Skip to main content

From Brain Dynamics to the Mind

Spatiotemporal Neuroscience

  • 1st Edition - March 28, 2024
  • Latest edition
  • Author: Georg Northoff
  • Language: English

From Brain Dynamics to the Mind: Spatiotemporal Neuroscience explores how the self and consciousness is related to neural events. Sections in the book cover existing models us… Read more

World Book Day celebration

Where learning shapes lives

Up to 25% off trusted resources that support research, study, and discovery.

Description

From Brain Dynamics to the Mind: Spatiotemporal Neuroscience explores how the self and consciousness is related to neural events. Sections in the book cover existing models used to describe the mind/brain problem, recent research on brain mechanisms and processes and what they tell us about the self, consciousness and psychiatric disorders. The book presents a spatiotemporal approach to understanding the brain and the implications for artificial intelligence, novel therapies for psychiatric disorders, and for ethical, societal and philosophical issues.

Pulling concepts from neuroscience, psychology and philosophy, the book presents a modern and complete look at what we know, what we can surmise, and what we may never know about the distinction between brain and mind.

Key features

  • Reviews models of understanding the mind/brain problem
  • Identifies neural processes involved in consciousness, sense of self and brain function
  • Includes concepts and research from neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science and philosophy
  • Discusses implications for AI, novel therapies for psychiatric disorders and issues of ethics
  • Suggests experimental designs and data analyses for future research on the mind/brain issue

Readership

Graduate and postgraduate students, neuroscientists, neurologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, biologists

Table of contents

PART I Brain dynamics
Section 1 Variability of the brain

1. The fluctuating brain-essentials of neural variability

2. Neural variability in rest and task states

3. Neural variability shapes perception and cognition

4. Neurodynamic mechanisms of neural variability

Section 2 Scale-freeness of the brain

5. From broccoli to the brain - Scale-free activity

6. From scale-free activity to temporo-spatial nestedness

7. Scale-free dynamic shapes perception and cognition

8. Scale-free activity – bridge between environment and brain

Section 3 Timescales of the brain

9. The brain’s inner time – intrinsic neural timescales

10. Intrinsic neural timescales mediate input processing

11. From Chronos and Kairos to the brain’s temporal receptive windows

12. Lessons from geology – from the human brain to artificial agents

Section 4 Synchrony of the brain

13. Synchrony in nature and brain

14. Entrainment – How the brain synchronizes with its environment

15. Global synchronization in the brain

16. Neural synchronization in fMRI and EEG/MEG - a methodological guide

Part II Dynamic layer model of brain

Section 1 Dynamic layers and the brain

17. Layers of the brain - An introduction

18. Background and foreground layers I: Scale-free stability versus oscillatory flexibility

19. Background and foreground layers II - nonlinear and asymmetric relationship

Section 2 From dynamic layers to cognition

20. Baseline model of cognition I: Distinction from dual model of cognition

21. Baseline model of cognition II: Spatiotemporal shaping of cognition and input processing

22. Dynamic capacities and cognition

Section 3 Dynamic layer model of brain vs other models of brain

23. Cognitive model and predictive coding

24. Intrinsic and inside-out models of brain

25. Brain and world - converging free energy principle and dynamic layer theory of brain

Part III Mind dynamics

Section 1 The self

26. The self and its intrinsic topography

27. The dynamic of self and its semantics

28. The self - psychological baseline or default

29. From icebergs to the self – point of view

Section 2 Meditation

30. Topographic reorganization model of meditation

31. Topographic reorganization of the self

32. Dynamic reorganization of the brain

Section 3 Dreams

33. From Salvador Dali to dreams - topographic reorganization model of dreams

34. From falling keys to dreams - Dynamic reorganization

Section 4 Thoughts

35. How dynamics shape our thoughts

36. Baseline model of thought

Section 5 Consciousness

37. The jungle of consciousness – current neuroscientific theories

38. Order in the jungle of consciousness – convergence of theories

39. Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness I – form and level/state

40. Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC) II: Contents

41. From brain to consciousness - “common currency hypothesis”

Section 6 Autism

42. Dynamic shapes perception and behavior in autism

43. Hierarchical model of autistic self

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: March 28, 2024
  • Language: English

About the author

GN

Georg Northoff

Dr. Northoff is a neuroscientist and psychiatrist at the University of Ottawa. He has global outreach with world-wide collaborations and affiliations. The main focus of his research is on unravelling the connection of brain and mind, that is, how neuronal activity transforms into mental activity. He is world-wide known for his work on the neuroscience of self and consciousness, psychiatric disorders, and neurophilosophy. Additionally, he published several major books on major neuroscientific, psychiatric and neurophilosophical issues which have been translated into several languages.
Affiliations and expertise
Neuroscientist and Psychiatrist, University of Ottawa, Canada

View book on ScienceDirect

Read From Brain Dynamics to the Mind on ScienceDirect