ON CELLS & CONSCIOUSNESS

The cell is highly secular. Pointing to its multi-layered, hierarchically nested, decision-making labyrinth of cellular consciousness, some people imply that functioning of cells can be equated with consciousness - a holograph of consciousness, which they describe as Mother Nature and we as the Consciousness sea. They equate its functional normality (अप्रमाद) or abnormality (प्रमाद) with physiology and pathology respectively. This is the very description of Sanat Sujaatiya – the other important chapter in Mahabharata after Gita.

You say that the cell responds holographically. It is the same as यथा पिण्डे तथा ब्रह्माण्डे – microcosm mirrors macrocosm. You say the cell responds as a whole and is solution centric. This is what we called in our Kathmandu paper as कर्मव्यूह. The supra-molecular chemistry is प्रक्रम and अभिक्रम. We had also referred to the Sodium-potasium pump and ATP. Molecules and organelles can be visualized as the tools, appliances, and inner rooms of the cell. What you call as vehicles, we called these receptacles. Then you ask the question, which can be translated from our perspective as: whether the functioning of the cell is deterministic like the programming of a computer or does it show freewill also, which needs mind, self, life consciousness etc? Then you proceed to suggest a model. From here, you go on to describe consciousness through hardware, interaction and Western notations. We described it through software and energy and Vedic notations.

Mind, like RAM in computers, powers neurons for processing and transport of information. Almost every region of cortex sends fibers to the two claustra - which are the grand central station. These connections are reciprocated by other fibers that extend back from claustrum to the originating cortical region. Mirror neurons in brain reflect reaction as if involved in action, but without actual participation. Claustrum is base of intelligence - mixer of sensory inputs - not cognizer. DNA, neurons, mind, intelligence etc. are field (क्षेत्र – gita 13-5/6, 20) - hence digital. Consciousness is analog (gita 13- 2, 16). Flashes of firing of positrons only reflect position of conscious function – not consciousness proper as “I know….” or perception of happiness and sorrow, etc.

Computers run on standard/special programs which is soft – i.e., flexible to be instantly reprogrammed. These are put to hardware (physical body including brain and neurons). Software is life other than प्राण and body (लिङ्गशरीर). RAM is used for speedy (at least 1000 times faster than HDD) access and temporary storage of information. Large amount of non-random, permanent mass is stored in HDD. Mind acts like RAM. Brain, like HDD, stores information in various compartments to be retrieved when needed. Basic function of RAM is to support applications (tasks). Mind supports sensory instruments and reports to intelligence. RAM has volatile memory - it stops working when power is cut off. Mind does so in deep sleep (Prashnopanishat 4-2). Intelligence, like the CPU, does the processing. CPU cannot execute a program which is “on the disc” and has not been loaded in RAM. Intelligence acts through mind. If memory speed is slower than Front Side Bus (FSB), it takes too long to fetch an instuction or an operand. Mind shows dullness or brightness based on its specie specific speed.

Praana is the power supply for body. First breathing is like basic input-output system (BIOS) of computer, which boots the PC and searches and loads the OS to RAM from ROM that can’t be modified (equivalent to memory content of linga shareera of previous birth. This is crucial for child behavior after birth). First breathing is like first booting. In computer, CMOS battery keeps 64-bytes of memory located in cmos chip alive even after battery is switched off. This function is done by linga shareera, which preserves some memory of previous birth, even after death. CPU and RAM differ in processing capabilities (arithmetic dexterity) and storage capacity respectively. Thus we see different levels of intelligence in different species. These are input, memory, processing, and output related and not perception related (as “I know” or happiness, pain, desire, etc). Like consciousness, OS is same for all computers but BIOS varies from computer to computer. Like लिङ्गशरीर, it’s a program semi-permanently stored into one of computer’s main chips. The OS creates virtual memory on HDD by creating a page file when the system runs out of RAM like we recollect. More recollections correlated with greater connectivity among different regions of brain. Doi: J. Neurosci. 35, 1763 (2015). Sometimes “overclocking” boosts up OS speed - sudden bright ideas.

On switching the power button, the computer converts AC current to DC current and regulates voltage. DC current has uniform direction of flow. Transfer varistors (transistors) send signal to mother board and CPU. In the transistor, output current is controlled by varying the number of current carriers (free electrons).  It is a current amplifier and is not a perfect switch. When off; there is a small current that flows. When on, it has a small voltage drop depending on the collector and base currents. When using a transistor as a switch, there is an unequal drop across the collector emitter junction and across the base emitter junction. It keeps lowering the voltage drop across the collector emitter junction by increasing the voltage drop across the resistor and thus increases the current, until the transistor saturates. Circuits that require current flow in only one direction typically include one or more diodes in the circuit design. Most common diodes are made from semiconductor materials such as silicon or germanium (CMOS). Switching diodes are like switches and are single diodes in a discrete package.  There are different types of diodes (such as light emitting diode). Bipolar transistors consist of three terminals labelled as emitter (a), base (b) & collector (c) (आत्मा/उक्थ, ब्रह्म/प्राण, साम/पशु). Transistor’s ability to change between insulator and conductor enables it to have: “switching” functions (digital electronics) or “amplification” (analogue electronics) functions. Bipolar transistors have the ability to operate within three different regions: active, saturated, cut-off regions.

Processor clears memory register and gives the CPU program counter a F000 hexadecimal number. It tells CPU that now it is ready to process BIOS. It begins power-on self-test (POST) sequence. If it passes initial test, the computer looks at the first 64-bytes of memory located in the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip, which is kept alive by the CMOS battery even when computer is turned off (like लिङ्गशरीर). CMOS chip contains information about system time and date and information about all the hardware installed in computer. Then POST begins inspecting and comparing system settings with what is installed in the computer. Next, post checks real-time clock (RTC) or system timer and computer system bus to make sure both are properly working on the computer (miscarriage or not). POST loads memory contained on the display adaptor and makes it part of the overall system BIOS.  POST checks memory to see if it is cold boot or warm boot. Then it checks RAM by writing to each chip. Finally POST sends signals to all drives to test the drives. If all tests are successful, POST instruct the computer to start the process of loading the operating system and all of its associated files. BIOS hands control to Boot-Strap Loader to check Boot Sector and hard drive. Finally after all sequences are completed, the operating system starts to function.