哥伦比亚大学线粒体心理生物学实验室主任马丁·皮卡德提出了一种将线粒体置于健康与意识中心的理论。他亲自参与了一项在代谢舱中进行的严格实验，旨在探索维持基础生存所需的能量，这被他认为是健康与疾病中常被忽视的关键因素。传统上被视为细胞能量工厂的线粒体，实际上还处理影响情绪、压力和睡眠的各种分子，这构成了他所谓的「生命的能量观点」，即能量的流动是维持生命与意识的最基本层面。
皮卡德的研究表明，线粒体的功能与心理状态密切相关，它们不仅影响细胞的能量转换，还会改变基因表达和细胞生长。他早期的老鼠实验显示，线粒体的缺陷会改变生物体对压力的反应。随后，他的团队开发了线粒体健康指数，能够精确测量细胞器的能量转换能力。此外，他与其他科学家合作绘制了人类大脑的线粒体图谱，揭示了不同大脑区域和细胞类型中线粒体的差异，进一步证实了这些细胞器在认知功能和神经健康中扮演的关键角色。
最近的研究初步发现，患有罕见线粒体疾病的患者每天会消耗更多的能量，这导致他们更容易感到疲劳和压力。皮卡德认为，我们的认知、情绪和意识体验反映了更深层次的能量转换过程。尽管他将线粒体与意识联系起来的大胆观点在科学界引起了一些质疑，但他计划在2027年成立一个新的非营利机构，致力于将实验室的发现转化为实际应用，推动一种结合代谢与人类体验的全新愈合科学。
Martin Picard, director of the Mitochondrial Psychobiology Lab at Columbia University, has proposed a theory that places mitochondria at the center of health and consciousness. He personally participated in a rigorous experiment inside a metabolic chamber designed to explore the energy required to sustain baseline existence, a factor he considers crucial yet overlooked in health and disease. Traditionally viewed merely as cellular powerhouses, mitochondria actually process various molecules that affect mood, stress, and sleep, forming what he calls an "energetic view of life" where energy flow is the most fundamental level of life and consciousness.
Picard's research demonstrates that mitochondrial function is closely linked to mental states, influencing not only cellular energy transformation but also gene expression and cell growth. His early experiments on mice showed that mitochondrial defects alter biological responses to stress. Subsequently, his team developed the mitochondrial health index to precisely measure the organelles' energy transformation capacity. Furthermore, he collaborated with other scientists to map mitochondria across the human brain, revealing variations across brain regions and cell types, further confirming the critical role these organelles play in cognitive function and neurological health.
Recent preliminary studies have found that patients with rare mitochondrial diseases expend significantly more energy daily, leading them to feel more fatigued and stressed. Picard argues that our cognition, mood, and conscious experiences reflect these deeper processes of energy transformation. Although his bold views connecting mitochondria to consciousness have drawn some skepticism within the scientific community, he plans to establish a new nonprofit institute in 2027 dedicated to translating laboratory discoveries into practical applications, advancing a novel healing science that integrates metabolism with human experience.