Ephaptic fields

Some theories compare the brain to a computer, with neurons as stand-ins for transistors. Other theories believe the brain to be non-algorithmic, and that consciousness perhaps has a quantum quality.

But one theory in particular is gaining some experimental traction as of late. It explores how human consciousness could be explained through the electromagnetic fields —known as “ephaptic fields” —produced by neurons through synaptic firing. These fields are what allow an electroencephalogram (EEG), for example, to pick up brain activity.

“The ‘ephaptic’ in ephaptic coupling simply means touching,” Tamlyn Hunt, an affiliate guest in psychology at University of California Santa Barbara’s META lab, wrote in an opinion article published in Scientific American. “Though not well-known, the effects of ephaptic fields result from the textbook electric and magnetic interactions that power our cells.”