A historical review of ephaptic field research: from early foundations through contemporary renaissance
A nice summary/update on a key aspect of field theories of consciousness (which has big implications for psychedelics IMO)
Ephaptic coupling is the communication between neurons through electromagnetic field interactions in the tissue surrounding them, rather than through direct synaptic connections or gap junctions. It is as fast as light, and has been demonstrated between sliced neural tissue with no direct synaptic connections (and recently been found to be involved in cognitive processes/memory etc). It was marginalized for many decades but accepted very recently (last 6 or so years).
Ephatic coupling potentially helps solve the "binding problem": how our conscious experience/perception is felt as a unity when sensory perception is processed in different areas of the brain at slower synaptic/electrochemical speeds.
A nice summary/update on a key aspect of field theories of consciousness (which has big implications for psychedelics IMO)
Ephaptic coupling is the communication between neurons through electromagnetic field interactions in the tissue surrounding them, rather than through direct synaptic connections or gap junctions. It is as fast as light, and has been demonstrated between sliced neural tissue with no direct synaptic connections (and recently been found to be involved in cognitive processes/memory etc). It was marginalized for many decades but accepted very recently (last 6 or so years).
Ephatic coupling potentially helps solve the "binding problem": how our conscious experience/perception is felt as a unity when sensory perception is processed in different areas of the brain at slower synaptic/electrochemical speeds.
