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Claustrum and Consciousness: I wish to record my comments on the function of the Claustrum with reference to its containing the neural correlate to consciousness. I propose to explain my understanding, using some concepts occurring in Advaita Vedanta of India (non dualism as expounded by Shri Adhi Shankara )adding my comments/conjectures on the issue. At the outset I believe that, whatever is stated in the Advaita Vedanta is ultimately valid ,in which case certain concepts cannot, but have a neural representation in the human brain and I am trying to figure out what that could be and what neural centres it might involve. For example, let us take the famous Rope -Snake erroneous perception i.e the perceiver's mistaken notion of the snake in the place of the rope . The rope is received by the eyes but interpreted as snake by the brain which creates anxiety. The perceived anxiety causes further anxiety and certain autonomic and motor reactions result. It is likely that intra cortical synchronizations and intra-clausral synchronizations may be getting activated . There are certain justifications for the rope to be perceived as snake which possibly get integrated in the claustral synchronizations: 1. The obscure image of the rope (due to surrounding darkness etc,)as received by the eyes 2. The chances for a real snake to be present in the external environment and expectation thereof and diffused anxiety due to the same.. 3 The fear of facing a snake as the snake is perceived as a danger to life. The processes of precaution verification and subsequent reasoning should also be integrated to get into and subsequently come out of the illusion of snake. Perception of non existing snake in the place of rope is called adhyaaropa (adhyAsa@)or superimposition of false on what is true) This is a function of Maya(or Avidhya at the individual level which is normally translated as ignorance) .A non-existent snake(superimposition) can cause as much anxiety as an existent snake. The fear due to erroneously perceived non- existent snake will vanish when the error in perception is understood, even though the underlying fear of snakes may not. . I may like to say that claustrum may be containing the neural correlates of mAyA rather than correlates of Consciousness. In a way, both mean the same thing from an empirical view point. Conscious awareness of any thing(i.e with a subject -object distinction) is possible only with a combination of consciousness with avldya or maya sakthi. {(The sanskrit word ma means to measure and mAyA means what can be measured(limited).( The word mAyA can also mean what appears to be ,but truly is not)} The mAyA is said to be possessing two types of powers, the power of projection and power of concealment or covering (Vikshepa Sakthi and Aavarana Sakthi). The Avarana sakthi is called avidya or ignorance at the individual level and is said to produce dvaita bhava (an impression of duality i.e., the impression that individual consciousness (jiva) is different from the ultimate reality) (ignorance creates an impression of pluraillity of consciousness) The impression of duality is also regarded as the basis for individual doership or agency. MAyA creates an impression of there being a consciousness separate from others in each apparently sentient body. The word claustrm means-a means of closing or shutting in and the sanskrit word aavarana is translated as concealment. My explanation/conjecture in this regard is ---the individual personality we think we are, is an impression of an idea of self, created out of stored memory images of the experiences after the birth of the body (including perhaps experiences in the womb and experience of taking birth) and impressions passed through the genes and technically the empirical self is an idea. Due to the associated reactions of autonomic nervous system and the memory images registered of the experiences of bodily reactions, the identification of an idea (or programme), as continuing singular self takes effect. There may be a mirror like reflection of cognition which reflects consciousness, when this idea arises .The function of claustrum in this regard may be to interpret the sensory data and other data generated by the brain internally , and to cast an impression of doer-ship on the idea of continuing self which may be called ego This modified ego may be the general context for all perceptions reactions and understanding as an individual. When the ego programme of doer-ship precedes or co-exists with action in synchronization the behaviour appears ,to the individual ,to be voluntary. It may be because of the synchrony created by the claustrum, the ego gets an impression of having a continuing independent existence. As Consciousness (through cognition) lights up the idea of self or ego, the ego with the help of reflected consciousness, professes to have an existence separate from the body and starts identifying with the body(sometimes being the possessor of the body and sometimes being anchored in the body).And that may be the conscious awareness from the medical angle. Whenever the idea of ego does not show up, its identification with the body does not show up. Nevertheless, when the idea re-occurs the impression of continuity also occurs. Claustrum may be covering its synchronized orchestrations with the veil of the idea of singular continuing self or ego. Claustrum’s synchronizations perhaps interpret the inputs received from the cortex to continue the story line of life as that of an individual in tune with what is there in the memory already and what is desired or to be expected in future(perhaps that is also in the memory) and thus the history of the Universe gets written by some unseen hand, with many claustrums doing their synchronizations, and many (apparently) resultant activities, which may be resulting in further cortical inputs. Claustrum ,that way, is the correlate (in the brain )of the creator, preserver and destroyer of the Universe and its processes. @ ADHYASA- Shri Sankaracharya defines adhyAsa as atasmin tat buddhi which means understanding one thing as another thing.In the case of awareness of snake in the place of a rope adhyAsa arises. It is also defined as smritirUpa paratra pUrvadrstAvabhasah(as in memory something prevously perceived appears to be present here and now, when it is absent,so also some thing previously perceived is imposed on something present here and now (ref:A Dictionary of Advaita Vedanta compiled by Nirod Baran Chakraborrty Published by The RamakrishnaMission Institute of Culture Kolkata 700029 INDIA in 2003)
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