Electro-Volume Interaction” Hypothesis: Could Large-Scale Neuroelectrical Cascades Exist in the Awake Human Brain?

Hi everyone,

I’d like to invite discussion on a theoretical neurophysiological question I’ve been independently exploring.

Hypothesis: Could there exist a large-scale, near-instantaneous Spontaneous Neuroelectrical Cascade (SNC) in the awake human brain?

The idea originates from first-person observations of transient, system-wide bioelectrical events that propagate from the head through the spine and limbs while full consciousness remains intact.
These events appear too rapid to be explained by traditional volume transmission — the slow diffusion of neuromodulators through extracellular fluid (mm/s scale).

This led me to propose a hypothetical mechanism I call the Electro-Volume Interaction (EVI)
a potential rapid coupling between endogenous electric fields and ionic conductivity within neural and interstitial fluid volumes.

Conceptually:

Volume Diffusion

  • Medium: Chemical (neurotransmitters)
  • Speed: Slow (mm/s)
  • Description: Classical model of volume transmission

Electro-Volume Interaction (EVI)

  • Medium: Electrical–ionic coupling
  • Speed: Fast (ms-scale)
  • Description: Hypothetical field-mediated synchronization

Discussion Points

  • Are there known models or studies exploring field–fluid coupling or fast ionic synchronization across tissues?
  • Could such events be detectable using high-density EEG, EMG, or ECoG during controlled physiological states?
  • Might this relate to large-scale neural field coherence or volume conduction effects?

:blue_book: Full notes and simulation models:
https://osf.io/p4vkx/overview


neuroscience eeg electrophysiology #Bioelectricity #Neurophysics hypothesis #Consciousness