[JAK]

Herbert Spencer's, "The Survival of the Fittest", though much maligned, has been grossly misunderstood, IMO. The proper interpretation of "Fittest" should be "best fit." This appears to be the fundamental underpinning of the workings of consciousness.

As we perceive objects, the mind does fetches of matching memories. This appears to be done using O.G. Selfriges "Pandemonium Model" (1959) and/or Dominic Massaro's Fuzzy Logical Model of Perception (FLMP - 1990s). The matching is a "best fit" scenario.

Once a match is found, then the associated behaviors (stored with the memory), AND DANGERS, as well as the values/emotions (discovered by Wilder Penfield in the 1940s) are selected. Included amongst the values is the highest and most powerful one (homeostasis? control?). Together, the behaviors and values/emotions are competed in the nucleus Reticularis Thalami (Baars/Newman 1980s-90s). The neural circuitry of highest strength wins the competition and drives behavior. If circuits representing danger are most powerful, then avoidance behaviors win the competition.

Frequently, the avoidance behavior becomes "let's think some more," and the problem is moved into the forebrain for some further planning. This becomes conscious thought (or "rehearsal work" as Freud called it). The new results are then recompeted in the nRT. Once a "seek" or "avoid" behavior exceeds the "let's think some more" threshold, active behavior ensues.

In summary, the decision making process is a search of memory for the "best fit", and the selected behavior is the "best fit", in that, it best matches the drive toward homeostasis/control and incurs the least (or acceptable) risk (Kahneman & Tversky). Thus, the brain mimics "survival of the fittest". The brain mimics this because it fit the circumstances that life faced. In other words, the strategy was naturally selected to fit the demand of the environment - once again, "best fit."

[JAK]

Originally Posted by JAK ... In summary, the decision making process is a search of memory for the "best fit", and the selected behavior is the "best fit", in that, it best matches the drive toward homeostasis/control and incurs the least (or acceptable) risk (Kahneman & Tversky). Thus, the brain mimics "survival of the fittest". The brain mimics this because it fit the circumstances that life faced. In other words, the strategy was naturally selected to fit the demand of the environment - once again, "best fit." ...

Wow, JAK, a year and a half and no replies! Interesting ...

[Mikal]

Survival and the survival of the fittest...

Nature just keeps building new structures on top of the ancient survival brain..
We are here to bypass the body's most ancient instincts of self-preservation. Were not supposed to be into survival...we are to be mastering fear and respecting caution as belonging to our corporeal intelligence which was mastered long ago...the fittest minds live...the untapped mind survives...

[austintorn@aol.com]

The brain's e-mail contains thousands-of-year-old messages from the ancient central nervous system that don't want to stay deleted.

[Mikal]

Its not all bad though...that must be where your ancient Celtic memory flows from as you scribe...the ancient symphonies of Solomen...

[JAK]

Originally Posted by Mikal Survival and the survival of the fittest... Nature just keeps building new structures on top of the ancient survival brain.. We are here to bypass the body's most ancient instincts of self-preservation. Were not supposed to be into survival...we are to be mastering fear and respecting caution as belonging to our corporeal intelligence which was mastered long ago...the fittest minds live...the untapped mind survives...

Not exactly as I might say it, but your description has more flair and panache than my description. My boring explanation is that the mammilian brain (limic system and expanded cortex) provides creatures (like us) the ability to "fine tune" our behavioral responses to the environment.

And ".. mastering fear and respecting caution ..." are key aspects of the brain. We learn and think because we need to in order to survive. As a result, the nasty chemical beta-CCM, which causes stress and even convulsions in high doses, is central to the functioning of consciousness as well as memory. (Strangely, scientific evidence now supports Proverbs - "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" - Proverbs 1:7)

Thanks for stopping by, guys! (My thread was getting lonely. )

[Mikal]

Hi Jak....thought we would expand your thread...it is indeed an interesting subject and yes life would be all about our relational ability to relate to our outer environment...life is quite naturally relational in essence for everything standing in front of us invites relationship....fine-tuning those abilities is the juxtopostion between just surviving and really living life...

peace Mikal