The Physics of the Mind Body Connection

In the last chapter, we looked at the four philosophers whose work underlies what I've been telling you; that the mind and body connect through our perception of time. Why begin with philosophy? Because the primary clue to uncovering the actual mind body connection lies in how we psychologically experience this connection rather than in some physical location, such as within our brains. In this chapter of Plain Talk about Talk Therapy, we're going to look at the other end of the psychophysical continuum; the actual laws of physics which underlie these psychological experiences. Specifically the psychophysics underlying audio video recordings and how we technologically sync multiple media sources when we mix them down to one data stream. Did you just go into shock? Not sure where this is going? Don't worry. Just remember. The key to understanding the mind body connection lies not in understanding our physiology but rather in understanding how we experience it. Thus while we are indeed looking for the actual connection, we will not be looking for an actual physical location. Why not? Because there is none. Don't believe me? Let's see.

"Let's Get Psychophysical"
As I begin to write this chapter, for some reason the chorus from Olivia-Newton John's 1982 song, "Let's Get Physical," keeps playing in my head. Annoying when that happens, isn't it? The thing is, to some folks, even my knowing this song would indicate that I must be a very old dude indeed. Which I am. No big secret there. What is interesting about this though is that because I am this old, I was alive before a lot of what we're about to talk about was invented. Digital clocks? Sample rates? Certainly not common knowledge in 1982. Even for brainy types like me. And years later, when I was learning this stuff? It felt more mysterious than my former wife's thirty year old forgetting to buy her a birthday card resentment. I did it once. That's all it took. Ah, the mysteries of marriage.

Fortunately for us, by comparison, the mind body connection is a lot easier to understand. Especially if you focus on what we spoke about in the last chapter; on how we experience the mind body connection. Rather than on explaining it medically. In other words, to uncover the mechanism of the mind body connection, we need to focus on how we sense this connection rather than on searching for some fabled neurological site. Which is why, in the last chapter, we began our search by exploring how four of the great philosophers sensed this connection.

The four philosophers? Descartes, Spinoza, Herbart and Leibniz. And the four ideas we drew on from their work?

• That human beings have a threshold of perception, a point at which we begin to experience the mind and body (per Herbart).
• That above this threshold of perception, we experience mind and body as separate and distinct experiences (per Descartes).
• That below this threshold of perception, we experience mind and body as two aspects of one continuum (per Spinoza).
• That our perception of time is what connects our conscious awareness of these two experiences (per Leibniz)
  

Granted, stating this last idea as I have is a bit of a stretch; Leibniz actually never actually mentioned that we perceive two senses of time. Only that our having two clocks is a good metaphor for how the mind and body connect. Even so, it appears that Leibniz may have been the only person to make any reference at all to that the mind body connection involves our perception of time. Thus my including him and his ideas.

What will we be looking at in this chapter? As I said, we're going to get psychophysical. In other words, we're going to build a mind body bridge between the philosophical ideas of these four great men and the laws of physics underlying twenty first century digital recording. Specifically the laws underlying digital audio and video recording whenever different audio video streams get combined into a single presentation.

Does this sound like it's going to be hard to understand? Don't worry. We're only going to explore three simple situations. One using 1950's tape recorders. One using 2007 television studio equipment. And one using us. Moreover, with the two technological examples, we're only going to explore the parts of these situations which involve syncing separate pieces of playback equipment together in time.

The three real life situations?

• No Master Clock. We're going to look at how recording engineers in the fifties on rare occasions tried to manually sync the output from two tape recorders so they could combine these two sources onto one master tape. By hand. By trial and error. The point here will be to offer you an example of how our two internal clocks function in everyday life; our minds and bodies free wheeling with no master clock to sync them together.
• Digital Master Clock. Next we're going to take another look at how digital systems work. This time in a modern television studio. Beginning with a quick look at how things get to be digital. Followed by a look at how the big boys do digital; how digital recording studios manage to sync together dozens of physically separate devices. The point here will be to show you how today's digital systems, DVD players to whole television studios, sync physically separate playback devices to a single external master clock. Which is what happens to us whenever we are in the presence of great beauty; the beauty we experience becomes the master clock.
• Life as the Master Clock. Finally, we're going to look at how the psychophysics of time within these two technological situations mirror what we experience in our minds and bodies in everyday life. First, when we "free wheel" with no master clock. And second, when our minds and bodies sync up and mix into one vivid experience. Just like what happens to playback devices in television studios when they broadcast it all as a single show.
  

What is my goal in all this? To give ordinary folks a way in which to grasp how our minds and bodies do and do not connect. As well as an understanding of what makes me so certain that what connects our minds and bodies is our perception of time. Both within ourselves and between us and others; mind to body and body to mind.

Before we begin this journey though, I need to first clarify something, by addressing one of the potential snags in this whole concept. What snag? That current mind body research assumes that by mapping specific physical locations to what we do, say, and feel, that they are locating the mind and body connection. What am I saying? That while the ongoing neurological discoveries regarding how cognition and neurological brain functioning seem to overlap are indeed fascinating, nothing discovered so far even begins to prove a connection between the mind and body. It proves only that coexisting activity occurs.

In other words, while current brain scan research suggests mind body connections, in truth it proves only that some psychological things happen at the same time as some physical things. Nothing more.

Thus, while fMRI's and SPEC scans can now show connections between certain human activities and experiences and increased or decreased blood flow to certain areas of the brain, none of this research shows how the physical experiences of the body connect to the non physical experiences of the mind. Unless, of course, our physical bodies are what create our minds. In which case, this research does reveal the mind body connection.

Does it though? Not really. And to see why I say this, consider this. Consider how, when researchers and scientists assume this coexisting activity suggests they are mapping the mind body connection, the unspoken assumption beneath their statements is that our bodies create what our minds experience. This assumption, in fact, is one of the major philosophical viewpoints underlying most current medically based research. The thing is, despite claims made by these researchers that their research is scientific, by not mentioning this assumption, they skew the opinions of all those reviewing this research. Ergo the leaps frequently made by untrained news reporters regarding the implications of this research.

Are they right though? Does the body create the mind? To see, we'll need to take a moment to explore this assumption. How? By turning to yet another a group of philosophers and specifically, to the view point known as materialism; the idea that mental events are causally dependent on bodily events.

Ironically, were the scientists who unknowingly espouse this view point to know of it's controversial beginnings, in the writings of Julien Offray de la Mettrie (1709-1751) for instance, they might seriously reconsider. In his book, L'Homme Machine, Mettrie suggests we are all just human automatons. And while this viewpoint obviously falls far outside of what most medically oriented researchers believe today, Pierre Jean Georges Cabanis' (1757-1808) interpretation of Mettrie's work does seem to state their view point pretty well. Cabanis wrote , "to have an accurate idea of the operations from which thought results, it is necessary to consider the brain as a special organ designed to produce it, as the stomach and intestines are designed to operate the digestion, the liver to filter bile . . . " (Rapports du Physique et du Moral de l'Homme, 1802)

Does this at all sound like what underlies most of today's neuroscientific research? Indeed. Thus while these researchers claim scientific foundations for their work and conclusions, unless they can prove what we experience in our bodies occurs on a psychophysical one way street leading to our minds, their work, as exciting as it is, falls far short of explaining how the mind and body connect. Or anything else, other than coexisting activity.

So do any of these researchers admit they make this assumption? In my many searches, I have yet to find a single mainstream neuroscientist who openly admits they assume this let alone one who takes seriously the idea that what they are really researching is the mind body connection. It seems, to admit to this in print is tantamount to admitting the sin of researching forbidden questions. Or at least, admitting your research focuses on questions deemed quackery by the scientific community at large.

Note what they are calling "quackery" here. Not the search for these connections, mind you. Rather, the phrase itself; the mind body connection. Thus, if you do the research but do not mention this phrase, you can somehow squeak by the Cerberus of science.

This prejudice aside, the thing to realize here is that there are many philosophical positions with regard to whether the mind and body do or do not connect. Not the least of which is the one Descartes observed; that we experience the mind and body differently and that they both interact. Moreover, while science, and psychology, can point to times wherein our minds play tricks on us, this is not one of those times. How can I be sure? Because the position I'm suggesting here goes far beyond mere philosophy and or scientific observations of concurrency. It's already helping people. Many of whom are among the most conscious folks I know. Including that they regularly and frequently question everything they see. Openly and honestly.

For instance, take Kristin and Allen. Kristin is a music therapist and a teacher in my Emergence Master Teacher's Group and her husband Allen teaches kinetic language among other things. Signing and such. And sadly, a few days ago, their eight year old daughter fell off a boat and hit her head on the boat propeller. Which then sliced through her jaw and skull.

That she lived is a miracle. One of many unexplained acts of kindness and beauty which occurred in the Universe that day I'm sure. But that she is recovering at a rate far in excess of what the hospital staff is used to is quite another thing entirely. Moreover while the hospital staff admits being at a loss as to how to account for why she is recovering so quickly, we know it is the love and support she's receiving. Especially from her mother and father, Kristin and Allen.

When mention this? Because yesterday my friend and fellow teacher Ed and I drove to Rhode Island to visit the three of them. And in the pediatric intensive care unit, while standing within feet of their semi conscious daughter, Kristin and Allen spoke to us about how the idea of Mind First / Body First connection has already affected their marriage. Including that it has affected their ability to connect to each other in this deeply emotional time.

To say this deeply affected me is to put it mildly. I, the consummate lover of words, am still at a loss as far as how to express the love I saw there. Husband and wife love. Mother and father love. Family and hospital staff love. So many pictures of love. Many of which existed long before these mind body discoveries. Even so, that Kristin and Allen could so consciously express this love in the face of such a tragedy amazes me. Which makes me think and feel that if the only contribution these discoveries made was to their daughter's well being, it would still be worth my efforts.

Of course, this is not the only family being affected by what I'm positing here. In fact, even now, only weeks into having made these discoveries, a number of other families are reporting similarly increased abilities to connect. To each other and to those outside their relationships. My point? How many researchers can claim their work has accomplished this beauty even once? Moreover, of the folks who do believe in the mind and body connection, how many can make what they practice accessible to ordinary folks?

What follows is the physical science behind these admittedly grand claims. Please know these ideas are but one piece of the mind body puzzle. Still, when you combine this piece with what we looked at in the last chapter, we have the underpinnings of a great discovery. The actual mechanism of the mind body connection. Not the locality of it, mind you. There is no such thing. Rather the experiential substance from which this connection is made. Our physical and mental perceptions of time itself. And how these two perceptions do and do not sync up.

Ready for part two? The physical part of the psychophysical connection between mind and body? Here we go.

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