Explain consciousness?

Question

Why do I see the world through these eyes? How am I me, intrinsically? I feel seperate from my physical self. Why am I the one driving the figurative train? What is this conscious state of being that I seem to be aware of? Why was I not born in my brother's skin? Ultimately, explain consciousness.

Let's try to keep the religious babble to a minimum. If it is my soul that I truly am Marvin, then how could I commune "with it", If I "am it"?

Answer 1

An alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation...

Some philosophers divide consciousness into phenomenal consciousness, which is experience itself, and access consciousness, which is the processing of the things in experience (Block 2004). Phenomenal consciousness is the state of being conscious, such as when we say "I am conscious" and access consciousness is being conscious of something, such as when we say "I am conscious of these words". The following articles discuss various forms of access consciousness: Awareness, Self-awareness, Conscience, Stream of consciousness, Class consciousness, Husserl's phenomenology and Intentionality. Phenomenal consciousness is closely related to creature consciousness and sentience.

Many cultures and religious traditions place the seat of consciousness in a soul separate from the body. In contrast, many scientists and philosophers consider consciousness to be intimately linked to the neural functioning of the brain, dictating the way by which the world is experienced. Still others, such as John Locke, believed consciousness to be neither soul nor (brain) substance, but the basis of personal identity.

Humans (and often other animals, as well) are variously said to possess consciousness, self-awareness, and a mind that contains our sensations, perceptions, dreams, lucid dreams, inner speech and imagination etc. Each of us has a subjective view. There are many debates about the extent to which the mind constructs or experiences the outer world, the passage of time, and free will.

An understanding of necessary preconditions for consciousness in the human brain may allow us to address important ethical questions. For instance, to what extent are non-human animals conscious? At what point in fetal development does consciousness begin? Can machines ever achieve conscious states? These issues are of great interest to those concerned with the ethical treatment of other beings, be they animals, fetuses, or, in the future, machines.

In common parlance, consciousness denotes being awake and responsive to one's environment; this contrasts with being asleep or being in a coma. The term 'level of consciousness' denotes how consciousness seems to vary during anesthesia and during various states of mind, such as day dreaming, lucid dreaming, imagining, etc. Nonconsciousness exists when consciousness is not present. There is speculation, especially among religious groups, that consciousness may exist after death or before birth.

Answer 2

I'm gonna guess that you have spent time staring into the mirror, looking into your own eyes, until the face you see is not someone you know. Consciousness is that quality of internalized self awareness that separates us from the rest of creation. In other words, man has an eternal soul that will exist after this mortal body is dust. In these times that you have sensed separation from your physical self, you were communing with your soul. It is healthy. Take care of your soul. Make peace with its maker. Seek and ye shall find.

Answer 3

Can you ever remember not being?

If you fatally shoot yourself, and watch your body fall in front of you, what would you say?

Sanyas or Suicide?

I can understand your not wanting 'religious' answers, all the dogma and doctrine seems to have misguided us from seeking true answers to spiritual matters such as consciousness. For me, Religion is just a 'club' of well meaning people too insecure to seek God for themselves. Maybe we are just individual 'points of view', for a higher consciousness?


Have your seen the movie: " What the (bleep) Do We Know", some powerful insights, and even more questions.

Answer 4

Hmm as far as feeling distinct from the body.. I think the notion comes from the lack of sensitivity in our toes.. there being many disparately condensed or uncondensed nerve connections around the body. And the head of course being the location of sight, smell, taste, sound.. and one other thing.. balance, the fluid in our eustachean tubes (is this our compass for balance? i forget but it's somewhere in the head..) keeping the very delicate head out of harms way.

All in all we feel AS our head, more than the other appendages. I don't think I ever particularly feel the lower part of my back unless it is uncomfortable.. and likewise with the rest. So by perfection of the generalization of the Head AS more real, more feeling and sensitive.. we make it into what we identify with.

I'd like to keep elaborating, but I fear censure and nonsense haha

Answer 5

wow. That's a tuff one. I have to say that I don't know the answer to this one. Good luck though.

Answer 6

cogito ergo sum