AUTHOR=MacIver M. Bruce 

TITLE=Consciousness and inward electromagnetic field interactions

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.1032339

DOI=10.3389/fnhum.2022.1032339

ISSN=1662-5161

ABSTRACT=Electromagnetic field (EMF) theories of mind/brain integration have been proposed to explain brain function for over seventy years.(Köhler and Held, 1949)  Interest in this theory continues to this day because it explains mind-brain integration and it offers a simple solution to the ‘binding problem’ of our unified conscious experience. EMFs are easily measured and many corelates have been noted for field activity; associated with loss and recovery of consciousness, sensory perceptions and behavior.(Dyba et al., 2021; Keppler, 2021; Young, Hunt and Ericson, 2021; Hales and Ericson, 2022; Kitchener and Hales, 2022; Young, Robbins and Shelat, 2022)  Unfortunately, the theory was challenged early on by experiments that were thought to have ruled out a role of EMFs in brain activity.(Lashley, Chow and Semmes, 1951; Sperry, Miner and Myers, 1955), and the field of neuroscience has since marginalized EMF theories.  Here I explain why early evidence against EMFs contributing to consciousness was misinterpreted and offer an alternative view to help direct future research.