JITOTM27: Coma Consciousness

Controversy alert: a woman in a so-called 'vegetative state' proves to have what investigators suggest may be a 'rich mental life', according to functional MRI scans.

As Jay puts it, "this is going to set the cat among the pigeons." The obvious question raised, is how many people in so-called vegetative states are actually experiencing a rich mental life? This new finding is bound to influence discussion of cases like that of Terry Schiavo, and the ethical issues it raises.

But let's not jump to conclusions. We don't yet know what the findings really mean; just because one person in a vegetative state shows brain activity doesn't mean they all have brain activity. It's a sad fact that most people who are thought to be brain-dead really are brain-dead.

Nevertheless, this is an immensely important finding in the field of conscsiousness research, and one well worth the flurry of discussion it's bound to raise. We dive into the debate in this week's episode of JITOTM, Coma Consciousness.

Behind the curtain

• Audio files for audiophiles: we're using a different system to record this year, a portable set-up rather than a studio. The main goal was to reduce file size. The second goal was to make conversation more conversational, by recording in comfortable familiar settings. The third goal was to maintain quality and consistency of recording. The producer (me) is working out just a few bugs (mic bumps, primarily, plus a little too much seperation between left and right in the stereo mix.) It should be smooth as silk by next week.
  
  
• Coming up: Speaking of next week, we're beginning a three-part series on sleep and dreams, by request of you, the listeners. We'll cover everything from sleep consciousness, to sleep walking, to lucid dreaming. Stay tuned!
  
  
• Where's the music? It's been an ongoing JITOTM issue since the beginning: tunes or no tunes? We've gone without music so far this year, and though one person says they miss it, we're getting more comments and compliments than ever.... I love the music, personally, but it does increase the file size and adds complications in production. For now it's out, but hey... feel free to disagree. We're listening.
  
  
• Buying Jay's books: Some folks, especially those in the US, were having a hard time finding Jay's books online. So we've entered into an affiliation with Chapters-Indigo, which should make it easier to purchase the books you want by clicking through from this site. We're also planning to link to the books we refer to in the shows, in case you're interested in further reading. Also, let us know if you'd like reviews or recommendations of books or other media, and we can add that feature here on the website.

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