<p>Without neural activity you wouldn't experience or perceive anything. Perception in itself is a reflection of neuronal activity. If you are referring to the question whether you can feel a neuron fire - then no, that is not possible. To 'experience' neuronal activity you should record it. There are a wide variety of methods to do that: EEG, MEG, fMRI, PET etc.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-09T02:30:14.730Z
Thank you. However a siezure in an an epileptic patient must be experienced by the subject as something? Wondering if this qualifies as an experience of neuronal activity?
zrini
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-09T02:49:27.140Z
Epileptic seizures can be perceived as long as they are not generalized, i.e. when the patient remains conscious. The patient may then perceive the seizure's effects on body and mind. However, perception is mediated through neural activity. Therefore, the reverse cannot be true. Perception *is* neural activity.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-09T12:29:06.813Z
Thanks again for making a clear point that the neural activity that forms perception itself cannot be directly perceived. If there is any literature on these lines it will be most appreciated. Also, there must be some activity that must be doing other functions, like memory and change, and pathological examples such as seizures. Can they be perceived under some conditions? Though I said neural activity, tjhe experience itself maybe of an electro-chemical, muscular motion - only direct and closer to the primary neural activity and not as a far removed symptom.
zrini
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-09T12:45:14.327Z
Please formulate a clear question as your comment is becoming increasingly vague. Asking new questions in the comments is not the best way to go either.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-09T12:52:36.387Z
Sorry about that. But question is still the same. You had addressed the subset of neural activity that results in perception and said it cannot be perceived. Was asking about other cases such as memory in the comment and if there are any pointers.
zrini
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-09T12:57:02.580Z
my answer also still stands - "no you can't experience (that is perceive!) neural activity - you have to record it". Motor neurons of course drive muscles to contract and any physical actions you perform are of course the consequence of neural action if that is what you're after.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-09T13:00:03.783Z
Would you consider seizures as neural activity?
zrini
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-09T13:14:11.517Z
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/18511/discussion-between-chris-stronks-and-zrini).
AliceD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-09T13:15:01.080Z
Correct, seizures are characterized by aberrant, paroxysmal neural activity.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-11T21:01:48.773Z
Since the neural activity that is seizures can be perceived, clearly 'neural activity cannot be perceived' is not valid - my question is if there are any other such aberrations to the the general rule that 'neural activity cannot be perceived, since it is the basis of perception itself'.
zrini
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-08T13:07:14.443Z
2014-11-09T08:58:03.603Z
2014-11-09T08:58:03.603Z
AliceD
<p>Can one feel/experience "any" neuronal activity in oneself?</p>

<perception>
Experiencing neuronal activity inside the body/brain
zrini
# Experiencing neuronal activity inside the body/brain

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-11-07)

Can one feel/experience "any" neuronal activity in oneself?

**Tags:** perception


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-11-08. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Without neural activity you wouldn't experience or perceive anything. Perception in itself is a reflection of neuronal activity. If you are referring to the question whether you can feel a neuron fire - then no, that is not possible. To 'experience' neuronal activity you should record it. There are a wide variety of methods to do that: EEG, MEG, fMRI, PET etc.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you. However a siezure in an an epileptic patient must be experienced by the subject as something? Wondering if this qualifies as an experience of neuronal activity?  
> **username_1**: Epileptic seizures can be perceived as long as they are not generalized, i.e. when the patient remains conscious. The patient may then perceive the seizure's effects on body and mind. However, perception is mediated through neural activity. Therefore, the reverse cannot be true. Perception *is* neural activity.  
> **username_0**: Thanks again for making a clear point that the neural activity that forms perception itself cannot be directly perceived. If there is any literature on these lines it will be most appreciated. Also, there must be some activity that must be doing other functions, like memory and change, and pathological examples such as seizures. Can they be perceived under some conditions? Though I said neural activity, tjhe experience itself maybe of an electro-chemical, muscular motion - only direct and closer to the primary neural activity and not as a far removed symptom.  
> **username_1**: Please formulate a clear question as your comment is becoming increasingly vague. Asking new questions in the comments is not the best way to go either.  
> **username_0**: Sorry about that. But question is still the same. You had addressed the subset of neural activity that results in perception and said it cannot be perceived. Was asking about other cases such as memory in the comment and if there are any pointers.  
> **username_1**: my answer also still stands - "no you can't experience (that is perceive!) neural activity - you have to record it". Motor neurons of course drive muscles to contract and any physical actions you perform are of course the consequence of neural action if that is what you're after.  
> **username_0**: Would you consider seizures as neural activity?  
> **username_1**: Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/18511/discussion-between-chris-stronks-and-username_0).  
> **username_1**: Correct, seizures are characterized by aberrant, paroxysmal neural activity.  
> **username_0**: Since the neural activity that is seizures can be perceived, clearly 'neural activity cannot be perceived' is not valid - my question is if there are any other such aberrations to the the general rule that 'neural activity cannot be perceived, since it is the basis of perception itself'.  

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