The Next Step
After our original equation for Mental Relativity, which was not unlike a mental equivalent of E=MC2, we realized that four variables were needed to fully describe the relationships we werre seeking to understand. Hence, I penned this next article on August 1st, 1993 to document where our work had taken us at that moment.
Mental Relativity
t/k=a*d
A simple equation that describes the interrelationship between Thought, Knowledge, Ability, and Desire. Taken as a whole, the equation describes Mind, which is awareness.
The Left Side of the Equation:
Thought and Knowledge
Assume a brain with no thought and no knowledge. An observation stimulates certain neurons. Each stimulated neuron is raised to the next level of energy, building up a charge and making it more unstable. But the neuron will not fire as it still has more potential to absorb.
A second observation, identical to the first, stimulates the same neurons. They are all raised to the next level of energy, building up a greater charge and becoming even more unstable or closer to firing.
Observations continue until the stimulated neurons have reached their maximum capacity to absorb energy. At this point, each neuron is at its highest energy level and its greatest instability.
Another identical observation stimulates the same neurons. Since they can hold no more energy, each neuron fires, shedding itself of the excess energy and stimulating the other neurons it is connected to. Each of these new neurons now absorbs the energy of this second-generation stimulation raising to the next energy level, and the process continues.
But all observations are not identical. Some neurons will be stimulated by every observation, some never; most will be stimulated to varying degrees as observation continues.
Return to the empty brain. As different dissimilar observations stimulate the immediate neurons, some will eventually reach firing point before others. At this time, even a homogeous observation will cause only those most unstable neurons to fire. The others will continue to absorb the energy.
When the fully charged neurons fire, the only second generation neurons stimulated will be those directly connected to the firing neurons. Effectively, the homogeneous observation has now been altered and a different pattern emerges at the second generation.
This pattern is representitive of the accumulated energy levels of repeated stimulation by different observations. Effectively, this pattern is learned knowledge, and the first generation of neurons has acted to filter an observation based on accumulated Knowledge.
The pattern and the process of filtering can be described in several different ways. The rising energy levels of a neuron might be seen in electrical terminology as decreasing the resistance of that neuron to the flow of current. This casts neurons in the role of transisters with a very important difference: unlike transisters, each neuron requires MANY stimulations to "open the gate". This gives added weight to repeated stimulation and much more significance to the ultimate firing.
Another perspecitve is to see Knowledge as a "weighted pattern" not reflecting any specific observation, but the accumulated weight of many observations. It is significant that this "weighting" is not an "average" as once a single neuron has reached its maximum level it will fire regardless if all the other neurons in the pattern are at their highest or lowest levels.
Refining the model: As progressive generations of neurons become stimulated, paths or channels are created along those connections from generation to generation. A single observation might have portions the are absorbed at the first generation, others that continue far through the brain, and others that continue all the way to the final generation of neurons.
So Knowledge may be seen not merely as a simple cross-sectional filter, but as a three dimensional pattern of channels leading into the brain to various depths. A single observation might "lodge" at any number of levels resembling icicles of a variety of lengths hanging from a roof.
This matrix shows the pattern of repeated stimulation in its cross-section and the degree of repetition in its depth.
"Depth" is not a truly accurate
(NOTE - this is as far as I got on this article before we were on to developing the next theory concept.)
Melanie Anne Phillips
Mental Relativity
t/k=a*d
A simple equation that describes the interrelationship between Thought, Knowledge, Ability, and Desire. Taken as a whole, the equation describes Mind, which is awareness.
The Left Side of the Equation:
Thought and Knowledge
Assume a brain with no thought and no knowledge. An observation stimulates certain neurons. Each stimulated neuron is raised to the next level of energy, building up a charge and making it more unstable. But the neuron will not fire as it still has more potential to absorb.
A second observation, identical to the first, stimulates the same neurons. They are all raised to the next level of energy, building up a greater charge and becoming even more unstable or closer to firing.
Observations continue until the stimulated neurons have reached their maximum capacity to absorb energy. At this point, each neuron is at its highest energy level and its greatest instability.
Another identical observation stimulates the same neurons. Since they can hold no more energy, each neuron fires, shedding itself of the excess energy and stimulating the other neurons it is connected to. Each of these new neurons now absorbs the energy of this second-generation stimulation raising to the next energy level, and the process continues.
But all observations are not identical. Some neurons will be stimulated by every observation, some never; most will be stimulated to varying degrees as observation continues.
Return to the empty brain. As different dissimilar observations stimulate the immediate neurons, some will eventually reach firing point before others. At this time, even a homogeous observation will cause only those most unstable neurons to fire. The others will continue to absorb the energy.
When the fully charged neurons fire, the only second generation neurons stimulated will be those directly connected to the firing neurons. Effectively, the homogeneous observation has now been altered and a different pattern emerges at the second generation.
This pattern is representitive of the accumulated energy levels of repeated stimulation by different observations. Effectively, this pattern is learned knowledge, and the first generation of neurons has acted to filter an observation based on accumulated Knowledge.
The pattern and the process of filtering can be described in several different ways. The rising energy levels of a neuron might be seen in electrical terminology as decreasing the resistance of that neuron to the flow of current. This casts neurons in the role of transisters with a very important difference: unlike transisters, each neuron requires MANY stimulations to "open the gate". This gives added weight to repeated stimulation and much more significance to the ultimate firing.
Another perspecitve is to see Knowledge as a "weighted pattern" not reflecting any specific observation, but the accumulated weight of many observations. It is significant that this "weighting" is not an "average" as once a single neuron has reached its maximum level it will fire regardless if all the other neurons in the pattern are at their highest or lowest levels.
Refining the model: As progressive generations of neurons become stimulated, paths or channels are created along those connections from generation to generation. A single observation might have portions the are absorbed at the first generation, others that continue far through the brain, and others that continue all the way to the final generation of neurons.
So Knowledge may be seen not merely as a simple cross-sectional filter, but as a three dimensional pattern of channels leading into the brain to various depths. A single observation might "lodge" at any number of levels resembling icicles of a variety of lengths hanging from a roof.
This matrix shows the pattern of repeated stimulation in its cross-section and the degree of repetition in its depth.
"Depth" is not a truly accurate
(NOTE - this is as far as I got on this article before we were on to developing the next theory concept.)
Melanie Anne Phillips
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