about feelings ... an introductory video

Please note: if you get “Media error” message below, tap on screen 10 times, then wait 1 minute until screen turns green … to start the video

Class Preview: Introducing Impulsing

About Impulsing

Impulsing is a physical model in neuroscience. It describes, in lay terms, how to trace impulse activity, and the work it does, as areas of the Nervous System are energized. These are 4 areas neuroscientists associate with conscious work. With impulsing, we can show how impulsing energizes areas of the Nervous System—to form a stream of consciousness. It’s like showing how electricity energizes components of a radio—to form a stream of sound.

This site is supporting:

1) A bi-weekly online workshop

2) writing the 2nd edition of The Conscious Stream

Like the food pyramid shows how we can maintain balanced nutrition, the impulsing model shows how we can maintain balanced feelings

Impulsing: a new model

… showing a simple way of looking at how the nervous system works, that we can use to see how, at this simplified level, we all work the same

Note: If you give a “media error” message, just tap the window a little, wait a few, and it’ll get going …

Follow-up video below:

Introducing Impulsing – a simplified physical model – 10-15-20 … 31.10 mins.

Abstract for Summer Symposium:

Neuroscience needs a Revolution to Understand Consciousness

A new model: Oxford Abstracts 7-21-23

An Overview: The Impulsing Model

• Impulsing in the name of a model that proposes a middle ground between the complex character of the nervous system and conscious experience. It’s like the food pyramid model provides a middle ground between the body’s metabolism and the nutrition we experience. We use the food pyramid to help keep our nutrition balanced. The impulsing model provides a similar middle ground for the nervous system. For example, with the model, we can see the proposed activity that determines the tension patterns we call our feelings. This is insight we can use to support restoring and maintaining balanced feelings.

• In short, both the food pyramid and the impulsing model relate something complex to something familiar–to give us a way to understand how we can maintain health in these systems.

introducing the impulsing model: 9-26-22

note: if video stalls … tap on the screen … to get it going : )

Video outlines concepts of the class “Introducing the Impulsing Model”

class notes

This class focuses on proposing the presence of lightening-like impulse trails that are formed and converge in the nervous system’s circuitry. These trails, called impulsing, are then used to show the work done in four linked areas of an inner circuitry neuroscientists associate with four kinds of conscious work. Tracing impulsing in these areas shows how we:

experience sensation
form a record of each conscious instant (we experience in our conscious stream) … into a network of records
derive thought from this record network, and
generate (and release) tension patterns in the muscle, we call our feelings … also from this network. At best, the goal of this model is to show how we can promote healthy functioning, in the form of the fluent impulse activity. In fact, the model proposes that the balanced feelings that result, which we experience as emotional balance or well-being, is a reflection of healthy, fluent functioning.

The physical detail that corresponds to this conscious work is overviewed in another video (below): Introducing Impulsing – a simplified physical model–10-15-2010.

Overall, the goal of the model (a simplified description of impulse trail activity in the nervous system) is to give insight into how our everyday feelings evolve, to help us avoid unnecessary personal stress and to help support fluent activity with others … promoting emotional health for all of us.

In other words, this model introduces a new level of self-understanding. It’s based on a simplified physical understanding of how our own nervous system works. It proposes the work done, in terms we can relate to, as flashing impulse trails are formed and converge in the circuits of this system. In short, within the other systems it interfaces, nervous system activity supplements the work of the body’s other integrated systems.

For link to a possible zoom (no charge) workshop: send your email to: impulsing @ icloud. com

Above: Audio Overview about upcoming class:

Introducing Impulsing – a simplified physical model – 10-15-20

Introducing Impulsing

Abstract: Science of Consciousness Conference 2023 Taormina, Sicily, Italy

Introducing Impulsing: A Simplified Model of Proposed Activity in the Nervous System

Our quality of life can often be equated to the quality of our feelings. Yet the central nervous system, which is responsible for consciousness and emotions, can be a complicated circuitry to understand. Impulsing Theory provides a simplified way of visualizing the complex physical character and activity of the nervous system in order to better understand and support everyday emotional health.

As with other systems, the nervous system uses energy to do its work. This theory examines the movement of energy within the nervous system and proposes the presence of lightning-like impulse trails that steadily shoot through its circuitry. As energy is absorbed by a sensory neuron group, a pattern of that group’s neurons is energized. These energized neurons then translate the energy they’ve absorbed into another form, electro-chemical impulses. A pattern of impulses is then propelled to the next linked group and the next, forming a series of energized neuron groups—an impulse trail. As sensory groups monitor conditions in the body and environment, trails form inward. Deeper in the circuitry, when trails converge on the same group in a pathway and overlap on a pattern they have in common in that group, they resolve the content of those incoming trails. We can then infer that the general work of the nervous system is to monitor and resolve, and that fluent monitoring and resolving reflects healthy nervous system activity.

The model shows how these impulse trails energize areas of the nervous system to form our stream of consciousness, including emotional states. Together, they form a series of instants, which like frames on a reel of film, blur together to form a seamless experience—consciousness. For example, when areas of our record network are energized—one energizing the inherent tones of muscle and another the tones of a sensation or thought—they form a tension pattern experienced as an emotion. When that sensation or thought is used to propel further activity, it is no longer present, which releases its tension pattern. We experience this reversal of tension as a satisfying balanced feeling.

Impulsing Theory provides an accessible model for visualizing nervous system activity in order to develop resources and practice activities that lead to these balanced feelings. The model may be used to address stress states or emotional pain by identifying the impulse trail activity that causes it, and then forming a resolution through conscious work to achieve emotional balance. It can also be used preventatively, to develop a lifestyle that routinely forms balanced impulse trails, supporting monitoring and resolving functions of the nervous system, in order to enhance healthy nervous system activity and emotional well-being. In doing so, we also begin to recognize the propulsive effects, as resources, of the social and environmental networks we interface, to better cooperate and support each other in our communities and in ways that benefit society as a whole. For more information, please visit www.impulsing.net.

Abstract

Introducing Impulsing:

A Simplified View on How Our Nervous System Works

When I was growing up, we learned about the food pyramid, a simple model that provides a middle ground between the body’s complex chemical activity and something more familiar—the food that makes up our diet. With the food pyramid, we can maintain a balanced diet to support this part of our health and in terms we can relate to. About this time, I also learned the nervous system, the body’s central system, is responsible for consciousness, which includes feelings, and since I began equating my feelings to my quality of my life, I believed we also needed a middle ground to help support this part of our health too. In other words, I wanted—in fact I needed—a simplified model between the complex physical character of the nervous system and consciousness to support this part of our health in terms of emotional balance. And I wanted a reliable point of reference that I could believe in for guidance—something dependable. So I began what became a lifelong study, and now I’d like to propose a middle ground for the nervous system, the impulsing model, in terms we can relate to in our own experience.

When it comes to explaining a scientific theory or model, a respected scientist once said, “Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple and may as a rule may be expressed in a language comprehensible to anyone.” Let’s see if we can do that with this model! Here is the impulsing model, in three parts.

Part 1 proposes the presence of lightning-like impulse trails, or impulsing, circulating in the nervous system. It is the key concept. Impulsing begins when the system’s sensory groups absorb a pattern of energy, such as sound and light waves. This energy is then translated into another form of energy, the electrochemical energy we call impulses. And a dominant pattern of impulses propels an impulse trail through the system’s pathways. As sensory groups are monitoring conditions in the body and environment, they are forming impulse trails. And when trails are converging, they are resolving conditions in the body and environment. With this activity in mind, we can infer that the generalwork of the system is to monitor and resolve, and we can also infer that fluent monitoring and resolving work is a reflection of healthy activity.

Part 2 applies impulsing to four linked areas of the system that neuroscientists associate with four kinds of conscious work, as they contribute to the stream of consciousness we experience. In Part 2, we’ll follow impulsing and describe the work done, as each of these four linked areas are energized in turn. In Area 1, we see how we experience a sensation in us, as part of us. In Area 2 we see how we make a record of each conscious instant into a lifelong network of records. And as a trail’s energy sinks into related records made in the past, we see that it often leads to experiencing recognition and orientation in consciousness. In Area 3 we see how we derive thoughts from this network of records, and in Area 4 we see how impulsing generates the tension patterns that we call our feelings. Understanding the work in Area 4 is probably the most interesting because here we see that when tension is formed and then released, we experience this reversal of tension as a kind of balance—a balanced feeling. This provides a satisfying sense of emotional balance. Activity in these areas is a key to bring each area to life. Or, we can say that defining and tracing impulsing in these four areas is like defining and tracing electricity, as we describe the work it does as components of a radio are energized to form a stream of sound. In this case, we’ll define impulsing and trace activity in areas of the nervous system we call the conscious pathways to see how it forms a stream of consciousness.

In Part 3, we’ll see how we can use this model in everyday life as the middle ground for restoring and maintaining balance in the body’s nervous system. It’s like how we use the food pyramid as middle ground to restore and maintain balance in the body’s chemistry. In this case, we can use this model in two ways.

First, we can use the model to restore emotional balance. When we experience excessive or extended stress, we can refer to its concepts to see how this stress state occurred and then to identify the conscious work that restores the balance to relieve the stress. It’s like experiencing the symptoms of scurvy and then using an understanding of nutrition to provide Vitamin C in order to restore chemical balance in this system. Second, we can use the model to maintain emotional balance by developing a personal pattern of activities that meets the four base needs we experience. Maintaining emotional balance or balanced feelings is like having and using all the nutrients the body needs to develop and maintain an ongoing balanced diet so that malnourishment doesn’t come up in the first place.

Information on the class that adds detail to these concepts, will be available on this website: www.impulsing.net.

Thank you. Denise Ingebo, Independent Theorist in Neuroscience

to support impulsing project:

Venmo: Denise Ingebo @ Denise-Ingebo