Awakening from disorders of consciousness and other mental states/illness? Even if there is a damaged mind and disorder(s), there may be the option to change the resting state functional connectivity and entropy of the brain away from disorder, damage, suffering and poor quality of life, particularly if there is a good cognitive reserve. Such lines of thinking have been analysed in relation to the mental components of the quality of life: in low entropic states, "a temporary and extreme increase in brain entropy might be helpful for people suffering from these conditions, allowing them to form new associations" "A common feature of ... mental disorders appears to be the loss of brain complexity. A similar trend of decreasing complexity was also found to be replicated in fMRI signals in normal and pathological processes of aging." "The human brain’s resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) provides stable trait-like measures of differences in the perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social functioning of individuals. [hence temperament]" What defines a meaningful recovery from severe disability? To me, seeing someone responsive and receptive to their environment, able to cope day-to-day and as others have noted, things like being asked by loved ones "are you happy?" and seeing a big smile on their face, contentedness, peacefulness and feeling the love, even if that means things not being perfect. What if one considered brain disorders, including cognitive impairment and psychiatric ones, more as a disrupted state of consciousness and brain complexity? Could it be better to aim to increase complexity and change the level of consciousness? "...disruptions of human consciousness — due to pharmacological, neuropathological, or psychiatric causes — are associated with a degradation of one or more of the major cortical gradients depending on the state” There is reduced functional connectivity that affects the connections between the cortex and deep brain structures. These connections are important for maintaining wakefulness and information exchange across the brain. Along with 5-HT2A agonists and ketamine, things like amantadine, methylphenidate, levodopa, apomorphine, baclofen, and zolpidem have been used to increase complexity and improve level of consciousness If one considers disease states in terms of that, applying something that breaks the hold of those negative backspins, be it a complexity and entropy enhancing pharmacological option, positive thought pattern or positive behaviour may break the hold of disorder making way for enhanced quality of life. Problem is, those backspins can be super hard to break within an internal locus of control, thus a pharmacological option may be a superior catalyst to 1 broaden-and-build from. "Consciousness can be seen from 'secondary” (the conscious agent that reasons, plans, and structures things) to “primary” (the ancient, chaotic consciousness that is analogous to dream states) consciousness." Positive psychological states are associated with distinct patterns of resting state functional connectivity in the brain and different thought patterns are associated with either high entropy (openness, creativity, flexibility and ultimately flourishing) or low entropy (repetitive thinking, negative emotionality) Even exercise increases brain flexibility and network connectivity entropy Ciurleo, R., Bramanti, P., & Calabrò, R. S. (2013). Pharmacotherapy for Disorders of Consciousness: Are “Awakening” Drugs Really a Possibility? Drugs, 73(17), 1849–1862. doi:10.1007/s40265-013-0138-8 2