Pattern Recognition Theory of Mind

I propose that pattern recognition, memorization and processing are key concepts that can be a principle set for the theoretical modeling of the mind function. Most of the questions about the mind functioning can be answered by a descriptive modeling and definitions from these principles. An understandable consciousness definition can be drawn based on the assumption that a pattern recognition system can recognize its own patterns of activity. The principles, descriptive modeling and definitions can be a basis for theoretical and applied research on cognitive sciences, particularly at artificial intelligence studies. Introduction The study of the mind needs overall accepted scientific basis from natural physical basis. This article proposes the fundamental principles to build a scientifically robust theory of mind based on the widely known mechanisms of pattern recognition. I propose that the concepts of pattern recognition, pattern memorization, instinct patterns and pattern processing is a set of key scientific principles to understand the mind functioning. To demonstrate the scientific value of the proposed principles, I also propose a descriptive picture for the functioning of the human, animal, and artificial mind, developed from these principles. The theory includes a comprehensive consciousness definition from physical basis, one of most controversy scientific questions ever. The consciousness definition proposed in this theory is based on the assumption I developed that, a mind modeled as pattern recognition system can recognize its own pattern of mental activity. Other definitions and descriptive solutions to other fundamental questions on cognitive sciences known as easy and hard problems are also discussed. The mind functioning principles proposed here brings is a serious attempt to answer the fundamental scientific questions on the field of cognitive sciences, philosophy of mind, artificial intelligence, biology of mind, and other related areas of mind and brain research. This proposal is scientifically important in the effort to set a scientific foundation on the mind research from the theoretical point of view, since actually no physical concept is predominantly accepted as the basis for the cognitive science. The concepts and definitions proposed here can be useful as an anchor model to others theoretical and applied studies which actually have little theoretical support to base their work. Fundamental Principles and mechanisms of the functioning of the mind: 1 – Mental Patterns The functionality of pattern recognition is actually a scientifically accepted mechanism that performs important role in biological neural systems, and in parallel is actually a very established computer application been a top area at artificial intelligence research. So, the manifestation, existence and functionality of the pattern recognition mechanism is a very established scientific fact. There is no serious doubt that the brain has the ability to recognize patterns, react to patterns, remember patterns, repeat patterns, associate patterns, etc. Conceptually, experiments and scientific observations with human and animals since Pavlov and Hebb until today, and several models from artificial neural mechanism to neural networks, and even traditional computer artificial intelligence also show, incorporate, work or implement the concept of pattern recognition and processing. So, the aspect and property of pattern recognition is a very established concept about the mind, generally related to the concept of perception. Specialized publications on neurobiology and psychology and theoretical and applied recognition systems shows how active is the research on the field of pattern recognition. Various scientific studies on mind research works with the concept of pattern recognition or deals with it through their argumentation in a very broad sense. But none yet took the mechanism or the concept as a fundamental explanatory basis for the functioning of the mind. I therefore go further, and propose that pattern recognition is a fundamental scientific principle to build a theoretical model of mind based on natural physical grounds. So that we can explain the mind main function as to process the recognized patterns, also with memorized patterns and instinctive patterns. I will try to convince you here that this is a theoretical modeling principle valuable enough to building a theory of human, animal or artificial mind. As patterns are recognized, memorized and processed by the mind, we can propose the concept of MENTAL PATTERN as the functional unity concept of the pattern recognition principle. The term MENTAL PATTERN encloses any pattern identifiable by any language, theory, process, mechanism, body, model, description, activity, etc. It may be a standard visual image, tactile sensation, chemical taste perception, perceived action, thought, concept, etc. I am proposing that all the humans and other animals mentally do is to process patterns. The biological basis of the concept of mental pattern used here is in agreement to the standard biophysical state view of the nervous system. It is well known that the nervous system of animals has activity when stimulated externally, or by physiological process even on thought and introspection (if human). At a bio-physical perspective I propose that there is a correlation between the endless possible bio-physical states of the nervous system with the endless real patterns that the mind can interact and recognize from the world included the patterns of its self functioning. This correlation process between the mental patterns and the world patterns is what could be called the mind representational framework. Thus a mental pattern (neural-physiological state) can be activated by a detected sensorial stimulus from an external (or self) physical pattern. A mental pattern may activate others mental patterns (or combination of patterns), and mental patterns may cause physiological reactions such as muscle movements, and even thinking and consciousness behavior. 2 – Instinctive Mental Patterns Some patterns such as hungry, pain, sleepiness, etc, are the basic mental patterns that are recognized and have a response from the brain since born or during any stage of our life. The modeling of these mental instinctive patterns is important because they can help to understand the possible descriptions of the learning process proposed below, and other characteristics such as animal and human desire, curiosity, the freedom of thought, free will, etc. Studies about the cognitive role of emotions, motivation and intuition are among current works supporting the relevance of instinctive mental patterns. Summarizing, the instinctive mental patterns may be important both as patterns that define the initial conditions of the mind and as the influence on behavior throughout life. Bio-physically, mental instinctive patterns may be associated with innate neural-physiological states in the brain structure or to some patterns of brain preferred responses that have the ability to be activated even without learning or prior memorization. 3 Mental Patterns Memorization The brain has the mental capacity to record some patterns so that they are activated (recalled) more easily in the future processing. These patterns are stored as memory, and can be reactivated as a response or remembering. The memorization of external patterns in the brain is widely scientifically known and accepted since the experiments of Pavlov and Hebb to the modern experiments with memory. The memory bio-physical background can be modeled as an increase in the likelihood, frequency or the intensity of recognition or activation of a mental pattern related to an external physical pattern detection, or self functioning pattern detection. 4 Mental Patterns Activation (dynamics or processing) Recognition and memorization of patterns by the brain can be seen among the most important properties of what we can call the processing or dynamics of patterns, i.e., the brain has mechanisms to work with patterns in several ways. Other mechanisms of the brain activation patterns that I propose are: Repetition of mental patterns (automatic activation) Association of mental patterns (an active mental pattern actives others mental patterns) The repetition of mental patterns is a mechanism I propose that might be considered analogous to the concept of cpu clock frequency in digital computers, i.e., in some way the brain is constantly activating various mental instinctive patterns, memorized mental patterns or patterns from the contact with the environment. The repetition of patterns of mental activation as will describe, may be a basis for the ongoing process of thought, the repetition of patterns of desires, curiosities, comparisons, ratings, etc, and also may be a basis for a scientific definition of free will, self-determination, etc. The bio-physical basis of the repetition of the mental patterns can be any mental pattern firing mechanism commonly studied at neurobiology researches and some theoretical and computational models. Perhaps this is the most questionable of the proposed concepts, but, any other neural activation mechanisms one can suggest, it will activate and process mental patterns in a similar manner. I adopted this concept due to its feasibility and to its modeling simplicity. The association of mental patterns can be compared as the arc-reflex, or the activation of a particular sensorial, instinctive or memory pattern from or after the activation of some other mental pattern. The computer analogy is the IF X THEN Y instruction, if pattern X is active then it actives pattern Y, which can also be regarded as the biological basis of the formal logic. The bio-physical basis of the association of mental patterns is the same as the pattern recognition. In fact the association of mental patterns can be viewed as the recognition of the association pattern of mental patterns. I use the association of mental patterns as an auxiliary modeling concept. The terms, instinct, memory, activation, repetition and association of mental patterns are useful to a comprehensive mind modeling that I propose hereafter to describe the key mental functions. Easy Problems Basics Solutions of Theory: Solutions proposed for the easy problems of cognitive