Here are some alternative views on the topic of "how does the brain think?":
1. The Brain as a Receiver/Transmitter of Consciousness (Idealism/Panpsychism): This perspective challenges the mainstream materialistic view that consciousness arises from the brain. Instead, it proposes that consciousness is fundamental and pre-exists the brain. The brain, in this view, acts as a receiver or filter, tuning into a universal field of consciousness. Thinkers like Rupert Sheldrake (morphic resonance) and proponents of panpsychism (the idea that consciousness is a fundamental property of all matter) support this. Evidence includes subjective experiences like near-death experiences (NDEs), mystical experiences, and certain altered states of consciousness where individuals report accessing information seemingly beyond their physical senses. This view contrasts sharply with mainstream neuroscience, which seeks to identify the neural correlates of consciousness within the brain itself. The brain, instead of creating thought, processes and channels it from a broader source.
2. The Brain as a Quantum Computer: While mainstream neuroscience acknowledges the importance of electrical and chemical signaling, this view emphasizes the potential role of quantum mechanics in brain function. Proponents like Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff ("Orchestrated Objective Reduction" theory - Orch-OR) suggest that consciousness arises from quantum computations within microtubules inside brain neurons. This theory attempts to explain subjective experience and non-algorithmic processes that classical computation struggles with. Some evidence comes from anesthetic experiments that appear to affect microtubule function and correlate with loss of consciousness. This perspective differs from the mainstream by focusing on sub-neuronal quantum processes as the seat of thought and consciousness, rather than solely on neuronal networks and synaptic activity. Instead of thinking being the product of electrical signals and neuron firings, thought is fundamentally quantum and uses quantum events to exist.
3. The Brain as Primarily Embodied and Situated: This perspective challenges the notion of the brain as a detached, information-processing center. Instead, it emphasizes the role of the body and the environment in shaping thought and cognition. Embodied cognition suggests that thinking is deeply intertwined with physical actions, sensory experiences, and interactions with the world. Situated cognition emphasizes the influence of the immediate context and social environment on cognitive processes. Examples include how our understanding of language is grounded in physical experiences and how our problem-solving abilities are influenced by the tools and resources available in our environment. This view differs from the mainstream by highlighting the distributed nature of cognition, extending beyond the brain to encompass the body and the external world.
In summary, while the mainstream views the brain as an information-processing organ that generates consciousness, alternative perspectives propose the brain as a receiver of consciousness, a quantum computer, or an embodied and situated system deeply intertwined with the body and environment.