Edelman's presentation, illuminated by slides, film and video, argued that humanity is on the threshold of a new era that will be marked by the realization of William James' dream of a true set of insights as to how we carry out our neurological functions. Edelman's principal proposition was that the metaphor of the brain as computer is far less appropriate than the metaphor of brain as primeval garden-wild, mysterious and richly layered with secrets we can barely imagine. His talk was a celebration of the intricate operation of the physical brain from its embryonic development to its mature function. His oral and visual explication included the presentation of astonishing somatotopic maps demonstrating that each of us develops unique neural configurations. Like snowflakes, they are similar, but never identical, and function somewhat differently to facilitate similar perception, memory and other brain operations associated with consciousness.
Every act of memory is an act of imagination.
Individuality is real and significant. Genes are not a blueprint for your every action. There is an open-endedness in our physical construct that offers the opportunity for creativity at every turn. Attending to the body prepares us to negotiate the boundaries between the mind and body. If there is to be a resurrection, I think it will be of the body.