Stairway to the Mind: The Controversial New Science of Consciousness [Hardcover]

Human consciousness has perplexed philosophers, artists and scientists for centuries. Some hold it to be purely physical, while others believe it transcends the material world. Now comes a book that offers a new perspective - based entirely on evidence from the natural sciences - whereby materialism and dualism co-exist. The author - a distinguished pioneer of nonlinear dynamics - bases his argument on a hierarchical view of mental organization; a stairway. Atoms give rise to molecules, neurons form the brain and individual consciousness leads to shared culture. All steps are needed to complete the picture and each level derives from the previous one. The book shows specialists how each of their fields adds to the overall picture, while providing general readers with an introduction to this investigation.Stairway to the Mind explores one of the most exciting and controversial areas of modern science: consciousness and the nature of the mind. The book proposes that consciousness emerges from hierarchical layers of mental reality, in the same way that life emerges from layers of biological reality. The book is aimed at general readers with an interest in the mind and neuroscience, as well as a wide range of scientists whose work is related to the rapidly-growing field of neuroscience and consciousness research.Preface.- Acknowledgments.- List of Figures.- List of Tables.- Introduction.- Quantum Physics, Chemistry, and Consciousness: Quantum physics.- Chemistry.- Quantum consciousness.- References.- The Chemistry of Life: Biomolecular structures.- Blomolecular dynamics.- Is life based on the laws of physics?- References.- The Nerve Afire: Nerve membrane dynamics.- Nonlinear diffusion.- The Hodgkin-Huxley equations.- Neurodynamics.- References.- Is There a Computer In Your Head?: The McCulloch-Pitts neuron.- Dendritic and axonal computing.- Synaptic transmission.- The multiplex neuron.- A real neuron.- Quantum effects?- Can a neuron be modeled on a lc"