Abstract
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.
Highlights
Consciousness is a term used widely throughout neuroscience and philosophy, yet thereR
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”
Current literature uses evidence from MRI and EEG studies to explain that damage to certain brain regions prevented multi-sensory signal integration which may be at the root of these hallucinations, but there was no mention of the roles thalamic nuclei played in autoscopic phenomena, or how abnormal cortical activity could transmit incorrect information into the retinogeniculo-cortical oscillations resulting in false information reaching the retina and become re-projected into the external visual field
Summary
Consciousness is a term used widely throughout neuroscience and philosophy, yet there. The theory presented in this article is that the cornerstones of this internal infrastructure of the intrapersonal space are the retinogeniculo-cortical oscillations (e.g. delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma waves) and corticothalamic activity [4] Together, they form an internal visual space that replicates highly processed information that has been received from the periphery about external events and stimuli. Current literature uses evidence from MRI and EEG studies to explain that damage to certain brain regions prevented multi-sensory signal integration which may be at the root of these hallucinations, but there was no mention of the roles thalamic nuclei played in autoscopic phenomena, or how abnormal cortical activity could transmit incorrect information into the retinogeniculo-cortical oscillations resulting in false information reaching the retina and become re-projected into the external visual field
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