Thoughts on Increasing Intelligence

BY FRANCIS JEFFREY

Timothy Leary has proposed that we think of consciousness and intelligence in terms of an outline of eight dimensions (called "levels," or "circuits" of the brain). The first four dimensions cover mastery of external space-time relationships in the immediate physical/behavioral environment of the human body The other four dimensions concern access to internal structure and processes.

Leary conjectures that the function of LSD and other Psychedelics is to shift our awareness over the continuum of scale and structure represented by these eight levels or circuits. In other words, the brain can be thought of and utilized as a "lens" for focusing on various scales of nature, represented by structures in our CNS—from the largest (physical/behavioral space) down to the smallest (sub-atomic space). The central idea is that all levels of energy/structure/scale are potentially accessible in consciousness.

"Circuits of the brain"—as defined by Leary—and "levels of nature"—as defined by science in general—are imj^marj', or, at best, "relative and fuzzy." A "level" is, in fact, defined by a kind of stability which a structure at that level of scale and organization seems to possess. As an example, an individual cell can act as a unicellular organism (as in protozoa). But if this ceil is smashed, it will disintegrate into smaller organized units—the next level down on the "scale of nature." The essence of this observation is that at certain discrete levels, a relatively liable nexus of organization tends to be maintained.

One of these "islands of stability" in the flux of natural processes is referred to as an Eigen-state. The German prefix, Eigen, means "characteristic of, or proper to, itself." This Eigen-state formulation is applied in all branches of science, ranging from sub-atomic physics (Schrodinger) 10 behavior/perception theory (von Foersier and Piaget) Existence of an Eigen-state implies a "stabilizing mechanism" or a "stabilizing process"—which accounts for the stability by acting to oppose or correct deviations (and perturbations). An Eigen-state defines a nexus of organization where most of the action is concentrated, and each such nexus is relatively isolated from others. This accounts for the "relative and fuzzy" definition of levels.

There is isolation between levels, while there is also coupling between levels. Effects of psychedelic drugs are explained in terms of a shift in relative isolation versus coupling among different pairs of "levels.'

The cerebral cortex of the brain is an approximately continuous, homogenous neural medium, which is molded (or "rutted") into preferred tracks of neural transmission by imprinting and by repeated activity (i.e., behavioral learning). Within this system, there exists a relatively discrete series of dimensions ("levels") within which recurrent circular operations stabilize existing patterns: (1) the sensory-motor loop, representing interaction with the physical/behavioral space outside, and (2) an internal behavior loop, which operates even in isolation from the

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outside world and the many intrinsic Eigen-behavior loops of the neural substrate and the deeper levels of structure within (i.e., neurons, their interconnections, their internal structures, and their complex channels of interaction with one another).

This defines the levels within the CNS. The relative isolation between levels is maintained by circular operations which stabilize the structure at each level. For each level, there are many entities organized at that level (for example, many neurons) and such entities prefer interaction with other entities at the same level. A chemical reaction, for example, in the retina of the eye is almost always interpreted as a signal about the outside world, not as a signal about neurochemistry. Thus isolation means that operations at any given level are primarily self-referencing (i.e., they take their own states as inputs for further processing). Coupling refers to exceptions to this "self-referential closure."

A general theory of intelligence increase agents:

First, define intelligence as "degree of conscious access to one's own structure and processes within." Alternately, define intelligence as "a measure of the extent of access to the principles of one's construction and operation." The idea of "intelligence" implies capacity to use this access in order to respond flexibly and creativity to new situations.

Intelligence agents disrupt the cognitive homeostasis of the several Eigen-stales operating at specific levels of circular operations. This affords access to different potential Eigen-states, and to unstable regions intervening in information space. Circular closure (i.e., isolation) is thus diminished, and coupling is increased between certain levels. When this occurs selectively between any two levels, it may result in decreased coupling within those levels, and between each of these levels and other levels with which each of them is normally coupled. For example, increased coupling among sub-behavioral (i.e., internal behavior) systems may be accompanied by a decrease in coupling at the overt behavior level (i.e., "spaced out").

When coupling between two levels is increased, images of the structure at one level may be translated into the other level. (This assumes that circular operations at each level are not too severely disrupted.) For example, in certain conditions called "imprint vulnerability," the brain copies the external environment.

These notes present the operation of the CNS with psychedelic substances as an extension and elucidation of the usual operations of the CNS without them. It is hoped it will contribute to a rational understanding and sane use of these potentials, as well as serve as precaution against all-too-frequent abuse, based on ignorance, in both "normal" and un-normal conditions.