Consciousness In Four Dimensions: Biological Relativity And The Origins Of Thought

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In a book that will profoundly alter the modern discourse on mind and influence the practice of neuromedicine, neurobiologist/neuropsychiatrist, Richard M. Pico unveils a revolutionary new approach to understanding consciousness that pinpoints its origins in the brain. Called Biological Relativity, the approach combines the laws of physics--especially Einstein's laws of relativity--to the latest breakthroughs in neuroscience, molecular biology, and computational theory to create a coherent four-dimensional model for explaining the origins of life and the emergence of complex biological systems--from the living cell to the thinking brain. In a fascinating, ambitious narrative that draws upon a lifetime of experimental and clinical work, Dr. Pico tells a riveting story that begins in the imponderably distant past, with the first proto-cell that endured long enough to become its own frame of reference--both structurally and temporally--and culminates with the most complex biological referent system known to science, the human brain. He then elaborates his groundbreaking theory through discussions of such things as the origins of language, music, and mathematics. He explains why he believes consciousness is uniquely human, and explores the causes and potential treatments for a variety of thought disorders.

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Consciousness in Four Dimensions This page intentionally left blank. Consciousness in Four Dimensions Biological Relativity and the Origins of Thought Richard M. Pico, Ph.D., M.D. McGraw-Hill New York Chicago San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto Copyright © 2002 by Richard M. Pico. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 0-07-142081-9 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: 0-07-135499-9 All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps. McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. For more information, please contact George Hoare, Special Sales, at [email protected] or (212) 904-4069. TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“McGraw-Hill”) and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is subject to these terms. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hill’s prior consent. You may use the work for your own noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited. Your right to use the work may be terminated if you fail to comply with these terms. THE WORK IS PROVIDED “AS IS”. McGRAW-HILL AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ACCESSE