Integrative Activity of the Brain: An Interdisciplinary Approach

Abstract

Dr. Konorski, a leader in Polish neurophysiology, previously wrote a well-received book synthesizing Pavlovian concepts with the kind of neurophysiology represented by Sherrington and his school. In this newer work, account is taken of more recent discoveries in brain neurophysiology, and this has been related to the newer advances made in experimental psychology. Konorski has chosen not to restrict himself to objective behavior but uses introspection as a datum. A central concept is that of the "gnostic unit," eg, a pencil, an apple, a face. These gnostic units in the different sensory analyzers are not elaborated from sense-datum elements, eg, edges, corners, or more complex shapes of a visual input; but these apparently simpler elements require additional neuronal mechanisms for their isolation from primitive gnostic units. In addition to sensory excitation, gnostic units can be activated internally by associational mechanisms apart from a sensory input, as in a dream or