Functional and Neural Mechanisms of Out-of-Body Experiences: Importance of Retinogeniculo-Cortical Oscillations

Current research on the various forms of autoscopic phenomena addresses the clinical and neurological correlates of out-of-body experiences, autoscopic hallucinations,and heautoscopy. Yet most of this research is based on functional magnetic resonance imaging results and focuses predominantly on abnormal cortical activity. Previously we proposed that visual consciousness resulted from the dynamic retinogeniculo-cortical oscillations, such that the photoreceptors dynamically integrated with visual and other vision-associated cortices, and was theorized to be mapped out by photoreceptor discs and rich retinal networks which synchronized with the retinotopic mapping and the associated cortex. The feedback from neural input that is received from the thalamus and cortex via retinogeniculo-cortical oscillations and sent to the retina is multifold higher than feed-forward input to the cortex. This can effectively translate into out-of-body experiences projected onto the screen formed by the retina as it is perceived via feedback and feed-forward oscillations from the reticular thalamic nucleus, or “internal searchlight”. This article explores the role of the reticular thalamic nucleus and the retinogeniculo-cortical oscillations as pivotal internal components in vision and various autoscopic phenomena

Meditation Experiences, Self, and Boundaries of Consciousness

Our experiences with the external world are possible mainly through vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell providing us a sense of reality. How the brain is able to seamlessly integrate stimuli from our external and internal world into our sense of reality has yet to be adequately explained in the literature. We have previously proposed a three-dimensional unified model of consciousness that partly explains the dynamic mechanism. Here we further expand our model and include illustrations to provide a better conception of the ill-defined space within the self, providing insight into a unified mind-body concept. In this article, we propose that our senses “super-impose” on an existing dynamic space within us after a slight, imperceptible delay. The existing space includes the entire intrapersonal space and can also be called the “the body’s internal 3D default space”. We provide examples from meditation experiences to help explain how the sense of ‘self’ can be experienced through meditation practice associated with underlying physiological processes that take place through cardio-respiratory synchronization and coherence that is developed among areas of the brain. Meditation practice can help keep the body in a parasympathetic dominant state during meditation, allowing an experience of inner ‘self’. Understanding this physical and functional space could help unlock the mysteries of the function of memory and cognition, allowing clinicians to better recognize and treat disorders of the mind by recommending proven techniques to reduce stress as an adjunct to medication treatment

The Dynamic Role of Breathing and Cellular Membrane Potentials in the Experience of Consciousness

Understanding the mechanics of consciousness remains one of the most important challenges in modern cognitive science. One key step toward understanding consciousness is to associate unconscious physiological processes with subjective experiences of sensory, motor, and emotional contents. This article explores the role of various cellular membrane potential differences and how they give rise to the dynamic infrastructure of conscious experience. This article explains that consciousness is a body-wide, biological process not limited to individual organs because the mind and body are unified as one entity; therefore, no single location of consciousness can be pinpointed. Consciousness exists throughout the entire body, and unified consciousness is experienced and maintained through dynamic repolarization during inhalation and expiration. Extant knowledge is reviewed to provide insight into how differences in cellular membrane potential play a vital role in the triggering of neural and non-neural oscillations. The role of dynamic cellular membrane potentials in the activity of the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, cardiorespiratory system, and various other tissues (such as muscles and sensory organs) in the physiology of consciousness is also explored. Inspiration and expiration are accompanied by oscillating membrane potentials throughout all cells and play a vital role in subconscious human perception of feelings and states of mind. In addition, the role of the brainstem, hypothalamus, and complete nervous system (central, peripheral, and autonomic)within the mind-body space combine to allow consciousness to emerge and to come alive. This concept departs from the notion that the brain is the only organ that gives rise to consciousness

THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN UNILATERAL BALANCE AND KICKING

Balance is a common coaching cue and technical factor associated with kicking in the football codes. The aim of this study was to compare balance ability and maximal kick performance for the punt kick. Fifteen elite junior Australian Football players performed maximal punt kicks with their preferred and non-preferred legs with foot and ball speed calculated using VICON. Balance ability was assessed unilaterally during three 20 s standing tasks on a force plate using centre of pressure range and medio-lateral force standard deviation. No relationship was found between balance ability and kick performance, similar to soccer kicking. Future work should explore balance in more kick-specific tasks

How lateral inhibition and fast retinogeniculo-cortical oscillations create vision: A new hypothesis

The role of the physiological processes involved in human vision escapes clarification in current literature. Many unanswered questions about vision include: 1) whether there is more to lateral inhibition than previously proposed, 2) the role of the discs in rods and cones, 3) how inverted images on the retina are converted to erect images for visual perception, 4) what portion of the image formed on the retina is actually processed in the brain, 5) the reason we have an after-image with antagonistic colors, and 6) how we remember space. This theoretical article attempts to clarify some of the physiological processes involved with human vision. The global integration of visual information is conceptual; therefore, we include illustrations to present our theory. Universally, the eyeball is 2.4 cm and works together with membrane potential, correspondingly representing the retinal layers,photoreceptors, and cortex. Images formed within the photoreceptors must first be converted into chemical signals on the photoreceptors’ individual discs and the signals at each disc are transduced from light photons into electrical signals. We contend that the discs code the electrical signals into accurate distances and are shown in our figures. The pre-existing oscillations among the various cortices including the striate and parietal cortex,and the retina work in unison to create an infrastructure of visual space that functionally ‘‘places” the objects within this ‘‘neural” space. The horizontal layers integrate all discs accurately to create a retina that is pre-coded for distance. Our theory suggests image inversion never takes place on the retina,but rather images fall onto the retina as compressed and coiled, then amplified through lateral inhibition through intensification and amplification on the OFF-center cones. The intensified and amplified images are decompressed and expanded in the brain, which become the images we perceive as external vision

KINEMATIC COMPARISON OF KICKING A STATIONARY AND ROLLING BALL

Much biomechanical research has examined stationary ball kicking in soccer. However, most kicks in games are performed on a rolling ball. It is important to evaluate this kick as findings for stationary ball kicking might not transfer. The aim of this study was to compare stationary and rolling ball kicks. Nine skilled soccer players performed three kicks under four pre-kick ball conditions (stationary, rolling 30? relative to kick direction, rolling 90? relative to kick direction, dribbling). Lower body kinematics were captured using VICON Nexus (250 Hz), analysed in Visual 3D and compared via a factorial ANOVA. No significant difference existed for foot speed at ball contact, or leg kinematics between stationary and rolling ball conditions Further, kinematics did no change regardless of the approach angle of the ball indicating kinematics do not change regardless of pre-kick ball conditions. Future stationary-rolling ball comparison work should examine kinetics, support leg mechanics and foot to ball interaction

Historical Trauma\u27s Impact on Dating Violence and Pregnancy Among Urban Native Americans

Native Americans have high rates of teen births and intimate partner violence, though little is known about how historical trauma impacts these experiences. The research that has been conducted on teen pregnancy and violence has been among reservation-based Native Americans; little research has been conducted on the experiences of urban Native Americans. The research question for this study examined the potential impact of historical trauma on the lives of parenting urban Native Americans. This phenomenological study gathered the narrative lived experiences of participants via semistructured interviews. Purposeful random sampling was used to recruit 7 parenting urban Native American teens aged 18 to 25 residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Interview responses were transcribed and entered into NVivo11-© to support the analysis. Nine themes were identified: chaos; trauma; violence; family, with the subcategory of negative family experiences; responsibility; altered life plans; historical trauma as defined by past events; traditions; and sense of belonging. It was not explicit how historical trauma as defined in the literature had impacted the lives of urban Native Americans and how they raised their children. However, the participants experienced violence and trauma, which impacted outcomes in their lives. The social implications of this study are that it supports the development of culturally sensitive interventions targeted towards urban Native Americans. The findings of this study identified gaps in services for urban Native Americans that community groups and other agencies can use to develop or expand targeted support services focused on urban Native American needs

USE OF ACCELEROMETERS IN AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL TO IDENTIFY A KICK

The use of inertial measurement units (IMUs) is growing in elite sports such as Australian Football (AF). The purpose of this study was to identify ball contact (BC) and ball release (BR) of an AF kick and its intensity on the basis of IMU accelerometer data. A mechanical kicking limb, designed to replicate an AF kick, performed six punt kicks at six different angles. The acceleration dataset of each kick was analysed with Matlab and the characters BC and BR of the kick were obtained from high speed video footage and just over 43% was correct identified in the acceleration data. The kicks were correctly identified by Matlab as a kick. Kick intensity was obtained from the acceleration data. An AF kick identifier arose from this study. According to the findings, further analysis should analyse a kick with an accelerometer with a higher acceleration range