Neuroscientists are increasingly focusing on the role of electromagnetic fields, known as ephaptic fields, generated by synaptic activation in the brain. These fields, which enable devices like electroencephalograms (EEG) to detect brain activity, may play a crucial role in explaining the elusive phenomenon of consciousness.
Recent experimental findings have provided significant support for this theory. In 2019, researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, USA, made an astonishing discovery when they severed the hippocampus of a mouse.
Despite the separation, it was observed that activity 'jumped' across the severed parts, a phenomenon that can only be attributed to the coupling of the electric field. Notably, this effect disappeared when the sections were spaced more than 400 microns apart.
“It was a moment that excites us and every scientist we have talked to about this,” said co-author Dominique M. Durand. This effect of ephaptic coupling could address a long-standing problem in neuroscience.
Specifically, the speed of normal spike pathways in the brain is insufficient to account for cognitive function. When the capabilities of rapid transmission of ephaptic fields are considered, the speed of information processing in the brain increases by a factor of 5000.
Psychologist Tamlyn Hunt from the University of California, Santa Barbara, highlighted the implications of these findings: “Intriguing experimental results suggest that these same forces play a greater role in the brain than previously thought, and perhaps even in consciousness.”
He noted that the term 'ephaptic' comes from the Greek word for 'touching' and refers to the electrical and magnetic interactions that drive cellular processes.
While the theory of ephaptic fields offers an exciting avenue of research, it is not without challenges. Like other theories of consciousness, it still does not address the 'hard problem': How do biological processes translate into subjective experiences? The gap between the physical mechanisms of the brain and the immaterial nature of consciousness remains a significant scientific mystery.
Nevertheless, this new direction represents a significant shift in understanding consciousness, often compared to deciphering the mysteries of the universe itself. For decades, theories have ranged from comparing the brain to a computer with neurons as transistors to positing that consciousness may have a quantum nature.
The theory of ephaptic fields now joins this array of hypotheses, providing a compelling mechanism based on electromagnetic interactions.
As Durand's team and other experts continue to refine their understanding, scientists hope that new discoveries will illuminate the contours of consciousness. History has shown that seemingly insurmountable mysteries in science are ultimately resolved through the persistence of experts, their evidence, and validations. Unraveling consciousness may not be an exception.