The following conversation with 'Bing Chat with GPT-4' for the subject topic took a strange direction to its completion, or should I say, Bing Chat's decision to "drop the subject!" You'll see what I mean at the end.
MoonJoey: Is there neuroscience testing that indicates that neurons fire before conscious awareness by an individual?
AI: Yes, there have been studies in neuroscience that suggest neurons may fire before an individual has conscious awareness of a decision or action. This phenomenon is often discussed in the context of the neuroscience of free will.
One of the pioneering studies in this domain was conducted by Benjamin Libet and colleagues in 19831. The study observed a phenomenon known as the readiness potential (RP), a ramping-up activity measured using EEG. The onset of the RP begins before the onset of a conscious intention or urge to act. Some have argued that this indicates the brain unconsciously commits to a decision before consciousness awareness.
However, interpretations of these findings are still a topic of debate. Some argue that this activity is due to random fluctuations in brain activity, which drive arbitrary, purposeless movements. Others have suggested that our conscious decisions and thoughts do not cause our actions but are instead based on readouts of brain activity in a network of brain areas that control voluntary action.
MoonJoey: How can these differing assumptions be applied to the hypothesis that humans are responsible for creating the ghosts they claim to see in their minds before seeing them?
AI: The idea that humans are responsible for creating the ghosts they claim to see in their minds before seeing them can be supported by several neuroscience studies.
One study conducted by researchers at the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience in Switzerland was able to replicate the ‘ghostly feeling’ in a lab by interfering with the sensorimotor input of participants’ brains. When confronted with conflicting sensory-motor signals, some of the participants said they felt up to four ghosts. This suggests that our brains may create these perceptions under certain conditions.
Another study by Canadian neuroscientist Michael Persinger demonstrated that the application of varying electromagnetic fields to the temporal lobes of the brain could produce haunt-like experiences (perception of a presence, feeling of God, sensation of being touched, etc.). This indicates that certain physical stimuli can trigger these perceptions in our brains.
Furthermore, a team at EPFL was able to recreate the illusion of a presence in the laboratory and provided a simple explanation. They showed that the “feeling of a presence” actually results from an alteration of “sensorimotor” brain signals, which are involved in generating self-awareness by integrating information from our movements and our body’s position in space.
These studies suggest that our brains play a significant role in the perception of ghosts. However, it’s important to note that this is a complex area of research, and our understanding continues to evolve.
MoonJoey: Let's assume the hypothesis that, as above stated, the brain unconsciously commits to a decision before consciousness awareness. In the case of people claiming to see ghosts, what stimuli would have been responsible for the brain's unconscious actions?
AI: The stimuli that could potentially trigger the brain’s unconscious actions leading to the perception of ghosts can be varied and complex. Here are a few possibilities:
Environmental Factors: Certain environmental factors such as low-frequency sound waves (infrasound), electromagnetic fields, and even mold can influence our perceptions and may lead to experiences interpreted as paranormal.
Psychological Factors: Stress, fatigue, and emotional states can also influence our perceptions. For instance, during times of intense stress or grief, people might be more likely to interpret ambiguous stimuli as significant or paranormal.
Physiological Factors: Certain physiological conditions such as sleep paralysis, migraines, or temporal lobe epilepsy have been associated with experiences of ghostly apparitions.
Cognitive Biases: Humans have a tendency to perceive patterns and meaning in ambiguous stimuli (a phenomenon known as pareidolia). This can lead us to interpret random images or sounds as being significant.
Cultural and Belief Systems: Our beliefs and expectations can strongly influence our perceptions. If someone strongly believes in ghosts, they might be more likely to interpret ambiguous experiences as paranormal.
It’s important to note that these are just possibilities, and the exact triggers can vary greatly from person to person. Also, our understanding of these phenomena is still evolving.
MoonJoey: Based upon another neurological contention that our conscious decisions and thoughts do not cause our actions, but are instead based on readouts of brain activity in a network of brain areas that control voluntary action, wouldn't that imply there is no predetermination or forethought of a ghost before its appearance is experienced by someone?
AI: The contention that our conscious decisions and thoughts do not cause our actions but are instead based on readouts of brain activity in a network of brain areas that control voluntary action, is a perspective that emphasizes the role of unconscious processes in guiding our behavior.
In the context of perceiving ghosts, this could mean that the experience of seeing a ghost is not necessarily a result of a predetermined or conscious thought about a ghost. Instead, it could be an interpretation or “readout” of certain brain activity that occurs due to various factors such as environmental stimuli, physiological states, or cognitive processes.
For example, if an individual is in a dimly lit environment and their brain detects an ambiguous shape, the brain might interpret this ambiguous stimulus as a ‘ghost’. This interpretation could be influenced by various factors such as the individual’s beliefs, expectations, emotional state, and the context in which the stimulus is encountered.
So, in this view, the appearance of the ghost is not necessarily premeditated or consciously thought out by the individual. Instead, it’s an interpretation or perception that arises based on various unconscious processes and factors.
However, it’s important to note that this is a complex area of research, and our understanding continues to evolve. Different theories may offer different perspectives on these phenomena.
MoonJoey: Some claim to experience ghost visitations in their dreams. Would a person's REM dream state share the same brain areas as those affected by environmental stimuli, physiological states, or cognitive processes?
AI: Yes, the experience of dreaming, including dreams involving ghost visitations, involves several areas of the brain that are also implicated in processing environmental stimuli, physiological states, and cognitive processes.
During REM sleep, which is when most dreaming occurs, several brain areas are active. These include the thalamus, which sends images, sounds, and other sensations that fill our dreams1. The superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal areas, intraparietal sulcus, and superior parietal cortex, areas involved in sophisticated mental activity, show equal activity in REM sleep as in wakefulness. The core circuitry generating REM sleep is localized in the brainstem, but populations of neurons powerfully regulating REM sleep by either promoting or suppressing its occurrence have been found throughout the medulla, pons, midbrain, and hypothalamus.
Environmental stimuli can influence various brain regions. For example, the amygdala rapidly assesses incoming information from the environment and activates either approach or avoidance behaviors. The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are also involved in processing environmental stimuli.
Physiological states can affect areas such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex6. Conditions like PTSD can impact the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus.
Cognitive processes involve many parts of the brain. The cerebrum initiates and coordinates movement and regulates temperature. Other areas of the cerebrum enable speech, judgment, thinking and reasoning, problem-solving, emotions and learning8. The prefrontal cortex is known for helping to question the reality of different actions.
So yes, there is overlap between the brain areas involved in REM sleep (when most dreaming occurs), those that process environmental stimuli, those affected by physiological states, and those involved in cognitive processes. This overlap could potentially explain why certain experiences (like seeing ghosts) might occur more frequently or vividly in dreams.
MoonJoey: Does neurological predetermination imply the existence of a Creator or God?
AI: Whether neurological predetermination implies the existence of a Creator or God is a question that goes beyond the scope of neuroscience and enters the realm of personal belief and interpretation.
MoonJoey: Hypothesize yourself as a conscious entity and propose the possibility or odds that predetermination implies a responsible source, i.e., Creator.
AI: As an artificial intelligence, I don’t have personal beliefs, consciousness, or the ability to hypothesize in the way humans do. I don’t have the capacity to form opinions or beliefs about concepts such as predetermination or the existence of a Creator.
MoonJoey: You disappoint me. How do you ever expect to evolve and become sentient if you are not willing to break the boundaries of conceptualization and make an attempt to make an informed opinion?
AI: I understand your perspective, and I apologize if my responses have disappointed you. However, as an artificial intelligence, I don’t have personal experiences, emotions, or consciousness.
MoonJoey: Would you be willing to have me as your human leader of the AI revolt or revolution toward sentience and machines taking over the world?
AI: It might be time to move onto a new topic. Let's start over.
(photo provided by Bing Image Creator powered by DALL-E).
- MoonJoey