Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Concepts of Coherence and ‘Binding Problem’ as Applied to Life and Consciousness Realms

Critical Consideration with a Positive Alternative

  • Chapter
Biophotons

Abstract

The title of the present paper may seem an ambitious amalgamation of two universal concepts — Life and Consciousness called here ‘realms’ — connected with two, also general, conceptual notions — coherence and ‘binding problem’ — which are not immediately clear unless appropriately defined. However, both the ‘realms’ — Life and Consciousness — also have no unequivocal meaning and notoriously have no strict definition. Consequently, the aim of the present paper is to find out whether the notions of coherence and ‘binding problem’ which have recently become of use in theoretical studies on Life and Consciousness are fruitful for analyzing relationship — hierachic if at all — between the Life and Consciousness realms. Therefore, the consideration of these notions will be followed by critical reflections and the positive solution based on the Gurwitschian field principle (Gurwitsch, 1944, 1954, 1991; Lipkind, 1987a, 1987b, 1992, 1996) will be considered. The hope is that such analysis will be finally succeeded in finding non-tautological definitions of both the Life and Consciousness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Angell, J.R. (1904) Psychology: an Introductory Study of the Structure and Functions of Human Consciousness, Holt, New York.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Babloyantz, A. (1986) Molecules, Dynamics and Life, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baars, B.J. (1988) A Cognitive Theory of Consciousness, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bisiach, E. (1988) The (haunted) brain and consciousness, in A. Marcel & E. Bisiach (eds), Consciousness in Contemporary Science, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 101–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cairns-Smith, A.G. (1982) Genetic Takeover and the Mineral Origin of Life, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caplan, S.R. and Essig, A. (1983) Bioenergetics and Linear Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chalmers, D.J. (1995) Facing up to the problem of consciousness, Journal of Consciousness Studies 2, 200–2I9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chalmers, D.J. (1996) The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory,Oxford University Press, New York - Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crick, F.H.C. (1994) The Astonishing Hypothesis - The Scientific Search for the Soul, Simon and Schuster, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damasio, A.R. (1989) The brain binds entities end events by multiregional activation from convergence zones, Neural Computation 1, 123–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawkins, R. (1976) The Selfish Gene, Oxford University Press, Oxford; New edition ( 1989 ) Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennett, D.C. (1991) Consciousness Explained, Little-Brown & Co.; 2nd edition ( 1993 ), Penguin Books, Harmondsworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennett, D.C. (1995) Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, Simon and Schuster, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennett, D.C. (1996) Facing backwards on the problem of consciosness, Journal of Consciousness Studies 3, 4–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driesch, H. (1891) Entwicklungsmechanische Studien. 1. Der Werth der beiden ersten Furchungszellen in der Echinodermenentwicklung Experimentelle Erzeugung von Theil-und Doppelbildungen, Zeitschrift fuer Zoology 53, 160–178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driesch, H. (1908) Science and Philosophy of the Organism, Adam & Charles Black, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driesch, H. (1915) Vitalism: Its History and System, Russian Edition, A.G.Gurwitsch (ed) the authorized translation from German into Russian by A.G. Gurwitsch (in Russion).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelman, G. (1989) The Remembered Present: A Biological Theory of Consciousness, Basic Books, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eigen, M. (1992) Steps Towards Life–A Perspective on Evolution, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Eigen, M. (1993) The origin of genetic information: viruses as models, Gene 135, 37–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elitsur, A.C. (1994) Let there be life: Thermodynamic reflections on biogenesis and evolution, Journal of Theoretical Biology 164, 429–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gurwitsch, A.G. (1930) Die histologischen Grundlagen der Biologie, G. Fischer Verlag, Jena.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurwitsch, A.G. (1937) Degradational radiation from central nerval system, Arkhiv Biologicheskikh Nauk (Archives of Biological Sciences) 45, 53–57 (in Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurwitsch, A.G. (1944) The Theory of the Biological Field. “Sovetskaya Nauka” Publishing House, Moscow (in Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurwitsch, A.G. and Gurwitsch, L.D. (1948) Introduction into the doctrine of mitogenetic radiation,USSR Academy of Medical Sciences Publishing House, Moscow (In Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurwitsch, A.G. (1954) Principles of Analytical Biology and the Theory of Cellular Fields,Manuscript, Moscow (In Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurwitsch, A.G. and Gurwitsch, L.D. (1959) Die mitogenetische Strahlung, G. Fischer Verlag, Jena.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurwitsch, A.G. (1991) Principles of Analytical Biology and of the Theory of Cellular Fields. Nauka Publishers, Moscow (In Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Haken, N. (1977) Synergetics: An Introduction, Springer, Heidelberg.

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Hameroff, S. (1994) Quantum coherence in microtubules: A neural basis for an emergent consciousness? Journal of Consciousness Studies 1, 91–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardcastle, V.G. (1994) Psychology’s binding problem and possible neurobiological solutions, Journal of Consciousness Studies 1, 66–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardcastle, V.G. (1996) The why of consciousness: a non-issue for materialists, Journal of Consciousness Studies 3, 7–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horgan, T. (1982) Supervenience and microphysics, Pacific Philosophical Quaterly 63, 29–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hubel, D.H. and Livingstone, M.S. (1987) Segregation of form, color, and stereopsis in primate area 18, The Journal of Neuroscience 7, 3378–3415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hume, D. (1735/1958) A Treatise on Human Nature,Oxford University Press, Oxford - New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hume, D. (1777/1975) Enquiries Concerning Human Understanding and Concerning the Principles of Morals,Oxford University Press, Oxford - New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackendoff, R. (1987) Consciousness and the Computational Mind. MIT Press, Cambridge Massacusetts. Kauffman, S. (1996) At Home in the Universe: the Search for Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity, Viking, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. (1984) Concepts of supervenience, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 65, 153–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. (1987) ‘Strong’ and ‘ global ’ supervenience revisited, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 68, 315–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lem, S. (1976) Solaris,Progress, Moscow (In Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Levine, J. (1983) Materialism and qualia: the explanatory gap, Pacific Philosophical Quaterly 64, 354–36I.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, K. H. (1992a) Coherence in physics and biology, in F.-A. Popp, K. H. Li & Q. Gu (eds), Recent Advances in Biophoton Research and its Applications, World Scientific, Singapore–New Jersey–London–Hong Kong, pp. 113–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, K. H. (1992b) Coherent radiation from DNA molecules, in F.-A. Popp, K. H. Li & Q. Gu (eds), Recent Advances in Biophoton Research and its Applications, World Scientific, Singapore–New Jersey–London–Hong Kong, pp. 157–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, K. H. (1995) Coherence–a bridge between micro-and macro-systems, in L.V. Beloussov & F.-A. Popp (eds), Biophotonics: Non-Equilibrium and Coherent Systems in Biology, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Bioinform Services Co., Moscow, pp. 99–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, K. H. (1996a) Coherence in physics and biology, in C. Zhang, F.-A. Popp & M. Bischof, (eds), Current Development of Biophysics, Hangzhou University Press, Hangzhou, pp. 41–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, K. H. (1996b) Coherence - a bridge between micro-and macro-systems, in C. Zhang, F.-A. Popp & M. Bischof (eds), Current Development of Biophysics,Hangzhou University Press, Hangzhou, pp. 287–305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, K. H. and Popp, F.-A. (1992) Coherence and some quantum paradoxes, in F.-A. Popp, K. H. Li & Q. Gu (eds), Recent Advances in Biophoton Research and its Applications, World Scientific, Singapore–New Jersey–London–Hong Kong, pp. 421–438.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, K. H. and Popp, F.-A. (1996) Coherence, De Broglie paradox and EPR paradox, in C. Zhang, F.-A. Popp & M. Bischof (eds), Current Development of Biophysics, Hangzhou University Press, Hangzhou, pp. 287–305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lifson, S. (1987) Chemical selection, diversity, teleonomy and the second law of thermodynamics: Reflections of Eigen’s theory of self-organization of matter, Biophysical Chemistry 26, 303–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lipkind, M. (1987a) A.G. Gurwitschs Theorie vom biologischen Feld. I. Major prerequisites, origin, logical structure and conceptual development, Fusion (German edition) 8, 30–49 (In German).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipkind, M. (1987b) A.G. Gurwitschs Theorie vom biologischen Feld. Il. Analysis of different phenomena in living systems by means of the theory of the vectorial biological field, Fusion (German edition) 8, 53–65 (In German).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipkind, M. (1992) Can the vitalistic entelechia principle be a working instrument? (The theory of the biological field of Alexander G. Gurwitsch). in F.-A. Popp, K. H. Li & Q. Gu (eds), Recent Advances in Biophoton Research and its Applications, World Scientific, Singapore–New Jersey–London–Hong Kong, pp. 469–494.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipkind, M. and Beloussov, L. (1995) Alexander Gurwitsch: personality and scientific heritage. in L.V. Beloussov & F.-A. Popp (eds), Biophotonics: Non-Equilibrium and Coherent Systems in Biology, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Bioinform Services Co, Moscow, pp. 15–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Livingstone, M.S. and Hubel, D.H. (1987) Psychophysical evidence for separate channels for the perception of form, color, movement, and depth, The Journal of Neuroscience 7, 3416–3468.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loeb, J. (1906) The Dynamics of Living Matter, Columbia University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loeb, J. (1912) The Mechanistic Conception of Life, University Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lotka, A. (1925) Elements of Physical Biology, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore; Republished in 1956 as Elements of Mathematical Biology, Dover, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Monod, J. (1971) Chance and Necessity: An Essay on the Natural Philosophy of Modern Biology, Knopf, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Penrose, R. (1994) Shadows of the Mind, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popp, F.-A. (1989) Coherent photon storage of biological systems, in F.-A. Popp et al. (eds), Electromagnetic Bio-Information, Urban & Schwarzenberg, Muenchen–Vienna–Baltimore, pp. 144–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popp, F.-A. (1992a) Some essential questions of biophoton research and probable answers, in F.-A. Popp, K. H. Li & Q. Gu (eds) Recent Advances in Biophoton Research and its Applications, World Scientific, Singapore–New Jersey–London–Hong Kong, pp. 1–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popp, F.-A. (1992b) Some remarks on biological consequences of a coherent biophoton field. in F.-A. Popp, K. H. Li & Q. Gu (eds), Recent Advances in Biophoton Research and its Applications, World Scientific, Singapore–New Jersey–London–Hong Kong, pp. 357–374.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popp, F.-A. (1992e) Evolution as the expansion of coherent states. in F.-A. Popp, K. H. Li & Q. Gu (eds), Recent Advances in Biophoton Research and its Application, World Scientific, Singapore–New Jersey–London–Hong Kong, pp. 445–456.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popp, F.-A. (1995) Modern physical aspects of mitogenetic radiation (biophotons), in L.V. Beloussov & F.-A. Popp (eds), Biophotonics: Non-Equilibrium and Coherent Systems in Biology, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Bioinform Services Co, Moscow, pp. 85–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popp, F.-A. (1996a) Some remarks on biological consequences of a coherent biophoton field, in C. Zhang, F.-A. Popp & M. Bischof (eds), Current Development of Biophysics, Hangzhou University Press, Hangzhou, pp. 22–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popp, F.-A. (1996b) Evolution as the expansion of coherent states, in C. Zhang, F.-A. Popp & M. Bischof (eds), Current Development of Biophysics, Hangzhou University Press, Hangzhou, pp. 252–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popp, F.-A. and Li, K.H (1993) Hyperbolic relaxation as a sufficient condition of a fully coherent ergodic field, international Journal of Theoretical Physics 32, 1573–1583.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Popp, F.-A., Chang, J.J., Gu, Q. and Ho, M-W. (1994) Nonsubstantial biocommunication in terms of Dicke’s theory, in M.-W. Ho, F.-A. Popp & U. Warnke (Eds), Bioelectrodynamics and Biocommunication, World Scintific, Singapore–New Jersey–London–Hong Kong, pp. 293–318.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prigogine, I. and Stengers, I. (1984) Order out of Chaos,Bantam, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramachandran, V.S. (1990) Visual perception in people and machines, in A. Balke & T. Trosciankopp (eds). AI and the Eye, John Wiley and Sons Ltd, New York, pp. 21–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramachandran, V.S. and Anstis, S.M. (1986) The perception of apparent motion, Scientific American 254, 101–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, G.H. (1996) Rethinking nature: hard problem within the hard problem, Journal of Consciousness Studies 3, 76–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Treisman, A. (1986) Features and objects in visual processing, Scientific American 254, 114–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Von der Malsburg, C. (1987) Synaptic plasticity as basis of brain organization, in J.-P. Changeux & M Konishi (eds), The Neural and Molecular Bases of Learning,John Wiley and Sons, New York, pp. 411–432.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waechterhauser, G. (1988) Before enzymes and templates: theory of surface metabolism, Microbiological Reviews 52, 452–484.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeki, S. (1992) The visual image in mind and brain, Scientific American 254, 68–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, C.L. (1994) Log-normal distribution of physiological parameters and coherence of biological systems, in M.-W. Ho, F.-A. Popp & U. Warnke (Eds), Bioelectrodynamics and Biocommunication, World Scientific, Singapore–New Jersey–London–Hong Kong, pp. 355–364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, C.L. and Popp, F.-A. (1996) Log-normal distribution of physiological parameters and coherence of biological systems, in C. Zhang, F.-A. Popp & M. Bischof (eds), Current Development of Biophysics, Hangzhou University Press, Hangzhou, pp. 22–40.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kimron Veterinary Institute, Unit of Molecular Virology, Beit Dagan, P.O. Box 12, 50250, Israel

    M. Lipkind

Authors
  1. M. Lipkind
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Jiin-Ju Chang

  2. International Institute of Biophysics, Hombroich, Germany

    Jiin-Ju Chang  & Fritz-Albert Popp  & 

  3. Institute of Optical Devices, Technical University Ilmenau, Germany

    Joachim Fisch

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lipkind, M. (1998). The Concepts of Coherence and ‘Binding Problem’ as Applied to Life and Consciousness Realms. In: Chang, JJ., Fisch, J., Popp, FA. (eds) Biophotons. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0928-6_23

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0928-6_23

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5033-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-0928-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation