Physical Foundations of Consciousness: Brain Organisation: The Role of Synapses

TL;DR

This paper explores how the physical state of neural networks, especially synaptic cleft widths, correlates with consciousness, focusing on how neural organization varies between wakefulness and sleep.

Contribution

It proposes that variable synaptic cleft widths and tension across synapses are key physical factors underlying conscious states.

Findings

Synaptic cleft widths are variable and influence neural activity.

Neural network organization changes over the sleep-wake cycle.

Synaptic tension correlates with conscious awareness.

Abstract

We have analysed the many facets of Consciousness into two distinct categories. First: the organisational state of the neural networks at any one time, which determines whether a person is conscious - awake, or unconscious - asleep. Second: the processes that underlie the traffic of electrical signals across these networks that accounts for all the experiences of conscious awareness. This paper addresses the former; namely, how the state of the billions of neural networks and the trillions of additional axons, dendrites and synapses varies over the daily cycle - what physically changes when we go to sleep - what happens when we wake up. We submit that the widths of synaptic clefts are not fixed, but are variable, and that this variable tension across the synapses is the neural correlate of consciousness.