The brain as an organ of the living being
‘The brain as an organ of the living being’ first presents the brain as the organ of vital regulation, which is connected to the organism through various feedback loops. This constant resonance between brainstem and organism is the basis of a background ‘feeling of being alive’ as the foundation of all conscious experience. Second, the relations of brain, organism, and environment are portrayed by means of the functional cycle of perception and movement. As a consequence of this ecological model, consciousness is regarded as the integral of the functional loops between the organism and the environment. In a third step, the development of capacities is traced back to neuroplasticity and implicit memory. This serves as a basis for the investigation into the higher cognitive functions of the brain, in particular, gestalt perception. The focus lies on the principle of resonance between activated neuronal patterns and configurations of stimuli in the environment.