Abstract: This paper presents an original interpretation of the Upanishads that the inner self is located in the embryo brain region of the brain. This is the part of the brain already present in the embryo and consists of the brainstem, hypothalamus, thalamus, and midbrain. It is also the part of the brain that operates during dreaming and deep sleep and causes the transition from sleeping to waking states, and the Upanishads state unequivocally that the self is responsible for these mental states. With the self located in the embryo brain region, an entirely new interpretation of Aristotle’s De Anima is presented which parallels the Upanishads in every respect; the inner self and Aristotle’s “soul” have identical functions and attributes. An Aristotelian First Principle is presented: Biology is the source of Consciousness; DNA is the source of Biology; Ergo DNA is the source of Consciousness.
Read Article (pdf)
There is a new field of study called neurogastronomy and it is now known that when you sit down in your favorite fast food joint and savor the delicious aroma of your Big Mac and fries or your chicken McNuggets or your KFC hot and spicy what actually happens is that a certain gene is expressed in the odor receptors in your nose and it is precisely this genetic process which stimulates your taste buds and makes you want to wolf it all down. When the gene is expressed (and there is a specific gene for every conceivable taste and smell) it synthesizes a protein in one or some of the 350 odor receptors in your nose and it is this protein (and not the actual smell) which generates electrical signals that are transmitted to the olfactory cortex in your brain and causes the neurons to synapse that eventually allow you to become conscious of smelling this delicious food. There is an “odor barcode” in the DNA that literally tells you what that food you are eating smells and tastes like.