Shelli Renée Joye - The Electromagnetic Brain

Dedicated to John Lilly, with whom I studied in my formative years; and to all my research teachers and mentors, including Dean Radin, Brian Swimme, Allan Combs, and the written works of David Bohm, and Karl Pribram

The brains electromagnetic field is the physical substrate of consciousness.

JOHNJOE MCFADDEN

THE ELECTROMAGNETIC
BRAIN

Shelli Joyes book raises one of the fundamental problems of philosophywhat is the display that appears to us when we look at ourselves and the world? Something does, and we call it mind or consciousness. This book claims that it is the electromagnetic field. Her book merits being read, pondered, and explored in reference to the ever-increasing storehouse of knowledge about the physical world in general and the electromagnetic field in particular.

ERVIN LASZLO,AUTHOR OF THE IMMORTAL MIND

The Electromagnetic Brain is a bold, brave effort to pull together and present important alternative views to what has become the dominant paradigm in the fields of neuroscience and brain sciencea paradigm that arbitrarily assumes that consciousness and the mind arise from physical, neuronal activity in the brain and that they are limited to these processes. The nature of consciousness or subjective awareness is a challenge to science and to much of what we take for granted in our ordinary lives. Joyes work is thorough, extensive, well written, and fascinating. It will ultimately challenge its readers to examine who we truly are, and this is why it is so important.

MENAS C. KAFATOS, PH.D.,COAUTHOR OF THE CONSCIOUS UNIVERSE AND YOU ARE THE UNIVERSE

Joye dives into the epic, unsolved scientific questionnot simply of the nature of the observed, but rather observation itself. The unfolding story of enfolded field theories of consciousness is delivered with Joyes unique genius and heart. These consciousness insights are presented with a minimum of specialist jargon; thus the book connects subtle concepts to a wide audience.

CHRISTOPHER PAPILE, PH.D., FOUNDER OF BRANECELL

In clear, cogent prose Joye has written the first book to survey electromagnetic theories of consciousness. Long neglected by the academic establishment in favor of more material models, electromagnetic perspectives stand poised to make substantial contributions to our scientific understanding of consciousness. Joyes knowledge and writing style render complex topics readable and accessible for a general audience, thus facilitating the cross-disciplinary dialog necessary to approach the complex phenomena of consciousness.

KERRI WELCH, PH.D.,AUTHOR OF A FRACTAL TOPOLOGY OF TIME

Beautifully written and comprehensive in scope. Pribram and Bohm are the two major figures here, and you will not find a better description of their work anywhere. It is clear that current approaches to the brain and consciousness are several orders of magnitude too simple, and this book is perhaps the best way to begin to rectify that.

SEN NUALLIN, M.SC., PH.D., AUTHOR OF THE SEARCH FOR MIND

... Shelli Joyes most complete and informative work to date. This is a fascinating book! Shelli has a way of making the technical and controversial easily digestibleand enjoyable. The material collected here will be a great aid for anyone interested in the nature of consciousnessscientist and layperson alike. Highly recommended!

MICHAEL PRYZDIA, PH.D.,SENIOR LECTURER AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

The Electromagnetic Brain bridges the world of consciousness research with physics, electrical engineering, and stories about those exploring human consciousness. These approaches to an understanding of electromagnetic fields of consciousness are presented with fascinating biographies, references, and numerous diagrams to reveal new frontiers of research.

LAUREN PALMATEER, PH.D.,ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

In The Electromagnetic Brain, Joye takes the daring position that consciousness is not only generated in the brain but also partly received by the brain, being embedded in a physical information field as earlier proposed in the holographic approaches of David Bohm and Karl Pribram. These pioneering ideas are now reborn in the era of quantum biology, with its groundbreaking concepts in modern biophysics. An excellent presentation that mirrors the ongoing quest for understanding our participatory role in bringing the cosmos we live in to self-understanding, emphasizing our own responsibility for the survival of our precious planet.

DIRK K. F. MEIJER, M.D., M.SC., PH.D., PROFESSOR EMERITUS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN

At this time when the limitations of a purely materialist approach to comprehending consciousness are increasingly evident, The Electromagnetic Brain reads like a breath of fresh air. Joye describes top cutting-edge theories delving into how consciousness might best be viewed in terms of energetic fields. While many of these theories do not yet include complete physical mechanisms by which interaction between fields of consciousness and human brains occur, Joyes new book constructs a foundation upon which future consciousness research in this most promising direction can emerge.

CYNTHIA SUE LARSON, PH.D., AUTHOR OF QUANTUM JUMPS AND REALITY SHIFTS

FOREWORD

Groundbreaking Theories of Consciousness

Dean Radin, Ph.D.

The Electromagnetic Brain: EM Field Theories on the Nature of Consciousness is an important book because it reminds us that when faced with a stubbornly persistent mystery, like the nature of consciousnessby which I mean subjective (personal) awarenesswe are obligated to consider a very broad range of explanatory theories.

The prevailing theory of consciousness in the second decade of the twenty-first century is that consciousness is a side effect of neuronal activity in the brain. That is, essentially, an electrochemical theory of consciousness. An extreme interpretation of this theory is that consciousness is a meaningless epiphenomenon, or as philosopher Daniel Dennett puts it, we are zombies. That is, no one is conscious. Theres just an appearance of something going on inside our skulls, but its just an illusion. Based on this theory, we (and presumably, Dennett) are mindless machines made of meat.

Less extreme models suggest that consciousness is a real phenomenon, but it is thought to emerge somehow out of brain architecture. Other models suggest that the brain is a quantum computer, and that quantum concepts are somehow compatible with consciousness, or that its all about the manipulation of information. In fact, there are no widely accepted models that persuasively explain how three pounds of warm, wet tissue gives rise to subjective awareness.

When it comes to cognitive activitymeaning brain-centric information processingthat is another matter. Our understanding of the neural correlates of cognition have matured to the point where the brain-computer interface is quickly evolving into the fledgling technology of synthetic telepathy. Those successes have led some neuroscientists to expect that we are also on the cusp of figuring out how consciousness works.