Joseph Bogen
Encyclopedia
Joseph E. Bogen, M.D. was a neurophysiologist who specialized in split brain
research and focused on theories of consciousness
. He was a clinical professor of neurosurgery at the University of Southern California
, Adjunct Professor of Psychology at UCLA, and a visiting professor at Caltech.
.
He was raised in Ohio, moved to Southern California at 16 and graduated from Monrovia High School, Monrovia, California
in 1943. He began undergraduate studies at Caltech in 1943, but left to join the United States Navy
in 1944. He was deployed to the South Pacific and was honorably discharged in 1946. He completed his undergraduate education at Whittier College
and received a B.A. in Economics in 1949. He enrolled in the University of Cincinnati
and UCLA, followed by the USC School of Medicine
.
In 1955, he married the former Glenda A. Miksch, R.N. They had three children, a boy named Glen David, who died in infancy, and two daughters, Meriel and Mira.
Dr. Bogen received his M.D.
from the University of Southern California in 1956. From 1956-57 he completed an internship in Surgery at the New York Hospital Cornell
, from 1957-58, he completed his residency in Surgery at that institution. From 1958-59, he was a Fellow in Medical Sciences at the National Research Council. From 1959-63, he was a Resident in Neurosurgery, at White Memorial Hospital. In 1966, he received his board certification and was a Diplomate, American Board of Neurological Surgery.
laid the foundation for the development of modern ideas about the unique identities of the right and left brains. His work played a crucial role in the development of the split-brain experiments that won Caltech’s Roger Sperry the 1981 Nobel Prize
in physiology.
At the time of his death, Bogen had been researching the site in the brain where consciousness is located and was preparing a book about his findings.
Bogen lent his expertise in Wernicke's area
to Julian Jaynes
, assisting Jaynes in the development of the bicameral hypothesis
.
Split-brain
Split-brain is a lay term to describe the result when the corpus callosum connecting the two hemispheres of the brain is severed to some degree. The surgical operation to produce this condition is called corpus callosotomy and is usually used as a last resort to treat otherwise intractable epilepsy...
research and focused on theories of consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
. He was a clinical professor of neurosurgery at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, Adjunct Professor of Psychology at UCLA, and a visiting professor at Caltech.
Childhood, education and family
Joseph E. “Joe” Bogen, M.D. was born on July 13, 1926, in Cincinnati, OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
He was raised in Ohio, moved to Southern California at 16 and graduated from Monrovia High School, Monrovia, California
Monrovia, California
Monrovia is a city located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 36,590 at the 2010 census, down from 36,929 at the 2000 census...
in 1943. He began undergraduate studies at Caltech in 1943, but left to join the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in 1944. He was deployed to the South Pacific and was honorably discharged in 1946. He completed his undergraduate education at Whittier College
Whittier College
Whittier College is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. As of January 2009, the college has approximately 1540 enrolled students.-Overview:...
and received a B.A. in Economics in 1949. He enrolled in the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
and UCLA, followed by the USC School of Medicine
Keck School of Medicine of USC
The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California is a major center of medical research, education and patient care. Founded in 1885, the Keck School of Medicine is the oldest medical school in Southern California.Located on the university’s Health Sciences campus three miles ...
.
In 1955, he married the former Glenda A. Miksch, R.N. They had three children, a boy named Glen David, who died in infancy, and two daughters, Meriel and Mira.
Dr. Bogen received his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from the University of Southern California in 1956. From 1956-57 he completed an internship in Surgery at the New York Hospital Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, from 1957-58, he completed his residency in Surgery at that institution. From 1958-59, he was a Fellow in Medical Sciences at the National Research Council. From 1959-63, he was a Resident in Neurosurgery, at White Memorial Hospital. In 1966, he received his board certification and was a Diplomate, American Board of Neurological Surgery.
Split brain research
Bogen was part of a research team at Caltech with Roger Sperry and H. G. Gordon which conducted the first split brain study. His early surgical interventions to control epilepsyEpilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
laid the foundation for the development of modern ideas about the unique identities of the right and left brains. His work played a crucial role in the development of the split-brain experiments that won Caltech’s Roger Sperry the 1981 Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in physiology.
Theories of consciousness
Bogen argued that consciousness is subjectivity, that looking for consciousness is like looking for the wind, you can only see its effects. Bogen suggested that scientists look for a center (a nucleus) that has distributivity (i.e. widespread inward and outward connectivity) as a site that produces subjectivity as consciousness.At the time of his death, Bogen had been researching the site in the brain where consciousness is located and was preparing a book about his findings.
Bogen lent his expertise in Wernicke's area
Wernicke's area
Wernicke's area is one of the two parts of the cerebral cortex linked since the late nineteenth century to speech . It is involved in the understanding of written and spoken language...
to Julian Jaynes
Julian Jaynes
Julian Jaynes was an American psychologist, best known for his book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind , in which he argued that ancient peoples were not conscious....
, assisting Jaynes in the development of the bicameral hypothesis
Bicameralism (psychology)
Bicameralism is a hypothesis in psychology that argues that the human brain once assumed a state in which cognitive functions were divided between one part of the brain which appears to be "speaking", and a second part which listens and obeys—a bicameral mind...
.
Popular culture
- Bogen is quoted in Philip K. DickPhilip K. DickPhilip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
's novel, A Scanner DarklyA Scanner DarklyA Scanner Darkly is a BSFA Award winning 1977 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. The semi-autobiographical story is set in a dystopian Orange County, California, in the then-future of June 1994...
. - The software development book, Python For Unix and Linux System Administration was dedicated to him, by a co-author whom he mentored.
Publications
- Voluminous list of books and journal articles:
- Co-Author Writing the Natural Way Using Right-Brain Techniques to Release Your Expressive Powers (rev. 2000) ISBN 0-87477-961-8
- Co-Author Bogen, Joseph and Glenda, De Zure, R., Tenhouten, W.D., a... THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRAIN http://www.abaa.org/dbp/detailindex.php?booknr=193469826&membernr=1573&ordernr=5-31-665079&source=froogle