Brain and Conscious Experience Study Week September 28 to October 4,
The planning of this Study Week at the Pontifical Academy of Science from September 28 to October 4, 1964, began just two years before when the President, Professor Lemaitre, asked me if 1 would be responsible for a Study Week relating Psychology to what
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BRAIN and CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE Study Week September 28 to October 4, 1964, of the Pontificia -A cademia Scientiarum
Edited by
JOHN C. ECCLES
SPRINGER-VERLAG NEW YORK INC.
1966
ISBN-13: 978-3-642-49170-2 e-lSBN-13: 978-3-642-49168-9 DOl: 10.1007/978-3-642-49168-9 The scientific papers and discussions of the Study Week are originally published in volume 30 of PONTIFICIAE ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARUM SCRIPTA VARIA © 1965 by Pontificia Academia Scientiarum, Citta del Vaticano Softcover reprint of the hardcover I st edition 1965 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 66-20376 Title No. 1363
Dedicated to the memory of two eminent Pontifical Academicians who contributed so much to the scientific and philosophical concepts that are the theme of this Study Week: C. S. Sherrington (1857-1952), E. Schrodinger (1887-1961).
Preface The planning of this Study Week at the Pontifical Academy of Science from September 28 to October 4, 1964, began just two years before when the President, Professor Lemaitre, asked me if 1 would be responsible for a Study Week relating Psychology to what we may call the Neurosciences. 1 accepted this responsibility on the understanding that 1 could have assistance from two colleagues in the Academy, Professors Heymans and Chagas. Besides participating in the Study Week they gave me muchneeded assistance and advice in the arduous and, at times, perplexing task that 1 had undertaken, and 1 gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to them. Though there have been in recent years many symposia concerned with the so-called higher functions of the brain, for example with perception, learning and conditioning, and with the processing of information in the brain, there has to my knowledge been no symposium specifically treating with brain functions and consciousness since the memorable Laurentian Conference of 1953, which was later published in 1954 as the book, "Brain Mechanisms and Consciousness." It was therefore my purpose from the beginning not only to bring together for the Study Week those who had contributed significantly to a wide range of problems related to the theme of the Study Week, but also to have their Contributions and particularly their Discussions published for world distribution, and not merely in a limited edition for private circulation, as has recently occurred with two Study Weeks of the Academy. 1 must express my gratitude and deeply felt appreciation to the publishers, Springer-Verlag, and particularly to Dr. Heinz G6tze, for their cooperation and tenacity in bringing this project eventually to a successful conclusion. I should mention that 1 was not able to invite any professional philosophers to the Study Week. Early in the planning I was instructed by the Chancellor that "the Academy by its constitution has for aim to promote the study and progress of the physical, mathematical and natural sciences and their history. Thus the discussion of philosophical questions is excluded." I replied, "I fear that some of your concern derives from the different linguistic usages that we hav
