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I have just uploaded my latest interview.

Consciousness, Intelligence, and Mitochondria

Where does “consciousness” live? The brain? The pineal gland?

“It is now looking like consciousness and intelligence are deeply tied to small organelles in cells called mitochondria. We tend to think of ourselves as a “whole”.  It seems to me my consciousness lives around my head, so explanations that involve the head, brain, or pineal seem to make sense.  But let’s dive deeper.  What is “the brain”?.  Our “brain” is just a logical and orderly collection of cells called astrocytes.  Inside each of these astrocytes is a mitochondria or many mitochondria depending on the state and sub-function of the astrocyte.  These cells work together to form a functional brain.  These independent cells will communicate and work together to perform functions, but they are independent cells capable of their own actions, immune responses, and other independent functions.   

A paper entitled “The Spark of Life and the Unification of Intelligence, Health, and Aging” indicates that “General intelligence (g) represents the factors that influence performance across all academic and cognitive domains. The search for these factors has been ongoing for more than a century and has focused on the brain and cognitive systems that support learning and problem solving. In recent decades, it has become clear that the factors that influence academic and cognitive performance extend to general health and to successful aging in adulthood. The implication is that there may be one or several fundamental processes that influence the functioning of all biological systems, not simply the brain. The functioning of mitochondria is well situated as one of the processes that might unify intelligence, health, and aging. These organelles are located within cells and are the primary producers of cellular energy, among other functions. Energy availability, in turn, is the lowest common denominator needed for the development, maintenance, and optimal functioning of all biological systems. Here, I review the relations among intelligence, health, and aging and outline how the efficiency of mitochondrial functioning can link them together.” 

Previously, mitochondria have been thought of as the ‘powerhouse of the cell,’ more like an engine. The study represents a ‘theoretical shift’ in how mitochondria are understood to facilitate future discoveries across scientific disciplines.  The study indicates that “intelligence” and “consciousness” are tied more to the mitochondrial organelles inside cells than they are to the brain itself.

What we have found is that mitochondria are configurable around DIET and ENVIRONMENT.  This is great news because as we learn more, we will learn better ways to optimize the performance of mitochondria, create more of them, and functionally access and optimize mitochondria using safe natural processes."

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