The Human Biocomputer coined by John C. Lilly

John C. Lilly

John Cunningham Lilly was an American physician, neuroscientist, psychoanalyst, psychonaut, philosopher and writer....

, refers literally to the "hardware" of the human anatomy

Human anatomy

Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the human body. Anatomy is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy. Gross anatomy is the study of anatomical structures that can be seen by the naked eye...

. This would include the brain

Brain

The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...

, internal organs, and other human organ systems such as cardiovascular, digestive

Digestive

Digestive may refer to:*Digestion, biological process of metabolism*Digestive biscuit, a British semi-sweet biscuit*Digestif, small beverage at the end of a meal...

, endocrine, immune, integumentary

Integumentary system

The integumentary system is the organ system that protects the body from damage, comprising the skin and its appendages...

, lymphatic, muscular, nervous

Nervous system

The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...

, reproductive, respiratory, skeletal, and urinary systems. The biocomputer has stored program properties, and self-metaprogramming properties, with limits determinable and to be determined.

Parts

The functional organization of the human biocomputer:

Level - Parts

11. Above and in Biocomputer: Unknown

10. Beyond Metaprogramming: Supra-Species-Metaprograms

9. To be Metaprogrammed: Supra-Self-Metaprograms

8. To Metaprogram: Self-Metaprogram - Awareness

7. To Program sets of programs: Metaprograms - Metaprogram Storage

6. Detailed instructions: Programs - Program Storage

5. Details of instructions: Subroutines - Subroutine Storage

4. Signs of activity: Biochemical Activity - Neural Activity - Glial Activity - Vascular Activity

3. Brain: Biochemical Brain - Neural Brain - Glial Brain - Vascular Brain

2. Body: Biochemical Body - Sensory Body - Motor Body - Vascular Body

1. External Reality: Biochemical - Chemical - Physical

General clarification

The levels of the human biocomputer are explained thus:
Levels from one to two are the boundaries between external reality and the body. Certain energies and materials (heat, light, sound, food, and secretions) pass through this boundary in special places. Levels two to three are the boundaries of body and brain, in which special structures such as blood vessels, nerve fibers, and cerebrospinal fluid pass. Levels four through eleven are in the brain circuitry, and is the software inside the biocomputer. Levels after ten are termed unknown. This is to allow an openeness for future scientific research, and discoveries. This is also to illustrate the unwillingness to subscribe to any dogmatic belief, to encourage creative, courageous and imaginative investigation, to emphasize the necessity for unknown factors on all levels, and to point out the heuristic

Heuristic

Heuristic refers to experience-based techniques for problem solving, learning, and discovery. Heuristic methods are used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution, where an exhaustive search is impractical...

 nature of this schema.

Mind

Mind

Mind

The concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...

, which is defined as the sum total of all the Programs and Metaprograms (and even supraself metaprograms) of a human biocomputer. This is the software and is looked at as the opposite of the hardware.

The Brain

The brain is defined as the visible, palpable living set of structures to be included in the human biocomputer.

Stored programs

A stored program is defined as a set of instructions which are placed in memory storage of the biocomputer, and which control the biocomputer when orders are given for that program to be activated. These programs can be activated by the same biocomputer, another biocomputer, or a situation outside of the biocomputer.

Metaprogramming

Metaprogramming is defined as a set of instructions, descriptions, and implementations of related thoughts and actions(programs). Self metaprogramming involves the creation, revision, and reorganization of programs and metaprograms.