On the Speed of Unconscious Processing

Abstract A theoretical estimation was conducted to explore the potential speed of the unconscious mind. This estimation was based on five reflexes. A series of reflexes were analyzed, including the Achilles, pupillary contraction, triceps, blink, and knee patellar reflex. The analysis entailed the calculation of their bits through differential entropy and standardized discretization. Subsequently, the value obtained from this calculation was divided by their onset latency. This calculation took into account the time of stimulus nerve travel under equiprobable probabilities. In an effort to incorporate biological factors into the analysis, the pupillary contraction reflex was examined through the lens of an adaptation of the Shanon-Hartley theorem. Subsequently, the processing speeds were analyzed in relation to the action's primary roots' gray matter volume and synaptic protein SV2A concentration. This analysis was conducted through the utilization of two-dimensional graphs and a three-dimensional combined graph. Monosynaptic reflexes are theorized to project a line higher in graph space when compared to polysynaptic reflexes and cortical actions. This phenomenon is attributed to the brain's greater optimization of the former compared to the latter. Consequently, the theoretical speed limit of the central nervous system would be contingent upon parameters such as neuron count, connectivity, and gray matter volume fraction. Furthermore, we explore different processing speeds across different gray matter volume fractions, modularization as a computational consequence and central nervous system filtering.