s something profound with these ideas.

Andreas Schlüter

Interesting link, Quantum approaches: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qt-consciousness/

And some links I´ve found now:

Shelly R. Joye:

https://www.academia.edu/27842747/THE_PRIBRAM_BOHM_HYPOTHESIS_Part_I_The_Cosmology_of_Consciousness

Bohm and Pribam, Shelly R. Joye, A geometry oft concsiousness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tOTX7oI5Vs

Anil Seth & consciousness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRel1JKOEbI

Dan Dennet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjbWr3ODbAo

Max Tegmark, Consciousness is a mathematical pattern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzCvlFRISIM

David Chalmers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhRhtFFhNzQ

Roger Penrose about consciousness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WXTX0IUaOg

&

https://www.livescience.com/47096-theories-seek-to-explain-consciousness.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/03/phlegm-theories-of-consciousness/472812/

deutsche Version

Zwischen Neurophysiologie und Philosophie: Einige Spekulationen über das Bewusstsein

Feststellung vorab:

Als ich diesen Artikel schrieb, war ich nicht gewahr – was dem Laien passieren kann, wenn er sich auf ein Feld begibt, das nicht sein eigenes ist – dass die hier erörterten Ideen zur Beteiligung von Feld-Phänomenen doch schon durchaus im Fokus von Wissenschaftlern sind, allerdings kaum in deutscher Literatur zum Bewusstsein, daher hier ein Verweis auf englischsprachige Literatur:

http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Field_theories_of_consciousness

Mein Artikel:

Etwas, das mich seit meiner Kindheit fasziniert hat, ist die Frage nach dem „Selbst“ und dem Bewusstsein. Ich erinnere mich noch gut daran, dass ich bereits im Alter von acht Jahren Momente erlebte, in denen ich mir bewusst war, dass ich mir bewusst war, dass ich mir bewusst war…! Ich erinnere mich auch daran, dass mich eines Morgens mein Sohn, der damals etwa in gleichem Alter war, fragte: „Daddy, was ich dich schon immer fragen wollte: warum bin ich ich?“

Den Zustand des selbstreflektierenden Bewusstseins, den ich in diesem Alter erlebte, empfinde ich als verwandt mit dem Experiment, zwei Spiegel nahe beieinander zu halten und eine „unendliche“ Reihe von Spiegeln zu sehen. Ich habe auch lebhafte Erinnerungen an sehr frühe Zustände des Bewusstseins – von etwas mehr als zwei Jahren an – an jene Tage, in denen mein Bewusstsein hauptsächlich auf Spielzeug und meine Umgebung im Allgemeinen ausgerichtet waren. Hier ist nicht der Raum, um zu weit ins Detail zu gehen, aber es könnte einen Eindruck davon vermitteln, welche Aufmerksamkeit ich dem Konzept des „Selbst“ schon früh geschenkt habe. Kinder sind vielleicht in einem viel höheren Grad frühe Philosophen, als Erwachsene gewöhnlich annehmen – und sich erinnern.

Während der späteren Schuljahre verbrachte ich viel Zeit mit der Kontemplation über Existenz und Zeit, nachdem ich früh (wohl im Alter von 14 Jahren) mit der Relativitätstheorie und später mit der Quantenphysik in Berührung gekommen war. Schließlich bin ich Soziologe geworden und habe mich im Großen und Ganzen mehr mit den Problemen der sozialen Interaktion, Herrschaftsstrukturen, Unterdrückung und Ausbeutung auseinandergesetzt. Aber die Grundfrage nach dem „Selbst“ und dem Bewusstsein hat mich nie wirklich losgelassen. Und ich habe präzisere Vorstellungen über mögliche „Mechanismen“ entwickelt, die diesen Phänomenen zugrunde liegen könnten.

Julian Jaynes

Es ist noch nicht allzu lange her, dass mich Diskussionen über Bewusstsein mit einer guten Freundin wieder mit diesen lange gehegten Ideen konfrontiert haben. Diese Diskussionen kreisten auch um die Werke von Julian_Jaynes, von dem ich so zum ersten Mal hörte. Ich begann in seinem Buch „The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind“ zu lesen und fand viele faszinierende Punkte. Er war ein brillanter Analytiker in Bezug auf konkrete Aspekte, der klar auf all das hinwies, was wir tun können, ohne bewusst zu sein, und der viele Einsichten präsentierte, die dort gut zusammengefasst sind.

Aber, und da gibt es ein großes „Aber“, er hat mich in seinen endgültigen Schlussfolgerungen nicht überzeugt. Sein Werk gibt nicht nur Einblicke in psychische Störungen, sondern datiert auch die Entstehung des Bewusstseins vor etwa 3000 Jahren in einem irgendwie abgegrenzten Gebiet im Nahen und Mittleren Osten im Zusammenhang mit dem Aufkommen des städtischen Lebens und dem erweiterten Gebrauch der Schrift. Äh, dachte ich, bedeutet das, dass alle anderen Menschen nicht bei Bewusstsein waren?! Daraus ergibt sich eine Art ethnozentrische Sichtweise, die Jaynes möglicherweise nicht wirklich gewollt hat, zumal er sie nicht mit genetischen Konzepten, sondern mit sozialen und historischen Umständen in Verbindung gebracht hat, aber das wäre die Schlussfolgerung. Sie könnte auch als Entschuldigung für alle kolonialen Gräueltaten dienen. Die Menschen, die unter ganz anderen Bedingungen lebten, wären sich nicht bewusst, wie konnten sie wirklich gelitten haben? Die versteckte Arroganz kommt dabei zum Vorschein: „Im goldenen Zeitalter Griechenlands, als die Menschen in Freiheit umherreisten, während Sklaven die Arbeit verrichteten, war das Bewusstsein so frei“ (Seite 7, Herorhebung von mir). Es scheint also „konsequent“ zu sein, dass Sklaven im griechischen Altertum als „sprechende Werkzeuge“ bezeichnet wurden.

Zwei Pole der Betrachtung

Nun, lassen wir den moralischen Aspekt beiseite, wie hätte ich nach Jaynes „bei Bewusstsein“ sein können, bevor ich Lesen und Schreiben gelernt habe (was ich eindeutig tat, sogar nach dem Tod meiner Großmutter intensiv über Leben und Tod nachdachte, bevor ich zur Schule ging), vorausgesetzt, Jaynes hätte Recht. Und selbst wenn die Menschen zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt ein geteiltes Bewusstsein gehabt und die „Stimmen von Göttern oder Vorfahren“ gehört hätten, die aus der anderen Hälfte ihres Gehirns kamen, so war doch die empfangende Gehirnhälfte in gewisser Weise bewusst.

Jaynes muss also als ein Pol der Diskussion betrachtet werden. Der andere Pol ist im „Panpsychismus“ zu sehen, der Auffassung, dass es in allem, auch in subatomaren Teilchen, ein „Selbst“, eine Wahrnehmungseinheit gibt. Dies erscheint mir in der Tat ebenso absurd und sollte m. E. Gleichfalls verworfen werden.

Der Kern des Problems

Es mag gar nicht so einfach sein, zu beschreiben, was Bewusstsein wirklich ist, aber wir erleben es eben, obwohl wir es gleichzeitig oft mit verschiedenen Phänomenen durcheinander bringen (was Jaynes in der Tat brillant zeigt). Es ist in gewisser Weise der „Raum“, in dem wir das Innere, einschließlich Glück, Freude, Sehnsucht, Angst und Furcht, Neugier, Freundschaft und Feindseligkeit, und die Orientierung im Äußeren sowie unsere Erinnerungen miteinander verbinden. Und doch nehmen wir das alles irgendwie als eine einzige vereinte Erfahrung wahr.

Verstand, Selbst und Bewusstsein

Zuweilen irreführend, aber nicht völlig falsch, wird der Verstand dem Bewusstsein als „Selbst“ gleichgesetzt. Dies wird deutlich, wenn es um den Begriff „Theory_of_Mind“ geht. Dieser Begriff spielt auch für das Verständnis höherer Tiere eine wachsende Rolle. Die Wissenschaft wird sich mehr und mehr bewusst, dass z.B. Große Affen eine „Theorie vom Bewusstsein des Gegenüber“ haben können, ebenso wie eine Reihe anderer Tiere.

Es wäre in der Tat schwierig, „spielende Tiere“ oder Tiere wie Hunde zu verstehen, die wild Wiedersehen genießen, ohne sich des Selbst und „des Anderen“ bewusst zu sein. Umso schwieriger wäre es, Freundschaften über verschiedene Arten hinweg ohne dieses Potenzial zu verstehen. Noch beeindruckender ist zum Beispiel die Fähigkeit von Bonobo_Kanzi, mit Hilfe eines Touchpad (das gesprochnene Worte generiert) sozusagen zu sprechen, so dass ein anderes „Selbst“ (ein Mensch) ihn versteht soll.

Das Ausmaß des Bewusstseins

In Jaynes Buch gibt es eine gute Metapher, Bewusstsein sei wie ein Fackelschein in einem dunklen Raum, der über die Dinge wandert. Wir sind uns nicht die ganze Zeit über alles, was wir wissen, und über alles, was um uns herum geschieht, bewusst. Um dieser Metapher zu folgen, könnte der Fackelschein eine unterschiedliche Stärke haben, der Raum, den das Licht bedeckt, könnte unterschiedlich ausgedehnt sein, es könnte Nebel im Raum sein und so weiter. Wenn wir uns an unsere eigene Entwicklung des Bewusstseins erinnern, können wir sehen, wie sich der vom „Fackelschein“ bedeckte Raum ausgedehnt hatte, ebenso wie die Entfernung, die die Dinge erreicht werden konnten. Die Informationskanäle entwickelten sich. Der Inhalt unseres Bewusstseins dehnt sich so von unserer unmittelbaren Umgebung, unseren Eltern und Geschwistern, auf entferntere Dinge aus. Zu den Dingen, die unsere Sinne zu uns bringen, kommt „abstraktes“ Wissen hinzu, bei dem das Lesen und heutzutage die Medien eine große Rolle spielen.

Wir beginnen, uns unseres unmittelbaren Lebensraumes bewusst zu werden, unserer ausgedehnteren Familie, der Schule, unserer Stadt, unseres Landes, möglicherweise werden wir uns „der Welt und ihrer Probleme“ bewusst, möglicherweise unseres Sonnensystems und vielleicht der Galaxie und vielleicht dessen, was die Wissenschaft über das Universum herausgefunden hat. Möglicherweise werden wir uns der tieferen Fragen bezüglich Zeit, Raum, Existenz und so weiter bewusst. Möglicherweise werden wir uns der Unterdrückung, der Ungerechtigkeit, der Ausbeutung bewusst. Dies wiederum könnte sich auf unser Handeln auswirken und zu unseren täglichen Lebensaktivitäten beitragen. All dies geht sicherlich weit über das Bewusstsein selbst der intelligentesten Tiere hinaus, aber es wäre sehr arrogant zu leugnen, dass sie sich ihrer selbst und vieler anderer Dinge bewusst sind. Tatsächlich ist der Umfang der Dinge, die in unser Bewusstsein gelangen, eine Sache, die grundlegende Natur des Bewusstseins eine andere.

Wie entsteht Bewusstsein?

Es ist offensichtlich, dass wir uns Bewusstsein ohne ein Gehirn, sozusagen die – hochkomplizierte – Hardware, kaum vorstellen können. Diese „Hardware“ arbeitet mit bio-elektrischen Prozessen, sozusagen bioelektrischen Schaltungen, verarbeitet Informationen. Es wurden große Anstrengungen unternommen, um das bisher Bekannte zu integrieren, wie in einem Artikel von Dr. Avinash_de_Sousa aus dem Jahr 2013.

Im letzten Abschnitt seines Artikels formuliert er interessante Fragen:

1. Ist eine integrierte Theorie, die alle Bereiche der Neurobiologie des Bewusstseins umfasst, möglich? Ist sie notwendig?

2. Ist es möglich, wahre biologische Substrate des Bewusstseins zu verstehen, oder haben wir es mit reiner Phänomenologie zu tun?

3. Hält das Studium veränderter Bewusstseinszustände mit einem Ansatz von der Pathologie zur Normalität den Schlüssel zur Neurobiologie des Bewusstseins in der Hand?

4. Sollten Forschungsgruppen aus verschiedenen Bereichen zusammenkommen, um ein integrativeres Forschungsprotokoll zur Erforschung des Bewusstseins zu erstellen?

5. Brauchen wir weitere fokussierte neurobiologische Studien sowohl auf Mikro- als auch auf Makroebene, um das Bewusstsein zu verstehen?

6. Müssen wir von oben nach unten von der kognitiven Psychologie zur Neurobiologie gehen, um das Bewusstsein zu verstehen, oder sollte man das Gegenteil tun?

7. Werden wir in naher Zukunft auf eine ultimative holistische Theorie stoßen, die das Rätsel der Neurobiologie des Bewusstseins löst?

8. Werden bessere Neurobildgebungsstudien und -modalitäten in der Zukunft zusammen mit Fortschritten in der zellulären Neurowissenschaft dazu beitragen, das Rätsel des Bewusstseins zu lösen?

9. Werden alle Beteiligten einer umfassenden Definition des Bewusstseins zustimmen?

Das alles lässt mich vermuten, dass hier noch etwas fehlt, was mir seit langem in den Sinn gekommen ist.

Meine Vermutungen zur Sache

Was mir vor vielen Jahren in den Sinn kam, ist, dass die bioelektrischen Aktivitäten nicht alles sein können, was zum Bewusstsein beiträgt. Es sollten Feldphänomene in Betracht gezogen werden. Seit Jahren wird die Magnetische Resonanz-Bildgebung verwendet, um einen tieferen Einblick in unsere Hirnaktivitäten zu erhalten. Da das Bewusstsein auch ganzheitliche Aspekte zu beinhalten scheint, kommen Feldphänomene diesem ganzheitlichen Aspekt sehr nahe. Sollten wir nicht an die Möglichkeit denken, dass die bio-elektrischen Prozesse in unserem Gehirn Feldphänomene erzeugen, die wiederum auf die bio-elektrischen Prozesse rückwirken und diese beeinflussen und so Wirkungskreise bilden?

Neurologische Strukturen können auf vielfältige Weise für Feldphänomene empfänglich sein. Offensichtlich sind Vogel-Gehirne sensibel für magnetische Felder. Selbst sehr primitive Wesen zeigen Magnetorezeption. Elektromagnetische Empfindlichkeit ist die Grundlage unserer Fähigkeit zu sehen. Bei Haien ist die Elektrorezeption hoch entwickelt. Die Elektrosensibilität von Menschen wird heutzutage diskutiert und Forscher haben eine Empfindlichkeit_der_Neuronen für schwache Felder gefunden. Die anatomische Situation der Grosshirnrinde könnte es plausibel erscheinen lassen, dass die Feldeffekte andere Teile des Gehirns beeinflussen, die wiederum bioelektrisch die Hirnrinde so beeinflussen, dass sie wieder auf die Felder zurückwirken. Und vielleicht sind uns auch nicht alle Arten von Feldphänomenen bekannt.

Möglicherweise hat die Rezeptivität innerhalb bestimmter Gehirnzellen den evolutionären Ausgangspunkt beim Problem der Orientierung in der größeren Umgebung wie beim Magnetsinn der Vögeln genommen und dann ihre Rezeptivität auf die von den Gehirnzellen selbst erzeugten Feldeffekte ausgedehnt.

So könnte das Bewusstsein eine neue Qualität der Resonanz implizieren, die ihrerseits durch verschiedene Faktoren modifiziert werden könnte. Wenn diese Annahmen zutreffen würden, wäre das Bewusstsein an einem bestimmten Punkt der Evolution entstanden und hätte eine neue Qualität hervorgebracht, irgendwie als „Urknall“ im letzten Sinne, der es Teilen des Universums erlaubt, sich seiner selbst bewusst zu werden. Nachdem die genetische Evolution einen bestimmten Punkt erreicht hatte, hätte diese neue Qualität der Möglichkeiten auch Auswirkungen auf die genetische Evolution gehabt.

Was könnten die Konsequenzen sein, wenn diese Vermutungen zuträfen?

Wenn diese Annahmen zuträfen, wären weitere Konsequenzen denkbar. Das Gehirn wäre dann sowohl Sender als auch Empfänger. Es könnte nicht nur ein Sender sein, um das Gehirn selbst zu beeinflussen, sondern es könnte auch ein Sender nach aussen sein. Wäre es vielleicht möglich, dass es in der Evolution bereits den frühen Hominiden dazu diente, in den offenen Savannen wieder zueinander zu finden, nachdem sie zum Jagen und Sammeln umhergestreift waren? Es wäre sicherlich keine sehr genaue Art der „Kommunikation“, aber es könnte eben als Grundlage für eine Art „telepathischer“ Kommunikation dienen, zumindest in Form eines „Alarmsystems“.

Es wäre vielleicht etwas weit hergeholt, aber solche grundsätzlichen Betrachtungen könnten erklären, warum sowohl im Westen als auch im Osten ziemlich viel Geld für geheime_telepathische_Projekte ausgegeben wurde. Die Wirkung dieser Dinge könnte viele Fragen aufwerfen, die Möglichkeit von Gefahren, die von unserer Empfindlichkeit gegenüber (insbesondere elektromagnetischen) Feldern ausgehen könnten, würden an Wahrscheinlichkeit gewinnen. Ebenso könnte uns diese Empfindlichkeit anfällig für elektromagnetische Waffen, die entweder als Waffen konzipiert wären oder einfach nur als solche funktionieren.

Schlussbemerkung

Wie eingangs gesagt, bin ich als Soziologe und kein Experte auf dem Gebiet der Neurobiologie. Daher kann ich zu diesem Thema nur Vermutungen und Hypothesen äußern. Dennoch hat sich lebendige Wissenschaft immer wieder von Zeit zu Zeit von Laien inspirieren lassen. Vielleicht könnte der eine oder andere Experte über die hier zum Ausdruck gebrachten Ideen nachdenken und Methoden entwickeln, um weiter zu erforschen, ob an diesen Vermutungen etwas ist.

Andreas Schlüter

Having spread my new article “Africa: Crisis in Burundi? What´s Behind the Whole Turmoil?” (https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/africa-crisis-in-burundi-whats-behind-the-whole-turmoil/) via Twitter I found a diffuse answer by a Rwandan Tweep:

butera-tweets

I checked the Twitterer and found an alarming Tweet from the 14th of October:

butera-s-death-threat

In deed he seems to speak out a death threat against Human Rights Watch critics of Rwanda´s Kagame-Regime, saying „With these obsessive attacks on #Rwanda @hrw and @KenRoth confirm their death; they need holy transformation to resurrect, #HRWLies“! This could just be seen as „blabla“ if there wouldn´t be good reasons to believe that the Kagame regime murders_opponents like Col Patrick_Karegeya, former intelligence chief, in South Africa, or attemped to do so like with General_Nyamwasa also in South Africa. But the regime obviously doesn´t stop with Rwandan countrymen (dubbed as traitors) but takes at foreigners as well everywhere. Kagame seems to have had a hand also in the death_of_Komla_Afeke_Dumor, BBC Presenter of Ghanain origin (I_have_written_about_this_in_2015).

The strategy behind this appears to be: always deny, but let opponents be aware that we can reach them anywhere! Quote of Rwanda´s Minister of Defense, James Kabarebe:

Do not waste your time on reports that so and so was strangled with a rope on flat 7 in whatever country…When you choose to be a dog, you die like a dog, and the cleaners will wipe away the trash so that it does not stink for them. Actually, such consequences are faced by those who have chosen such a path. There is nothing we can do about it, and we should not be interrogated over it.

from: https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/01/28/rwanda-repression-across-borders

It follows patterns practiced by Kagames US masters, as spoken out by former_acting_CIA_director_Morell, and by Israel. This is called TERROR!

It´s up to critical journalists and analysts to be brave and stay upright against the Terror regime of Kagame and his attempts to intimidate critics!

Andreas Schlüter

Links:

An Inside Story: http://www.therwandan.com/blog/he-knew-too-much-the-life-and-death-of-dr-emmanuel-gasakure-and-the-corruption-of-the-kagame-regime/

My articles on Africa: https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/african-struggles-for-social-justice-freedom-and-democracy-in-perspective-reflected-in-a-series-of-articles/

rwanda-burundi

Every now and then “News” are propping up in the Western Media about Burundi indicating “Repression” and “misconduct” by the government. Even the UN is accusing the Burundian government of human rights violations and else. In September the New_York_Times writes about the UN condemning the Government with President Nkurunziza of “crimes against humanity”. It “reports” the crisis would have heated “when Mr. Nkurunziza announced his intention to run for a third term – a violation of Burundi´s Constitution”. Well, even BBC_had_to_admit that Burundi´s Supreme court decided the running for a third term would be legal since the first term started under extraordinary circumstances, being appointed by parliament in course of the Arusha agreements and not being elected in a popular vote.

Long Live the Double Standard!

The Western smear campaign against Burundi and Nkurunziza is the more astonishing since Western darling Presidents in Burundi´s surrounding are not respecting any limitation for their number of terms. Uganda´s President Yoweri_Museveni is on top since more than 30 years. Rwanda´s President Paul_Kagame, who invaded Rwanda with his RPF from Uganda and with heavy US support, is President since 2000 and has no limitation in terms (he must be suspected for ruthlessly murdering_critics abroad). DR Congo´s Joseph_Kabila is President since 2001. In Western media usually not many words are dropped about this when hitting on Burundi´s government. But it´s the same when it comes to other “good friends” of the West like for example the “lighthouse of Democracy” in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia. So what is the reason for Western hostility towards Burundi?

Much of Western rhetoric relates to the (fake) mainstream narrative on the tragedy in Rwanda shouting “genocide under way”, a dangerous alarmism of which the Guardian warned in 2015. All that though Burundis_real_social_divide_is_urban_and_rural. But Burundi´s problems might in fact have a lot to do with Rwanda, but in a different way than insinuated by the media. And Burundi´s government stands_in_the_way_of_the_US as Ann Garrison points out correctly.

The US Empire, “Their Man” Kagame and the Plunder of Congo

23 years ago the US Empire has installed the henchman Paul Kagame in Rwanda with a bloody war of aggression waged by the Uganda based RPF and decorated this with a monumental disinformation campaign making the world believe that the former Rwandan government would have planned a “Genocide against the Tutsi”. It was rather a Genocide against the Hutu majority. For the history of that tragedy read:

Half the Truth is a whole Lie! 20 Years of brazen Desinformation!https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/rwanda-half-of-the-truth-is-a-whole-lie-twenty-years-of-brazen-desinformation/

There is no doubt that the “Scramble for Africa” is going on and that Rwanda´s RPF regime is playing an essential part in it, as Robin Philpot correctly portrays in his book “Rwanda_and_the_New_Scramble_for_Africa”, likewise described by Finian_Cunningham. Coltan, Uranium, Cobalt, Gold diamonds and copper are “waiting for plunder”. Especially the US military is busy “winning_Africa”. Even the “Economist” though upholding the fake Western narrative about Rwanda´s tragedy admits the unholy role of Rwanda and ethnic Tutsis in DR Congo in an article of 2012.

An important role plays the rebel_group_M23 mostly made up of ethnic Tutsis, who were integrated into the Congolese army. Fights between_the_Congolese_army_and_M23 went also on this year. Despite the defection of Tutsi fighters to those rebel groups there is still Tutsi dominance said to prevail in DR Congo´s army. An example was also Laurent_Nkunda, and an example for the close relationship to the US via US Christian sectarianism as well.

The crisis sharpens obviously again in DR Congo, especially in the Kasai region (see links below). Trough the “complicated” conflicts “Big Brothers” hand (“well trained” in steering ethnic conflicts) is shining. The US Power Elite has long lasting experience in such operations also in the Middle East and the Balkans.

Possibly the Geo-Strategic Clou to the Story

In February 2016 it became obvious that Rwanda_is_recruiting_as_well_as_training_and_arming_Burundian_rebels in order to destabilize_Burundi and oust_the_Burundian_President. This most probably has the aim to plunge Burundi into chaos and sharpen ethnic conflicts, and then for Kagame and his RPF to appear as the “savior” of the Burundian Tutsi! Surely with the aim of installing a Tutsi dominated regime and possibly uniting the two countries, restituting a “glorious Tutsi Reign”.

What could be the further aims of Kagame and his US masters? Well, it might silence the slowly developing skepticism about Kagame´s role in Congo and fix again the “Genocide against the Tutsi” narrative. But much more important: it would broaden Kagame´s power basis for his plunder of the DR Congo in favor of Western resource policy. And a Coltan_processing_plant is built in cooperation with a Canadian Company in Rwanda, where_no_Coltan_is_to_be_found. Coltan is in Congo. But Rwanda is the World´s biggest Coltan exporter, guess how?!

Is it very absurd to speculate that Kagame´s plan (and that of his US masters) might be to unite Rwanda and Burundi for a broader power basis and thereafter split the Eastern part of DR Congo off, using militant Tutsi groups in Congo? If that costs thousands of lives in Burundi and more millions of lives in Congo, do you think the US Power Elite dominated by the US_Neocons_and_their_think_tanks would bother?

Andreas Schlüter

Links:

Interview with HE PhD Edouard Bizimana, Burundi´s ambassador in Russia, in French:

https://fr.sputniknews.com/points_de_vue/201709131033024529-burundi-crimes-contre-humanite-onu-rapport/

https://fr.sputniknews.com/points_de_vue/201709141033045050-bizimana-ambassadeur-burundi-situation/

unmasking faces of plotters: http://trumpetnews.co.ug/2017/10/11/intelligence-briefing-unmasking-faces-of-burundi-radical-opposition-leaders-plotting-nkurunziza-downfall/

further Links:

Rwanda´s Untold Story, Pt 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4DKBgJlif8&feature=youtu.be

Rwanda´s Untold Story, Pt 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5pAg5uwr9E

Media on the present humanitarian situation in DR Congo (many times with disinformation concerning the political background):

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/20/world/africa/democratic-republic-of-congo-bana-mura.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/30/congo-violence-fuels-fears-of-return-to-90s-bloodbath

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-4604036/Children-raped-DR-Congo-militia-violence-UN.html

https://theowp.org/congo-violence-in-kasai-puts-400000-children-at-risk-of-starvation/

http://www.dw.com/en/mass-graves-in-dr-congo-opposition-stronghold-kasai/a-38534834

http://www.enca.com/africa/one-million-displaced-in-dr-congos-kasai

http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/400-000-drc-children-at-risk-in-violence-hit-kasai-unicef-20170524

http://tvcnews.tv/2017/04/kasai-violence-drives-one-million-congolese-seek-refuge-angola/

https://www.voanews.com/a/us-demands-independent-probe-of-alleged-civilian-massacre-in-drc/3733011.html

More Links:

https://www.globalresearch.ca/war-in-the-congo/16452

https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/jcs/article/view/4358/5015

https://www.pambazuka.org/human-security/pentagon-human-rights-auxiliary-pushes-icc-indict-burundi

https://www.pambazuka.org/democracy-governance/ugandans-resist-museveni%E2%80%99s-bid-life-presidency

https://www.pambazuka.org/governance/victoire-ingabire-danger-kagame-cracks-down-hard-rwanda

https://www.pambazuka.org/democracy-governance/west%E2%80%99s-favorite-african-ruler-wins-99-arrests-opponent

https://www.pambazuka.org/taxonomy/term/5282

&

African Struggles in Perspective“: https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/african-struggles-for-social-justice-freedom-and-democracy-in-perspective-reflected-in-a-series-of-articles/

hochrechnung-21-44

Nach dem mäßigen „Erfolg“ meiner Partei bei der Bundestagswahl_2017 haben sich mir viele Fragen nochmals mit erhöhter Macht aufgedrängt. DIE LINKE hat als Partei (von einzelnen Personen abgesehen) leider auf die bestehenden Krisen (sowohl sozial wie friedenspolitisch) keine machtvollen linken Antworten geliefert. Bei der heutigen Wahl in Niedersachsen scheint sich dies noch einmal dramatisch zu bestätigen. Schaut man sich den Wahlspot der LINKEN Niedersachsen an, erschließt sich einem vielleicht das Debakel im dortigen Bundesland besonders eindringlich:

linke-niedersachsen

http://www.dielinke-nds.de/nc/politik/aktuelles/

Ein „Weihnachtsmann-Umhängebart“ bringt´s wohl nicht! Als Wähler würde ich mich dort fragen: will man mich verarschen?! Es ist nur ein „kleines Detail“, aber wie ich finde, bezeichnend! Ich muss sagen: ein Trauerspiel!

Andreas Schlüter

Officially the notorious CIA Project_MKUltra was halted in 1973. The program for ruthless actions against groups and individuals included „the research and development of chemical, biological, and radiological materials capable of employment in clandestine operations to control human behavior“. Among other things the program dealt with „Substances which will promote illogical thinking and impulsiveness to the point where the recipient would be discredited in public“. Should we believe the program really ended? Do we think power gives up so easily?

What are the basic conflicts? A tiny, very_tiny_minority controls the riches of the world, its class struggle, and Warren_Buffet_claims_victory_for_the_super_rich, but the struggle isn´t over. The social and economic question is at the center. And that class is also waging „classical wars“ as well as covert wars, proxy wars. That means, the peace question stands side by side with the social question. But most of Buffet´s class dislike that openess and do everything to cover that story up. Covert ops are the means and thus we can be sure: MKUltra is alive!

That tiny super class needs the „right personnel“ at the right places. And they need to divert attention from the basic questions. The class conflict has to be covered by some sceemes of „race_war_concepts“ and their war policy has to be covered by the „others who want war“ and who have to be contained or liquidated. And the madness of that „super class“ and their deadly greed has to be covered by stories about individual madness. And the concepts laid down in MKUltra are among others „ideal“ means to those ends. We would be very naive to believe it´s over!

The „wrong“ President

There is no doubt, the US Power Elite, the „Deep_State“ of the US wanted Clinton as their reliable puppet at the political top. But the woman´s reputation was already bad and many people could see the „snake“ behind her weird_laughing. No doubt, the one compeeting with her was and is an egocentric and egomanic person also coming up with terrible remarks, sexist, suprematist nonsence, but with four very rational points: Detente with Russia, no more „Regime Change Wars“ and putting Trade agreements into question together with re-industrialization of the US, as well as „draining the swamp“. That did the trick. He won.

But this wasn´t to the taste of the Deep State. Soon they signalled to the man that he´s playing with his life and his „struggle_for_survival“ begun, with the result that he was put „on_track“, throwing all his anouncements over board. But there´s still a problem. He portraits the real US arrogancy, he is showing the true face of the ruling class though not a member of it. He is egomanic and in the end not fully controlable (be sure: he´ll not be allowed to „press the button“, but can do other „damage“). He has to go and the „calm“ Pence is waiting. But how to get Trump out? The foolish „Russiagate“ Story didn´t hold water. What next? Sure, the presidential helicopter is old and could fall down one day. But anything like that, such an incident or an assassination by a „lone wulf“ would probably lead to civil war like erruptions. What to do?

Weird Trump

trump-grimassing

No doubt, he was always acting and tweeting in a way that made many people shake their heads. But now he seems to be running out of order. He is using words a „President would never use“, he´s in permanent conflict with his close political surrounding, clash after clash. He´s grimassing and jumping into any conflict possible. More and more it appears: the man is ripe for impeachment! Since some time I´ve been asking myself: what does he take? And after a while: what are they giving to him? Uh, did I forget MKUltra? Why not apply those methods (described up) to a President of whom you want to get rid off? Quote again: „Substances which will promote illogical thinking and impulsiveness to the point where the recipient would be discredited in public“! And for such ops you build on what is there, a tendency to egomanic behaviour, and you push that to the top!

And many people including his followership still harbour the illusion of the US President being the „most powerful man on Earth“. The Power Elite might push him to play the „mad man“. But are there more means to push the topic of the mad man?

Las Vegas Shooting

On the 1st of October a terrible attack on visitors of a Country Music Festival in Las Vegas was launched. It started at 10:05 pm and lasted for about 10 minutes. Most reports give the number of 59 deaths (not including the alleged shooter Stephen Craig Paddock) and the number wounded varying from 489 to 527. The rounds have been fired from the Mandalay Bay Hotel´s 32nd floor (some say also from another floor as well). An enormous number of guns and amount of ammunition was found after the police broke into two appartments rented by Paddock. There are reports of two cameras outside the appartments to warn the shooter. More weaponry was found in the luxurious home of the multi millionaire.

But the alleged „shooter“ doesn´t fit into what is usually „expected“ from a weird „lone wulf“ like for example Breivik. He was living with a woman, had continous contact with his brother and showed no signs of fanatism except being a fanatic gambler (though the IS ridiculously claimed the deed). In fact the whole slaughter_in_Las_Vegas appears to have many elements of a false flag operation and the man either being a patsy or even the whole tragedy being an MKUltra operation based on extended psychological manipulation. And quite some hints direct to „helpers“. Surely nothing is sure and Paul_Craig_Roberts treats the case with caution stressing the uncertainty. On „Covert Geopolitics“ Jon Rappoport sees the „official_scenario_crumbling“. After all the tragic events bear many of the symptoms of a false flag like many „terror_attacks“, like classically a „dead perpetrator“. But if so, to which end? Simply the „Strategy_of_tension“ might not be enough of an explanation if it has really been staged.

Trying to connect possible dots

Two stereotypes have been applied for long in the Western media: African Americans portrayed as criminals and, according to Hillary Clinton´s infamous remark, „Super_Predators“, Muslims portrayed as Terrosrists, white Americans mostly being the victims of those dangerous people. Well, at times dump cops letting some old racism out completed the picture. Now the problem for the Power Elite is to get rid of a super rich white guy (Trump). Ok, many people would be glad to see that guy impeached, including those lunatics who think Clinton would be a „good President“, despite her being backed by Neocon_Fascists. But there´s also a large number of angry poor Whites, white suprematists and Militia men (many of them gun addicts). On the later two groups the US Power Elite is counting from time to time, when support for wars is necessary. And those two groups are rather vigilant and could become uncontrolable if it comes to Trumps´s impeachment. How to pacify those ones when it comes to „necessary steps“?

A new character picture has to come into the game: the madgone rich White. It is necessary for that step of impeachment by the Power Elite that Trump´s followership has to get scared by such a picture. They have to understand that such personalities could also become a deadly danger for them. So the wanted lesson for Trumpists could be: look, such rich white madgone men (mmh, like Trump as well) could also become a deadly danger for you white Country music lovers, many of you being Trump followers!

Far fetched? Maybe, but many people who haven´t read the declassified MKUltra papers would take all thoughts about covert ops to be „far fetched“and „outrageous_conspiracy_theories“! And in this presented theory all those „weird“ details make sense. We – the ordinary people – don´t have the means to verify such theories, but, damn, why shouldn´t we be allowed to speculate, if the „serious“ media are spreading idiotic theories about hated foreign countries and governments?!

Andreas Schlüter

Links:

http://www.anonews.co/cia-agent-terror/

http://www.businessinsider.de/timeline-shows-exactly-how-the-las-vegas-massacre-unfolded-2017-10?op=1

https://www.globalresearch.ca/selected-articles-the-las-vegas-shooting/5611843

http://www.businessinsider.de/timeline-shows-exactly-how-the-las-vegas-massacre-unfolded-2017-10?r=US&IR=T

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Las_Vegas_Strip_shooting