The Fractal Brain Theory

I finally finished reading The Fractal Brain Theory by Wai Tsang, after a long slog of 2+ years. It might be the longest it's ever taken for me to read a book.

I was slowed down by the birth of my son, & having very little time to myself over the past couple years. The book is also fairly science-heavy, with a lot to conceptually chew on, so I would only read a section at a time.

The central premise of the book is that the structural organization of the brain, and therefore the mind, is "fractal"- recursive or self-similar at various scales.

To me, this is an obvious assumption, since the whole of Reality is fractal in nature. However, this is not a widely recognized characteristic of our brain. The makeup of brain & its functioning expresses similar patterns & qualities as we observe the various scales from the molecular > neural > cortical columns > overall brain.

The ultimate goal of Wai Tsang's investigations is to be able to understand how the mind works so we can create a functional A.I., a truly thinking machine. The way to do this is through a holistic understanding of all the brain's processes, which give rise to the emergent phenomenon we call "consciousness".

Of course, the answer to "How does the brain work?" is the same as the answer to "How does the Earth work?" There is no simply way to sum up all the complex cellular, chemical, & energetic functions that are taking place within the brain at any one time. It is an intricate interplay of systems and components that cannot be teased apart as easily as traditional science would have us believe - with specific areas for language, vision, memory, emotion, etc. The workings of the brain are much more intertwined and distributed than could be described by any one theory. However, Wai Tsang in this book attempts to offer a key to unlock a more integrated picture of the human brain that could help understand it more thoroughly.

Although some of the more technical aspects of the book were a bit over my head, which focused on the mathematical & programming correlations to understanding the brain's functioning, I found the ideas presented intriguing. I think the fractal approach can be applied to many different areas of inquiry. Again, since the Universe exhibits fractal qualities, the aspects of it which we are trying to understand would also exhibit these qualities, true to fractal form. Especially the brain, which is a biological instrument used to perceive the fractal Universe, would then be expected to be organized in a fractal hierarchy.

The stated goal of the book, to discover a path to developing advanced A.I., is a controversial one. There are so many areas where artificial intelligence working on a level beyond the singular or collective capabilities of the human mind would be an unimaginable benefit. However, as a fan of sci-fi such as The Matrix, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Mass Effect, I'm also very wary if the dangers that advanced thinking machines could pose. The outcome of A.I. development will depend on humankind making the right choices in the process. Therefore, we are probably completely fucked.

So, I would recommend this if you are interested in the scientific study of the brain & consciousness, and are also interested in the elegant field of fractal geometry. It's not the easiest book to read at times, but it is thought-provoking and gets the fractal cascades of mental energy flowing through the cerebral cortex.

Reality & The Brain: Interconnected Fractal Systems

I've posted alot about the fractal characteristics of the brain & The Universe which it perceives.

The Monkey Buddha Archives

Fractal Brain

Even though I'm way too squeamish about certain things to be a doctor, the body as a living system is a source of amazement for me. When you look closely at the components & functions of our bodies, on an abstract level they are fascinating.

On Reddit I saw this mesmerizing closeup photo of a living human brain, with recursive levels of blood vessels covering the surface:

 click image to see all the amazing detail

 

This seemingly random & chaotic array of organic connections is also found on the cellular scale. The brain's neurons are continually growing a biochemical network that somehow produces the phenomenon we call "consciousness":

 

Scientist finally have the technology to begin mapping the vast number of connections that make up the brain. It's obvious why the neural network couldn't be modeled before the existence of computer processing like we have today:

The external world also seems to exhibit this pattern of fractal self-similarity & connectivity, even on cosmic scales.  The Millenium Simulation modeled the connectivity of theoretical dark matter between galaxies. One the resulting visualizations is this connective network of galactic clusters:

This fractal pattern of interconnected nodes is now manifesting in mankind's most transformative invention, The Internet. The Opte Project has mapped out the Universal Mind that's being formed by the myriad connections of the World Wide Web:

We truly inhabit The Web of Maya- a light show of the mind's individual experience, created by the interplay of brain cells & the enmeshed energies that affect them.

Reality is One- 

interconnected & exhibiting self-similarity at all scales...

2012 and Fractal Brain Theory

I came across this excellent 2 hour lecture by Wai H. Tsang that thoroughly examines the structure and functioning of the brain & how it relates to consciousness.

2012 and Fractal Brain Theory by Wai H. Tsang

Although there's alot of neurobiology & medical information in the talk, there's also some really great insights into more subtle aspects of human nature.

He wraps up his detailed talk with some wonderfully profound connections around 1hr 03min into the talk. I'd recommend at least watching the final 1/2 hr. segment.

One realization he points out is the seemingly fractal quality of the realities experienced in our minds.

On my iPhone right now, I'm reading the e-book of Robert Anton Wilson's "Prometheus Rising". The book describes the theoretical "Circuits of Consciousness" model describing the neurological & epistemological basis of one's mind.

One thing R.A.W. stresses is the idea that attentive self-examination of one's own mental states leads to the ability to 'meta-program' oneself.
This refers to the ability to break out of unconscious mental & behavior patterns, through a feedback loop of self-awareness.

By understanding how our own brains create the various phenomena we call "consciousness," we're more likely to develop a more informed, complex view of ourselves & the reality we experience.

Neuralink Unveiling

 

Recently, tech entrepreneur, visionary, & hype-man Elon Musk publicly introduced the Neuralink technology - a brain-computer interface that will allow the mind to directly connect to machines.

Right now, the most promising aspect is the potential to help control artificial limbs or give paralyzed individuals a way to access electronic devices. However, Musk envisions direct mind-to-mind communication, or be jacked-in to a digital space in which the possibilities for cognitive enhancement are truly limitless.

 The smartphone & portable digital devices have revolutionized our personal and social experiences, just as the development of computers did before them. This is clearly the next step in human technological evolution, whether everyone is ready for it or not. 

As with any new tool or system, there are unforeseen positive and negative consequences that will arise as a result. In many ways it will advance human consciousness beyond anything we can imagine. We currently have the entire catalog of human knowledge at our fingertips, but perhaps we will be able to access it on multiple streams at the speed of thought. On the flip side, this kind of human augmentation will likely segment society in even more extreme ways than social media and other digital tech is doing today.

This article from Wired presented some good insight into what Neuralink offers now, what is possible in the future, and what difficult issues researchers face in advancing the technology.

WIRED:

Neuralink Is Impressive Tech, Wrapped in Musk Hype

The largest hurdle in fully realizing the potential of this technology is our limited understanding of the brain/mind itself. I am currently reading "The Fractal Brain Theory" by Wai Tsang and it is a technically immersive look into the complexities of the brain's architecture at various scales, and how they intermesh together.

I think the progression of this technology to completely integrated neural circuitry is inevitable. Although it has not fulfilled my vision of an "Apple iThink" implant that I presented over 10 years ago, the road is clearly being paved in that direction.

Everything You Need to Know About the Brain

(click to enlarge)

 

These simple, easy-to-follow charts are fun, comprehensive visual guides to the complex physical, biological structure of the brain, as well as the resulting emergent phenomena that we internally experience as sensory input and mental activity.

The functioning & processes of the brain are utterly fascinating to my brain.

I saw these infographics on r/197, but upon downloading the hi-res images & looking closely among the dense layers of information (conveyed through increasingly smaller text sizes), I was able to find the source:

http://thehighestofthemountains.com/

So, the website is very passionate about the details & facts of science, but scientific understanding is used as a means to prove the divine engineering of God, whatever that is. 

I personally feel that deeply understanding scientific ideas and discoveries should absolutely lead to a revelatory insight into the mystical nature of this endlessly intricate reality. However, I feel like biblical justifications and personifications of the deity "God the Architect/Engineer" miss the fundamental nature of existence completely. 

It's interesting that levels of genius that can create such insanely detailed displays of scientific & technical information can still look at a spiritual work such as the Bible as something that scientific endeavors exist to somehow qualify. To be fair, I have read through the site and think there's a lot of valid moral & spiritual wisdom to go along with the scientific details. I just think that the personification of God in any aspect doesn't jive with the reality of the situation- which is that Source, The-All-In-One, The Universe, Infinite Energies of Creation, Quantum Field, God, Unity just IS- there is NO motivation, purpose, nor plan behind the Universe in any sense as we humans know it... and that is the breathtaking truth that can be truly terrifying to most people. 

 There is clearly a wholly incomprehensible hierarchical pattern of fractal & holographic organization that underlies our world. My issue is with giving this Infinity attributes of our human psyche.

 "Nature is not human-hearted."
-Lao-Tzu

Speaking of incomprehensible, the first chart was just a warm-up... here is the second graphic showing the mind-bogglingly numerous pathways and processes in the brain. My brain apologizes to your brain in advance, for exposing it to this visual labyrinth of information about itself:

(click to enlarge)
 

The Universal Mind

Question: Can you tell what the difference is between these two pictures?










• The picture to the left shows the cosmic structure of galactic clusters.
• The picture on the right shows the neural network of the human brain!

The universe is fractal, holographic, and completely incomprehensible!!!

I found the image of galaxy distribution on the webpage for the Millenium Simulation, in which supercomputers have modeled the known universe in three dimensions. Click on the link to see high-res images... they are awesome visualizations. The picture above is on the scale of 100 million light-years. And that is a relatively close zoom - The cosmic simulation has been carried out and visualized to a scale of over 5 billion light-years (see image below)!!! At this extreme resolution, the universe goes from looking like clustered galactic brain cells to resembling the quantum energy field at the smallest scales of the universe...

I can't help but be amazed at the vast scale and complexity these images represent. To say a human being is nothing but a speck in the universe is an understatement. There's really not much to say when confronted with ideas like this, because the vocal grunts and electrical flashes that make up our consciousness are incapable of handling it. The fact that we can ponder such things at all is perhaps due to the self-similar fractal nature of the universe and, therefore, our mind. The relationship is right there in the two pictures above.

If you really try to wrap your head around what these images mean, human activities such as science, religion, nationalism, and even the fantasy of 'the self' will eventually be revealed as abstract constructs of the human ego. The Universe is God, and vice-versa, and we are like particles within 'It' that blip in and out of existence as fast as an electron zips around a nucleus. That's not to say the human experience is worthless or meaningless - it is what it is...
and it is whatever the human experiencing it makes it out to be!

I think that if people gave more thought to the reality of the infinite scale and complexity of the universe, it would lead to more open-minded contemplation of our tiny, but unique place in the world.


•The microcosm and macrocosm are intimately connected.

"The cycle of Interdependent Origins
takes place in everything, everywhere,
in the infinitely small as in the infinitely great.
Their activity is interconnected,
and they only exist on with the other."
- The Secret Teachings of Tibetan Buddhism

"The development of structures
in what is called microevolution
mirrors the development of structures
in macroevolution and vice versa.
Microstructures and macrostructures
evolve together as a whole."
- Erich Jantsch, Creative Evolution

Psychedelic Computer Dreams

I recently read about research that Google is doing using their image recognition neural networks. These networks, that mimic the neural architecture of the brain, are programmed to recognize features of pictures such as people, animals, and buildings.

Google Research Blog:

Inceptionism: Going Deeper into Neural Networks

Google software engineers have taken these image-detection algorithms and tweaked the process, so it essentially goes in reverse. Instead of recognizing existing features in an image, the computer looks for and generates imagery where there isn't any already.

The results of this process are psychedelic, slightly surreal artificial visions that the Google engineers call "Inceptionism".

The Guardian:

Yes, Androids Do Dream of Electric Sheep 

For instance, the network can be given an image and instructed to search for edges, which are enhanced and filtered with colors.

It can also "dream" of images that aren't there, by searching for familiar forms and reinforcing them- as in this image of a cloudy sky, in which the computer pulls out animal-like forms. This is similar to a human daydreaming and finding recognizable shapes in the clouds. 

The important aspects of this process are the image recognition feedback loops, applied to the visual analysis that the computer is making. It is an iterative process of searching for recognizable features, then re-applying it over and over, to create hallucinatory fractal visuals.

Perhaps this is a glimpse into the nature of the psychedelic experience, in which the brain experiences resonant feedback loops of information.

The brain normally suppresses neural activity and feedback patterns that would be hallucinatory & distracting, but I suspect substances that unlock visionary states open up this activity.

Motherboard:

Why Google's Neural Networks 

Look Like They're on Acid

Although this may help us to understand what is going on when a person has a psychedelic experience, the research is also useful for understanding consciousness, in general.

For more images from Google's neural net research, you can visit the photo gallery of Google software engineer Michael Tyka:

Inceptionism: Going deeper into Neural Networks  

There is even an interactive livestream Twitch channel of a neural net bot that creates ever-changing psychedelic imagery in real time.

The visual output is based on user suggestions, derived from a predetermined list of inputs. These inputs are categories of a million images that were previously introduced to the network.

Watch live video from 317070 on www.twitch.tv

We ARE the Web

Check out this thought-provoking look at the evolution, immensity, and possibilites of the Internet, by Wired magazine. There are 5 pages and it's a very interesting read...

"This planet-sized computer is comparable in complexity to a human brain.

Both the brain and the Web have hundreds of billions of neurons (or Web pages).

Each biological neuron sprouts synaptic links to thousands of other neurons,
while each Web page branches into dozens of hyperlinks.

That adds up to a trillion "synapses" between the static pages on the Web.

The human brain has about 100 times that number -
but brains are not doubling in size every few years,...

...the Machine is."

(This unexplainable similarity on different scales is another example of our Fractal Reality.)

Exploring the Quantum-Mind-Universe

After yesterdays post about fractal art, the recursive nature of reality must have been on my mind.

I saw this story on Raw Story earlier,

"Quantum Leap in Technology
to Unravel 'Cosmic Web' of Universe"

...Which reminded me of some tech news I saw on Infosthetics a few days ago:

"Brain Model Visualization"

...Both of which reminded me of comparisons I've made before about the structure of reality at different scales, from the quantum to the cosmic.

The Monkey Buddha:
Posts about "Fractal Reality"

All the scientists and data visualization experts are coming to realize that the quantum world, the mind, and the universe are all exactly the same thing. Perhaps a consequence of our perceptive realities expanding into each other will be an infinite interconnection of intelligence that surpasses any form of 'reality' that we can imagine.

What if the mind becomes fused with the light machines known as computers or even with the base energy of the universe itself & one can multi-task one's consciousness at the speed of light?
What will existence be like when you can simultaneously communicate, create, and learn in a virtual space with no limitation of linear input? Modes of thought experience will obviously be much more un-linear and vast than what the sensory-driven mind is currently capable of conjuring.

Ultraviolet Vision

This design can be found at
The Monkey Buddha Bazaar

Gigagalaxy Zoom

Nothing puts the paradox of life's simultaneous triviality & miraculousness into immediate perspective like contemplating the infinite vastness of the physical Universe.

On Neatorama I saw a link to a site I bookmarked that let's you zoom into various sections of our Milky Way galaxy. Of course, a galaxy - immense beyond human understanding - is still just a dust speck in the larger cosmos.

Gigagalaxy Zoom

Zooming into the different areas, each representing thousands of light-years, I began to think of a post I wrote about the similarity between large-scale galactic formations & the brain's neural network: "The Universal Mind."

I started imaging an unending fractal reality where 'the Universe' was actually an incomprehensibly large 'mind'... the galactic clusters forming neuron-like structures. Individual stars and planets would be nothing more than elementary particles. However once you zoom down past the level of our brain cells & atoms, perhaps whole universes are continuously contained beneath our threshold of perception. This unending progression may continue up & down the scale, ad infinitum.

See also:

• "Insignificance?"

• "The Hubble Ultra Deep Field"

"Oh my God, it's full of stars!"

Holographic Mind/Universe

My friend & I were drunk-discussing the nature of reality, the mind, & the human experience after we got back from the bar last night (what else is there to talk about when you're inebriated?!?). He was saying that humans are self-contained entities, and in the end all we ever experience is our own mind. It is true, that every sensory experience and thought that we ever have is nothing but a lightshow in our own head.

However, I also believe the universe/mind is a continuous and complete fractal, holographic phenomenon. Therefore, levels of interconnectivity and synchronicity outside of the human experience should be expected. Of course, no symbolic grunt that can be uttered by a physical being can really be expected to accurately represent anything.

For a more accurate description of the nature of the human experience, click Here.

"The Amazing Holographic Universe"

"As the religions of the East have long upheld, the material world is Maya, an illusion, and although we may think we are physical beings moving through a physical world, this too is an illusion. We are really 'receivers' floating through a kaleidoscopic sea of frequency, and what we extract from this sea and transmogrify into physical reality is but one channel from many extracted out of the superhologram."

"Pribram believes memories are encoded not in neurons, or small groupings of neurons, but in patterns of nerve impulses that crisscross the entire brain in the same way that patterns of laser light interference crisscross the entire area of a piece of film containing a holographic image. In other words, Pribram believes the brain is itself a hologram."

• Click HERE to read the whole article

The Universe is Inside the Earth

I'm pretty well-versed in conspiracy theories & outlandish ideas of all kinds.

 "The universe is not only stranger than we imagine; 

but stranger than we CAN imagine."

-J. B. S. Haldane 

Although all kinds of strange things may be possible, we still have to use our senses and critical thinking to understand our world as accurately as possible.

That is why ideas like the "flat earth" movement drive me nuts. It's just stupid. There's nothing about the reality that we experience that would make it probable that the Earth is a flat disc. Matter naturally accumulates into a sphere, as gravity pulls mass toward all other mass. Look at water droplets, bubbles, etc.

When looking at other celestial bodies it's clear that they have to be spherical in nature. This is self-evident, unless you believe that there is a massive conspiracy involving literally every space agency, astronomer, & anyone who's ever looked through a telescope.

As with so many things in today's interconnected world of limitless digital media, it's tough to tell who is a troll and who really believes this stuff. "The Flat Earth Society" is as ridiculous as a "Moon is Made of Green Cheese" society. Yeah ok, there is a infinitesimal chance it's true, & we've been fed a vast web of lies, but it's so unlikely & defies common sense that it's really just silly.

Then, there is a whole new level of craziness people take their theories to, whether or not it's something they truly believe or are making a joke.

I saw this funny approach to out-doing conspiracy theorists using the Moon, & the comments led me to the amazing image at the top of this post. The 'flat earth' theory seems plausible compared to that configuration. It illustrates the absurd notion that the Universe & the cosmos are actually inside the Earth.

It's a hysterically bizarre & unlikely view of the world. I refuse to accept that someone could actually believe that reality is organized as depicted in that image. It has to be a joke, right???

Oh, I guess not...

Flat Earth Must Decrease, LSC Concave Earth Must Increase 

Lord Steven Christ

However, the same the question arises in this model, as in the accepted scientific view of the Universe- What is 'outside' of the boundaries? The image at top depicts a hard boundary between the crust of the earth and... blackness? In actuality, the idea of cosmic boundaries may not even apply. I think the Universe is a fractal pattern, infinitely self-enclosed with no discernible edge. Our brain cannot formulate the idea of something without edges or definition.

That is why people come up with simple explanations of the way the world works- because the truth is so complex & unimaginable that the mind is powerless to truly envision it all.

The Future is Fungi

 Discover Magazine:

How Mushrooms Can Save the World

I recently listened to this excellent presentation by mycologist & naturalistic innovator Paul Stamets, about the role that mushrooms and other fungal organisms will play in the future of humanity & the planet.

Paul Stamets - The Future is Fungi [how to save the planet] 

The talk is an hour and a half long, and well worth the time to listen. It is full of thought-provoking information and research about the vital role performed by these unique lifeforms in the natural ecosystem. Stamets also discusses some of his technological developments, using living fungal systems.

Some of the important mycological breakthroughs that he discusses include the following uses of fungi & mycelial matter:

• Cancer treatment through improved immune function
• Water filtration
• Antibacterial & antiviral properties
• Cleanup of oil spills 
• De-contamination of radiation zones
• Biopesticides to repel harmful insects
• Replenishment of depleted soil

The most unique aspect of the fungus is its mycelium- the branching, thread-like connective matter that is usually hidden within the soil or in its symbiotic partners. These are the chemical & enzymatic pathways that allow fungi to sense their environment and create novel strategies to deal with any situation they come across.

The visible forms we usually associate with fungi, such as the mushroom caps, are just the fruiting parts of the fungus that are used to release spores. The vegetative part of the fungus is actually the mycelium, within the soil.

The web-like structure of the fungal mycelia can be seen as a fractal representation of the interconnected nature of reality, which exists on all scales and in different forms.

This same kind of connectivity also defines the structure of large-scale cosmic network of galaxies, neural architecture in the brain, layouts of human cities, and the global distribution of The Internet.

Connectivity is a fundamental characteristic of The Universe.

Silicon Simulations

The most powerful use of computers is as a tool to enhance the human imagination, whether it be imagining artistic or scientific concepts. These silicon extensions of the brain are allowing us to visualize processes and ideas that are impossible to understand otherwise.

This is a video that briefly describes some of the many uses for the processing & visualization power of computers.

Seed Magazine: "Science in Silico"

One of the projects featured is the Millenium Simulation, which I discussed in a post about the fractal nature of reality: Universal Mind.