Biological Coherence And Response To External Stimuli

This book presents an extensive treatment of the introduction of modern physical concepts into biology. In particular, the concept of coherence finds wide applications and yields novel results in context with multiple problems as they arise in biology: these include long range resonant cellular effects and resonant interactions of biological tissues with low intensity electro-magnetic radiation. Extensive experimental support of the theoretical concept is presented.

Jurgen Schulte and Christian Endler met in 1990 at an international conference on the Structure of Water held in the Lecture Halls of the University of Graz (Austria). Disappointed by the lack of a systematic strategy of research into the physics of homoeopathy Jurgen Schulte started to work on the establishment of scientifically acceptable research standards in physics of homoeopathy and encouraged academic researchers to establish a coordinated and focused research strategy. In 1994, with the help of major representatives of the international research community, they edited one of the fIrst academic interdisciplinary books on Ultra High Dilution and homoeopathy that underwent a rigorous scientific international referee process before publishing. Due to the dedicated help of the prominent referees (BD Josephson, Nobel Laureate, Cavendish Lab. , Cambridge; M Bastide, Fac de Pharmacy, University Montpellier; RG Jahn, Aerospace Science, Princeton University), the book 1994 was quickly considered a mile stone and turning point for the scientific approach of research into Ultra High Dilution and homoeopathy. Since then the academic research community has grown considerably and many international conferences have been held. Today, research into homoeopathy is to be accepted by the European Union as part of the academic sciences, worthy to be funded at European Union level; an effort that took many years of research coordination and research strategy development. Excerpts of the Research Strategy of the European Committee for Homoeopathy (ECH) have been included in this book.

Ch. 1. All the colors of a rainbow in a worm or: what is life? / Reinhard Eichelbeck -- ch. 2. Life - a problem inherent in the research context / Franz-Theo Gottwald -- ch. 3. Truth and knowledge / Wolfram Schommers -- ch. 4. The formative powers of developing organisms / Lev V. Beloussov -- ch. 5. Electromagnetic, symbiotic and informational interactions in the kingdom of organisms / Gunter M. Rothe -- ch. 6. Dead molecules and the live organism / Roeland Van Wijk -- ch. 7. Inanimate and animate matter: orderings of immaterial connectedness - the physical basis of life / Hans-Peter Dürr -- ch. 8. Communication - basis of life / Lebrecht von Klitzing -- ch. 9. Can biological effects emerge from inorganic nano-systems? / Michael Rieth and Wolfram Schommers -- ch. 10. Substantial and non-substantial structure in living systems / Jiin-Ju Chang (Jinzhu Zhang) -- ch. 11. On the essence of life - a physical but nonreductionistic examination / Hans-Jürgen Fischbeck -- ch. 12. Coherent excitations in living biosystems and their implications: a qualitative overview / G.J. Hyland -- ch. 13. Biophotonics - a powerful tool for investigating and understanding life / Fritz-Albert Popp -- ch. 14. Biophoton and the quantum vision of life / R.P. Bajpai -- ch. 15. Quantum mechanics, computability theory and life / John Swain -- ch. 16. Bose-Einstein condensation of photons, does it play a vital role in the understanding of life? / Eberhard Müller

The International Symposium on Biological Effects of Magnetic and Electrom- netic Fields was held from September 3-4, 1993 at Kyushu University in Fukuoka . Japan . Originally, it was only intended to be an informal gathering of many scientists who had accepted my invitation to visit Kyushu University after the XXIVth General Assembly of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI), held in Kyoto prior to our symposium . However, since so many distinguished scientists were able to come, it was decided that a more formal symposium would be possible . It was a very productive symposium and, as a result, many of the guests consented that it would be a good idea to gather all the information put forth at the meeting and have it published. In addition, although they were unfortunately unable to attend the symposium . many other distinguished scientists had also expressed their wish to contribute to this effort and, in so doing. help to increase understanding in this, as yet, relatively immature field of science . The question of both positive and negative effects of magnetic and electromagnetic fields on biological systems has become more and more important in our world today as they .

This introduction to the dissipative quantum model of brain and to its possible implications for consciousness studies is addressed to a broad interdisciplinary audience. Memory and consciousness are approached from the physicist point of view focusing on the basic observation that the brain is an open system continuously interacting with its environment. The unavoidable dissipative character of the brain functioning turns out to be the root of the brain's large memory capacity and of other memory features such as memory association, memory confusion, duration of memory. The openness of the brain implies a formal picture of the world which is modeled on the same brain image: a sort of brain copy or “Double”, where world objectiveness and the brain implicit subjectivity are conjugated. Consciousness is seen to arise from the permanent “dialogue” of the brain with its Double. The author's narration of his (re-)search gives a cross-over of the physics of elementary particles and condensed matter, and the brain's basic dynamics. This dynamic interplay makes for a “satisfying feeling of the unity of knowledge”. (Series A)

This volume is the result of the third Appalachian Conference on Behavioral Neurodynamics which focused on the problem of scale in conscious experience. Set against the philosophical view of "eliminative materialism," the purpose of this conference was to facilitate communication among investigators who approach the study of consciousness and conscious phenomena from a variety of analytical levels. One speculative outcome of the conference is that the columnar arrangement within primary sensory cortices may provide the local isolation necessary for nonlocal interactions to occur. In addition, the relationship between unit activity and field potentials within a circumscribed region of cortex may provide the other enigmatic aspect of neurophysiological nonlocality, namely, the common context in the macro scale. So instead of a problem looking for a solution, scale becomes a solution to a problem. Only further research will determine the utility of the ideas expressed here.

This international selection of 34 papers from the Tokyo '99 conference held at the United Nations University gives a valuable state of the art overview of consciousness research. Not only the recognized European and American approaches but also the distinguishing approaches from many Japanese researchers are presented. It will provide a world-wide audience with a comprehensive outlook for the remarkable potential contribution in the future scene of consciousness research.The Tokyo '99 declaration to promote scientists' ethical warning against the thoughtless aiming of consciousness research at warfare is also included.(Series B)