From Brain Dynamics to the Mind

Dr. Northoff is a neuroscientist and psychiatrist at the University of Ottawa. He has global outreach with world-wide collaborations and affiliations. The main focus of his research is on unravelling the connection of brain and mind, that is, how neuronal activity transforms into mental activity. He is world-wide known for his work on the neuroscience of self and consciousness, psychiatric disorders, and neurophilosophy. Additionally, he published several major books on major neuroscientific, psychiatric and neurophilosophical issues which have been translated into several languages.

PART I Brain dynamics Section 1 Variability of the brain 1. The fluctuating brain-essentials of neural variability 2. Neural variability in rest and task states 3. Neural variability shapes perception and cognition 4. Neurodynamic mechanisms of neural variability Section 2 Scale-freeness of the brain 5. From broccoli to the brain - Scale-free activity 6. From scale-free activity to temporo-spatial nestedness 7. Scale-free dynamic shapes perception and cognition 8. Scale-free activity – bridge between environment and brain Section 3 Timescales of the brain 9. The brain’s inner time – intrinsic neural timescales 10. Intrinsic neural timescales mediate input processing 11. From Chronos and Kairos to the brain’s temporal receptive windows 12. Lessons from geology – from the human brain to artificial agents Section 4 Synchrony of the brain 13. Synchrony in nature and brain 14. Entrainment – How the brain synchronizes with its environment 15. Global synchronization in the brain 16. Neural synchronization in fMRI and EEG/MEG - a methodological guide Part II Dynamic layer model of brain Section 1 Dynamic layers and the brain 17. Layers of the brain - An introduction 18. Background and foreground layers I: Scale-free stability versus oscillatory flexibility 19. Background and foreground layers II - nonlinear and asymmetric relationship Section 2 From dynamic layers to cognition 20. Baseline model of cognition I: Distinction from dual model of cognition 21. Baseline model of cognition II: Spatiotemporal shaping of cognition and input processing 22. Dynamic capacities and cognition Section 3 Dynamic layer model of brain vs other models of brain 23. Cognitive model and predictive coding 24. Intrinsic and inside-out models of brain 25. Brain and world - converging free energy principle and dynamic layer theory of brain Part III Mind dynamics Section 1 The self 26. The self and its intrinsic topography 27. The dynamic of self and its semantics 28. The self - psychological baseline or default 29. From icebergs to the self – point of view Section 2 Meditation 30. Topographic reorganization model of meditation 31. Topographic reorganization of the self 32. Dynamic reorganization of the brain Section 3 Dreams 33. From Salvador Dali to dreams - topographic reorganization model of dreams 34. From falling keys to dreams - Dynamic reorganization Section 4 Thoughts 35. How dynamics shape our thoughts 36. Baseline model of thought Section 5 Consciousness 37. The jungle of consciousness – current neuroscientific theories 38. Order in the jungle of consciousness – convergence of theories 39. Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness I – form and level/state 40. Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC) II: Contents 41. From brain to consciousness - “common currency hypothesis” Section 6 Autism 42. Dynamic shapes perception and behavior in autism 43. Hierarchical model of autistic self