Scientists discover the on-off switch for human consciousness deep within the brain

[Bosonic]

Scientists discover the on-off switch for human consciousness deep within the brain

Researchers at George Washington University are reporting that they’ve discovered the human consciousness on-off switch, deep within the brain. When this region of the brain, called the claustrum, is electrically stimulated, consciousness — self-awareness, sentience, whatever you want to call it — appears to turn off completely. When the stimulation is removed, consciousness returns. The claustrum seems to bind together all of our senses, perceptions, and computations into single, cohesive experience. This could have massive repercussions for people currently in a minimally conscious state (i.e. a coma), and for deciding once and for all which organisms are actually conscious. Are monkeys conscious? Cats and dogs? A fetus?

When it comes to human consciousness, much like the rest of our brain’s operation, there isn’t a whole lot in the way of actual scientific knowledge. Despite a century of “modern” neuroscience, we still only have a rough sketch of how the human brain works. Most theories, though, generally agree that consciousness is probably created by a part of the brain that integrates activity from different regions of the brain into a single, holistic experience. To put it in (very loose) computing terms, this seat of human consciousness would be somewhat like a CPU; without it, you’d just have a bunch of different parts that are theoretically functional, but not really capable of getting anything useful done.

The research, led by Mohamad Koubeissi at GWU in Washington DC, was originally tasked with analyzing a woman with epilepsy. The neuroscientists were stimulating regions of the brain with electrodes in an attempt to discover where her seizures originated from. Then, when they stimulated the claustrum — a thin region of the brain underneath the neocortex — the patient slowly lost consciousness. When the stimulation was removed, consciousness returned. When the claustrum was stimulated, the woman just stopped whatever she was doing (speaking, reading, moving) and stared blankly into space; when stimulation was removed, she continued as normal with no recollection of what had just happened. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.05.027 - "Electrical stimulation of a small brain area reversibly disrupts consciousness"]

Speaking to New Scientist, Koubeissi said: “I would liken it to a car. A car on the road has many parts … but there’s only one spot where you turn the key and it all switches on and works together. So while consciousness is a complicated process created via many structures and networks – we may have found the key.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/185865-scientists-discover-the-on-off-switch-for-human-consciousness-deep-within-the-brain

[BillZBubb]

1. That's a big discovery if it holds up.

Now, what stimulates that region to make us lose consciousness naturally? Is it stimulated when we sleep? Or in people in comas? Or people under anesthetics?

The downside is that every country is now going to try to find out how they can weaponize this effect.

[AngryDem001]

14. Gotta find new ways to kill and maim!!

The human race is SO overrated.

[xfundy]

2. I believe I saw her consciousness, perhaps sentience, switch off

when my mother was dying of ALZ.

[Hoppy]

3. The first test needs to be on Republicans.

[niyad]

4. my first thought, because, clearly, that switch was turned a long time ago!

[PatrickforO]

9. Perhaps these Republicans have consumed too much Limbaugh - it IS smelly!

[mikekohr]

5. They are concious, they lack a soul and any sense of shame. nt

[AverageJoe90]

6. Seems interesting, but I'd like to wait for further info before making any conclusions.

Regardless, thanks for posting.

[pscot]

7. Television advertisers got there 40 years ago

[Helen Borg]

8. Not a new idea. However...

It's a single case, plus her brain is not normal. Should be followed up.

[littlemissmartypants]

13. Replication. I'm going to wait for the movie version.

[Phlem]

10. And this new information will

be handled in a humanitarian way, and never misused.

[littlemissmartypants]

12. Phlem, you are hilarious. nt

[littlemissmartypants]

11. Feet Us!

Oh Gawd!

[valerief]

15. So Santa Claustrum controls our minds! Way cool stuff. nt

[tblue37]

16. And knows when you've been bad or good! nt

[valerief]

17. No, that's the NSA.

[Warren DeMontague]

18. It's called "FOX News"

[bananas]

19. Actually, that's the unconsciousness switch - they stimulate it to turn off consciousness

When the claustrum was stimulated, the woman just stopped whatever she was doing (speaking, reading, moving) and stared blankly into space; when stimulation was removed, she continued as normal with no recollection of what had just happened.

They compare it to an ignition switch, but it's exactly the opposite of an ignition switch.
It's more like the emergency brake on a train.

[qazplm]

20. which means

something ELSE has to throw the switch then turn off the switch, and would also almost suggest that the default position is "consciousness on"

[packman]

21. I can answer the question about cat consciousness

No- they are barely aware of any reality other than their food bowl.

This would seem to have great implications for pain relief or as a substitute for anesthesia.