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Nervous System


Higher Functions + 2025 Update on Free Will

Higher Functions The frontal lobes are where ideas are created; plans constructed; thoughts joined with their associations to form new memories; and fleeting perceptions held in mind until they are dispatched to long-term memory or to oblivion. This brain region is the home of consciousness, where the products of the brain's subterranean assembly lines emerge for scrutiny. Self-awareness arises here, and emotions are transformed in this place from physical survival systems to subjective feelings. The area of the frontal lobe most closely associated with the generation of consciousness is in the prefrontal cortex. Figure 30a shows four areas, which endow human with fucntions not available in other animal:

Figure 30a Higher Functions

  1. Orbito-frontal cortex - This area inhibits inappropriate action, freeing us from the tyranny of our urges and allowing us to defer immediate reward in favour of long-term advantage.
  2. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex - Things are held "in mind" here, and manipulated to form plans and concepts. This area also seems to choose to do one thing rather than another.
  3. Ventromedial cortex - This is where emotions are experienced and meaning bestowed on our perceptions.
  4. Anterior cingulate cortex - It helps focus attention and "tune in" to own thoughts.
The frontal lobes are connected by numerous neural pathways to almost all the other cortical areas and also to the limbic region. These paths are two-way. Information must flow in to the frontal lobes in order for them to function, but a heavy input from below can inhibit activity on the surface and vice versa. This means that a sudden flood of emotion may occlude thought, while an arduous cognitive task may dampen emotion. The ebb and flow of neural traffic is mediated by the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin and adrenaline, and any disturbance to these chemicals, or damage to the tissue that is sensitive to them, can have catastrophic effects on the way we think, feel and behave.

Consciousness is remarkably difficult to define. It is variably identified to the soul, the mind, and somehow associated with awareness (Figure 30b). The soul belongs to religious domain, which is not possible to investigate scientifically. It was believed that the mind was in the brain and controlled the body, but was something intangible. The development in neuroscience has brought new insights into the subject of consciousness. This new science has adopted the working definition of consciousness as a state of perceptual awareness. Conscious attention allows us to shut out extraneous experiences and focus on the critical event that confronts us. It recognizes two characteristics to the conscious state: unitary and subjectivity. The unitary nature of consciousness refers to the fact that our experiences come to us as a unified whole. All of the various sensory modalities are melded into a single, coherent, conscious experience. This is the "easy problem" that neuroscience can probe into via NCC. The answer was still elusive at the end of Francis Crick's life, when he was
Consciousness struggling in vain trying to understand the role of claustrum in consciousness. Subjectivity poses the more formidable scientific challenge. Each of us experiences a world of private and unique sensations that another person can only appreciate indirectly. If the senses ultimately produce experiences that are completely and personally subjective, then we cannot arrive at a general definition of consciousness because there would be an infinite number of them. This is the "hard problem" of consciousness. According to some researchers, science cannot take on consciousness without a significant change in methodology, a change that would enable scientists to identify and analyze the elements of subjective experience. Others argue that we only need an underlying theory. Just like the Newtonian mechanics, one theory is sufficient to describe the multitude of orbits and trajectories.

Figure 30b Consciousness
[view large image]

See "Integrated Information Theory of Consciousness" for recent development in the study of consciousness.

Free will is a Western believe having its root in an omniscient being, who created man and woman after His image and conferred
Original Sin His subject with the "free will" - the power to make decisions of their own. Unfortunately, His creation made a bad choice of falling into the temptation of a serpent ... (Figure 31a). This tale goes down in history affecting every facet of life in Western society. In particular, the system of criminal justice assumes that each person has a "free will" to act, the bad behavior should be punished accordingly because of his/her bad choice.

Figure 31a The Original Sin [view large image]


Free Will The idea of "free will" has been the subject of endless debates - about its existence, interpretation, ... Now its nature can be tackled by the new biology of mind. According to Freud's discovery of psychic determinism - the fact that much of our cognitive and affective life is unconscious - there is not much left for freedom of action. Experiment on the correlation between electrical activity of the brain and movement (lifting a finger for example), reveals that the electrical activity precedes the movement by 200 milliseconds. It is proposed that the process of initiating a voluntary action occurs in an unconscious part of the brain, but that just before the action is taken, consciousness is recruited to approve or veto the action. In the 200 milliseconds before a finger is lifted, consciousness determines whether it moves or not. Thus, our conscious mind may not have free will, but it can freely modify inappropriate behavior (Figure 31b). This is the reason for the laws in our society to hold all of us accountable for our own action. It is suggested that we should update our idea of free will to mean self-control over our behaviour. In other words, the brain sets criteria, plays events out internally, chooses the best option, then makes thing happen; but it could

Figure 31b Free Will

always have turned out otherwise by picking another option. By this definition of free will, it is neither predetermined nor completely random. It is this mechanism that lets us to act out according to our own volition. See "connectome" for an up-to-date view about the human mind.
"Of one's own volition" is a formal phrase that means to do something willingly or voluntarily, without being told to do it by someone else.

TMS Experiment A curious free will behavior is reported by experiment with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This gadget is used routinely to manipulate involuntary movement by stimulating particular area of the brain with pulse of magnetic induction (Figure 32). In one experiment the decision to use the left/right hand to do something is pre-recorded. Then the pulse is introduced to direct the movement. Although the movement contradicts with the initial decision, many participants felt as if they had made the move according to their own free will. It seems that the conscious mind tends to assume itself in total control even though it is not.

Figure 32 TMS Experiment on Free Will [view large image]

[2025 Update]
via conversation with ChatGPT (in Italic text)

What is Free Will as defined in Western culture?

In the classic theological perspective, especially within Western religious traditions like Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Free will is often seen as a divine gift that allows humans to make moral choices rather than being pre-programmed like automatons.
Free Will in a Theological Context
1. Imago Dei (Image of God) - The idea that humans are created in God's image (Genesis 1:27) suggests they have intellect, moral reasoning, and autonomy, mirroring God's creative and decision-making abilities.
2. Moral Responsibility - If humans did not have free will, moral accountability (reward and punishment, sin and virtue) would be meaningless. Free will allows for the possibility of sin but also virtue.
3. The Problem of Evil - One of the biggest theological debates concerns why an omniscient and omnipotent God would allow suffering and evil. A common answer is that free will makes love, virtue, and true goodness possible, but it also allows for wrongdoing.
4. Predestination vs. Free Will - Some theological traditions (e.g., Calvinism) emphasize God's sovereignty over human choices, while others (e.g., Arminianism, Catholicism) argue that human free will plays a crucial role in salvation.

My understanding of thought and action are determined by whatever wiring (of the neurons) within the brain which learns from the external environment - NOT by "Free Will".

ChatGPT said:
That perspective aligns with a deterministic view of human cognition, where our thoughts and actions result from neural processes shaped by genetics, experiences, and external stimuli. This is supported by neuroscience, which shows that brain activity often precedes conscious decision-making.
From this standpoint, what we call "choices" might just be the brain executing the most statistically probable response based on past experiences and conditioning.

Regardless of the above observation, as of 2023, approximately 74% of Americans reported believing in God.

Anyway, people may not believe in God (as the one in the bible). Most of them do believe in some unseen spirit (or something) guiding their life. The belief is instilled early in life by society.

ChatGPT said:
Yes, many people around the world may not believe in the God of the Bible but still hold spiritual or supernatural beliefs. This can include concepts like fate, destiny, karma, ancestral spirits, or an unseen guiding force.
Social and Cultural Conditioning reinforce such Belief :
1. Early Socialization - Children absorb beliefs from family, education, and cultural norms before they can critically evaluate them.
2. Psychological Comfort - Belief in a guiding force can help people find meaning in life events and cope with uncertainty.
3. Cognitive Biases - Humans naturally look for patterns and agency in events, which can lead to beliefs in supernatural guidance.
4. Collective Reinforcement - Societies often function around shared narratives, reinforcing belief structures even if individuals are not consciously aware of them.

Even in secular societies, ideas of "luck," "the universe having a plan," or "everything happens for a reason" persist.

Religions are trying hard to keep their believers from scientific facts. It is hard to re-interpret absolute biblical text into flexible facts. Power of the priests has declined gradually from the days of the Crusades in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries.

The height of priestly power was during the Crusades (11th-13th centuries), when the Catholic Church wielded immense religious, political, and military influence.

Peak of Priestly Power During the Crusades
1. Papal Authority - The Pope could mobilize entire nations for war, as seen with Pope Urban II's call for the First Crusade in 1095.
2. Control Over Kings - Monarchs often sought the Church's approval, and excommunication could strip rulers of legitimacy.
3. Monopoly on Knowledge - The clergy controlled education, manuscripts, and theological interpretations.
4. Crusades as Divine Warfare - The Church framed the Crusades as holy missions, granting indulgences (forgiveness of sins) to those who participated.
,

Gradual Decline of Church Power
" 14th Century Onward - The Black Death (1347-1351) weakened trust in the Church as prayers failed to stop the plague.
" 15th Century - The Renaissance encouraged humanism and secular knowledge, reducing reliance on religious dogma.
" 16th Century - The Protestant Reformation (1517) fragmented the Church's authority in Europe.
" 17th-18th Centuries - The Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment promoted reason and individualism over religious doctrine.


BTW,
Religion always tries to re-interpret while science remains neutral in its own domain.


ChatGPT said:
That makes sense. Religion, by its nature, evolves to maintain relevance in changing intellectual and cultural landscapes, while science moves forward independently, driven by evidence rather than tradition.
In a way, religion adapts because it has to - otherwise, it risks becoming obsolete in the face of new discoveries. Meanwhile, science remains methodologically agnostic, not affirming or denying religious claims, simply because they lie outside its domain of testable inquiry.
Brief History of Physics

That's the end of "Free Will" for ~ 25% Americans"

[End of 2025 Update]

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