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The hypothalamus comprises a relatively well developed part of the forebrain in all vertebrates, from the lowest to the highest and, indeed, shows but little change in its nuclear content and differentiation throughout an extensive comparative series which includes every level of mammalian development and even some of the submammalian vertebrates. The neopallial cortex, hwoever is commonly believe to have no representation in submammalian vertebrates, and, as is well recognised, undergoes a progressive elaboration in the evolutionary scale of the mammals until, in man, it achieves the acme of its development. This broad contrast, so apparent in comparative anatomical studies, is equally we reflected in physiological studies. On the one hand, the hypothalamus has been demonstrated to contain neural mechanisms intimiately concerned with the regulation of autonomic functions and basic metabolic activities. On the other, the cortex provides the basis for such highly intergrated functions as those concerned with sensory discimination and the voluntary control of movement. It has, of course, been long accepted that these contrasting aspects of cerebral function are by no means wholly independent of each other. But it is probably fair to say that for many years neurologists have tended to assume that, within the organisation of the cerebrum as a whole, these functions have become segregated to the extent that functional interrelationships between them occur predominantly at lower levels.

Undoubtedly one of the outstanding features of the study of brain functions during recent years is the demonstration that the interaction of corticol and hypothalamic functions is much more direct than had been supposed. For example impulses from important centres in the hypothalamus can be directly projected, through monosynaptic relays, to specific areas of the cortex, while electrical stimulation of these specific areas of the cortex can be shown to affect autonomic activities through the medium of the hypothalamus. Apart, however, from the evidence of specific relationships between hypothalamic nuclei and cortical areas, there is also evidence that the hypothalamus may profoundly influence the activity of the cortex as a whole.

ANATOMICAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE CEREBRAL CORTEX AND THE HYPOTHALAMUS
W. E. LE GROS CLARK, F.R.S. D.Sc. F.R.C.S.  MARGARET MEYER
British Medical Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 4, 1 January 1950, Pages 341–344, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a073627

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The hormones of the pituitary gland help regulate the functions of other endocrine glands. The pituitary gland has two parts—the anterior lobe and posterior lobe—that have two very separate functions. The hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary to release or inhibit pituitary hormone production.

In some cases, the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to stimulate or inhibit hormone production. Essentially, the pituitary acts after the hypothalamus prompts it.

https://www.endocrineweb.com/endocrinology/overview-pituitary-gland

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From here you can see the HPA Axis then sends signals to the adrenals that influence heart rate and blood pressure.

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“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.”

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Sudly said: The mind as I view it begins with the process of mental synthesis in the neocortex that prompts the hypothalamus to send a signal to the pituitary gland that influences the adrenals through the HPA Axis to release stress hormones like adrenalin and cortisol to influence heart rate and blood pressure to enable the mind as a whole to perceive itself through this sensational experience, hence interoception.

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The sympathetic nervous system plays important roles in the beat-to-beat control of blood pressure, the control of blood flow through various organs and the maintenance of core temperature through thermoregulatory processes. The development of microneurography, in which nerve activity can be recorded directly from intraneural microelectrodes inserted percutaneously into a peripheral nerve in awake human subjects, has provided a wealth of information on the control of sympathetic outflow to muscle and skin. Although not intended to be diagnostic, recordings of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA) in different disease states have increased our understanding of the operation of the sympathetic nervous system. And while quantification of sympathetic nerve activity is still largely limited to measures of burst frequency (bursts/minute) and burst incidence (bursts/100 heart beats), the development of single-unit recordings of MSNA and SSNA have provided more detailed information on how the sympathetic nervous system grades its output. This chapter reviews the development of sympathetic microneurography and its application in health and disease.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24095138

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“Characteristic autonomic effects of the neurovegetative system that were notable for the whole animal excitatory syndrome caused by the central stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.”

doczz.net/doc/338366/the-pharmacology-of-psilocybin
http://www.maps.org/research-archive/w3pb/2002/2002_Passie_22704_1.pdf

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Behavioural effects are dependent on dose and the individual reaction and sensitivity to psilocybin, previous experiences and the setting. The major effects are related to the central nervous system, but there are also some sympathomimetic effects.

Psilocin mainly interacts with 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptor subtypes: it is a mixed receptor agonist. In contrast to LSD, psilocin does not have an effect on the dopamine receptor. Tryptamines and phenethylamine hallucinogens both have a relatively high affinity for serotonin 5-HT2 receptors, but they differ in their affinity for other subtypes of serotonin receptors.

EMCDDA | Hallucinogenic mushrooms profile (chemistry, effects, other names (magic mushrooms, shrooms…), origin, mode of use, other names, medical use, control status). (2015). Emcdda.europa.eu. Retrieved 12 April 2017, from http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/drug-profiles/mushrooms

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Psilocin has a high affinity for the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor in the brain, where it mimics the effects of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT). Psilocin binds less tightly to other serotonergic receptors 5-HT1A, 5-HT1D, and 5-HT2C.

European Molecular Biology Laboratory, chebi:8614 psilocybin. (2014). Myhits.isb-sib.ch. Retrieved 12 April 2017, from http://myhits.isb-sib.ch/cgi-bin/view_cla_entry?name=chebi:8614&cla_view_chebi=ChEBI

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Several tissues, organs, and neural circuits contribute to the control of blood pressure, and 5-HT can influence many of them. Table 1 lists the relevant locations of the various 5-HT receptors that contribute to cardiovascular regulation. Although we will briefly describe 5-HT's effects in the kidney, adrenal gland, heart, and blood, the focus of this review is on the vasculature, its control by the sympathetic nervous system, and the central nervous system pathways that determine the sympathetic nerve activity to cardiovascular tissues.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3310484/

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The dynamic interplay between serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] neurotransmission and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis has been extensively studied over the past 30 years, but the underlying mechanism of this interaction has not been defined. A possibility receiving little attention is that 5-HT regulates upstream corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) signaling systems via activation of serotonin 2C receptors (5-HT2CRs) in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH). Through complementary approaches in wild-type rodents and 5-HT2CR-deficient mice, we determined that 5-HT2CRs are necessary for 5-HT-induced HPA axis activation.

http://www.jneurosci.org/content/27/26/6956

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CosmicJoke said:

Petty battle, IMHO.... The real scientific materialists are busy working on their science, they don't have time for message boards.  It's really only the people who make scientific materialism the new inquisition that I have a problem with, yanno the people who had Reich imprisoned and his books burned, or specifically tried to shut down Sheldrake's work....  Not all that different than faith based fundies.

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[
In my view such machines would be considered conscious but not sentient. For machines to cross that barrier though I think is something for another thread as I'm unsure of the technical aspects that would or could correspond AI to my own understandings of biological theory.

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Whether I said it or not those stars would still have existed before life on Earth and consciousness upon it was able to exist, the only difference if I wasn't here is that I wouldn't be aware of the cosmic history behind our planet. Are you suggesting consciousness on Earth is what makes stars exist?

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It's sounding like you may be taking parallels with the idea that the moon only exists when you look at it.

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Best put I'd probably say sentience is an awareness of interoception, like recognising when your heart rate goes whack and being able to focus enough to slow it down. Being able to selectively respond I suppose. 

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Again it doesn't matter whether I or you exist, the stars were there before us, the only difference if we did not exist is that WE would not be aware of the stars existence.

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I can't see some guy called Jerry on the other side of the planet but I'm sure that someone exists over there, and if I died tomorrow that guy would still exist. Again and again I'll say to you that it doesn't matter whether the conscious mind is aware of something it won't change whether or not it exists because objects will and do simply exist irrespective of whether they are perceived by a conscious or sentient mind.

Hold a rock, close your eyes and shit yourself in amazement because it'll still be there! Heck throw that stone in a pond and whadya know? It'll still exist.

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Dream about whatever you want man, if dreams are what made things exist boy would I be living in a different world.

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nameless1 said:

viktor said:

There used to be great materialist vs. idealist debates on here, but the champions of the materialist side (OC, Icelander, Ped) have all gone.

Did the materialists lose?

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Actually, the theory of 'materialism/physicalism' has long been obsolete.
Debating it amounts to debating flat Earth vs spherical.
Old news.

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Agreed!  Bell's Theorem