The cell's self-generated "electrome": The biophysical essence of the immaterial dimension of Life?

Immaterial phenomena such as thoughts, consciousness, and the soul can exist without invoking esoteric mechanisms, grounded in two well-established but undervalued physiological processes. The first is the electrical dimension of living entities, termed the 'electrome,' encompassing all ionic currents from cellular to organismal levels; irreversible loss of this electrical activity defines cell death. The second is communication via sender-receiver entities that handle information, which itself is immaterial (has no mass). Both mechanisms are essential for cellular functioning, particularly for the cognitive memory system, with ionic/electrical currents along the cytoskeleton likely playing a key but overlooked role. The paper aims to initiate a discussion platform for developing an integrating vocabulary and experimental approaches.

Study at a glance

Abstract

In the classical "mind-body" wording, "body" is usually associated with the "mass aspect" of living entities and "mind" with the "immaterial" one. Thoughts, consciousness and soul are classified as immaterial. A most challenging question emerges: Can something that is truly immaterial, thus that in the wording of physics has no mass, exist at all? Many will answer: "No, impossible." My answer is that it is very well possible, that no esoteric mechanisms need to be invoked, but that this possibility is inherent to 2 well established but undervalued physiological mechanisms. The first one is electrical in nature. In analogy with "genome," "proteome" etc. "electrome" (a novel term) stands for the totality of all ionic currents of any living entity, from the cellular to the organismal level. Cellular electricity is truly vital. Death of any cell ensues at the very moment that it irreversibly (excluding regeneration) loses its ability to realize its electrical dimension. The second mechanism involves communication activity that is invariably executed by sender-receiver entities that incessantly handle information. Information itself is immaterial (= no mass). Both mechanisms are instrumental to the functioning of all cells, in particular to their still enigmatic cognitive memory system. Ionic/electrical currents associated with the cytoskeleton likely play a key role but have been largely overlooked. This paper aims at initiating a discussion platform from which students with different backgrounds but all interested in the immaterial dimension of life could engage in elaborating an integrating vocabulary and in initiating experimental approaches.