What is consciousness?

[Air En Trance]

The "hard problem of consciousness" is the idea that even if we were to pick the brain apart and fully understand how it works on a physical or mechanical level, it doesn't explain things like qualia or subjective/private experience.

What do you think is the scientific explanation behind consciousness?

[Dynam0]

Our nervous system is allowing us to have a perception of reality based on external stimuli. To be 'conscious' is to have some sort of awareness of these stimuli. You don't need all senses to be conscious obviously, but to be unconscious is to be devoid of external stimuli.
SMOQ WEED

[g3rmayne]

Consciousness is choosing into a reality. A reality which you observe through conscious acton. Based on the simplest programs in our brains we piece together our world and what it is. From action to emotion to every particle around us we are observing and creating simultaneously what is around us and what is.

[Spenner]

A collective of synaptic readings that give you the totality of sensory experience; but in a self referential way, which I'm not 100% solidified on. On a microscopic scale, atoms move from place to place in a chaotic way that doesn't even relate to consciousness. On a whole, the collective of those small events lead to something which can label itself as "I", and be self aware. Pretty incredible.

That's the non spiritually entangled view of it that I have; there's other less rational ones I have played with.

[korny]

Originally Posted by Dynam0

Our nervous system is allowing us to have a perception of reality based on external stimuli. To be 'conscious' is to have some sort of awareness of these stimuli. You don't need all senses to be conscious obviously, but to be unconscious is to be devoid of external stimuli.
SMOQ WEED

Does a senseless man dream?

[Spenner]

Originally Posted by Dynam0

Our nervous system is allowing us to have a perception of reality based on external stimuli. To be 'conscious' is to have some sort of awareness of these stimuli. You don't need all senses to be conscious obviously, but to be unconscious is to be devoid of external stimuli.
SMOQ WEED

Nearly, but it's inner as well as outer stimuli. Not even stimuli; sometimes the lack of stimuli characterizes what state of consciousness we have. It certainly characterizes our state with lack of external stimuli; think of sensory deprivation tanks and what they do.

[Cavernio]

I think science will uncover a consciousness particle or some such thing at some future point such that it can eventually be quantified. Until then, it might as well all be magic, as all the neuroanatomical knowledge in the world won't explain the crucial gap between matter reacting to other matter or energy and how qualia/thought/sentience/whatever you want to call it, arises from that.

[Spenner]

Originally Posted by Cavernio

I think science will uncover a consciousness particle or some such thing at some future point such that it can eventually be quantified. Until then, it might as well all be magic, as all the neuroanatomical knowledge in the world won't explain the crucial gap between matter reacting to other matter or energy and how qualia/thought/sentience/whatever you want to call it, arises from that.

You should read the book "I Am A Strange Loop", it's a book which focuses on just that~ the more in depth prequel (sort of) is "Godel, Escher, Bach" which goes very deeply into trying to organize chaotic systems into a way that can label itself as self aware.

[Reach]

Originally Posted by Dynam0

To be 'conscious' is to have some sort of awareness of these stimuli. You don't need all senses to be conscious obviously, but to be unconscious is to be devoid of external stimuli.
SMOQ WEED

Is it that simple though? If I put you in an anechoic chamber that was completely dark and paralyzed you with a neural toxin such that you were unable to move, plugged your nose and injected you with anesthetics that would prevent you from feeling anything...would you be unconscious?

You'd still have all of your thoughts. You'd still be aware of your existence, your thoughts, your memories. I would argue no.

Also, what about states such as sleep? Would you argue that you're conscious during sleep? Because many people can process all kinds of external stimuli while sleeping.

Or the converse, does the presence of sensory perception in and of itself imply consciousness? Flies, for example, can process external stimuli extremely well. However, they have no brain or method of processing this information, so I personally would hardly call them conscious. They just see stimuli and respond to stimuli in a very mechanical manner.


I believe consciousness to be more of what arises when you manipulate and process information in a complex and multifactorial way.

Something I find interesting: We're very effective at medically removing consciousness through using a select few number of drugs, and then returning it by removing these drugs, but we barely understand at all why exactly these drugs work in the way that they do.

One common theme we do understand is that consciousness appears to be lost when the thalamus and related structures are shut down. The thalamus is believed to be a central station of sorts for the brain that connects all other areas, being the central hub for relaying information from one area to another. When you shut down the thalamus, you shut down the ability of the brain to send information back and forth effectively between different areas.

Therefore, I argue that one central component to consciousness is the integration of information; the ability to take input and move it around and process it in various ways to create a holistic interpretation. This differs greatly from simply processing information; in the unconscious state information can still be processed. You could shut down the thalamus and have all the parts working as expected, but none the less you cease to be aware of anything that is happening. That awareness that we describe as consciousness appears to arise through neurons communicating with each other and forming pathways and circuits that feedback onto eachother.

Beyond though, I don't really know. It's something I like to think about though

I don't believe there's any magic involved though. I think part of the problem of consciousness arises from people thinking about it in a black and white manner; i.e. conscious or unconscious. I don't think so. I believe consciousness probably exists on a gradient; i.e. you can be more or less conscious, not just conscious or unconscious. But that's another discussion entirely.

[Dynam0]

So you equate consciousness with awareness. Makes sense (nudge) to me

I sort of hinted at that when I mentioned that consciousness is being aware of external stimuli. I suppose if you were aware that people were removing any sensory perception, you would maintain that sense of situational awareness, but I think if it were like a light switch and your senses were inexplicably turned off, your brain might be tricked into an unconscious state...maybe not though. As you say as long as the thalamus can process information, even if it is a lack of information, you can still maintain awareness.

Makes me wonder if being conscious or at least on the higher end of the gradient requires you to be sentient as well. Are plants conscious? etc.

[Syhto]

Consciousness is cognition. If I think that means I'm conscious, but it doesn't denote that thinking is consciousness itself. Perhaps it is a form of consciousness, one of the many. It ALLOWS the processes, you recognize that you are alive, and feeling/perceiving and thinking also come from there. However to say that consciousness is thinking and feeling in itself, is something I would argue.

But just because something exists, it doesn't mean it's conscious. It's some kind of awareness that makes it conscious. Consciousness depends on certain things, such as form. If form and concept don't exist, then consciousness doesn't come into existence. But once these two requisites meet up, there is form, there is concept, then there is consciousness, then there is feeling, and there is perception.

All these things work together in an intricate network, allowing our own cognition, a network of memories, working on multiple levels. From cellular memory, such as DNA etc, to perhaps more elaborate or abstract form of consciousness that works outside of what is thought of as a observable, such as universal or cosmic consciousness. (Or sub-conscious?) I see it as an underlying truth, that thought and feeling springs from. We may not necessarily need a body to experience consciousness, or a mind for that matter, but consciousness can't exist on its own, it needs to at least have means to manifest.

It is very mysterious! One could also argue that consciousness is all of these things, in different forms, which makes sense. Memory is a form of consciousness, feeling and senses are a form of consciousness, etc. But without name and form consciousness cannot exist as such. So while thought is not flat out consciousness it is a sub category of consciousness that we possess.

Who knows tho. Perhaps we live in a great ocean of consciousness, that has many levels and the material world we see is only a small part of the many realms and worlds and types of consciousness. : ) That's what I tend to believe, but who's to say that we can't tap into other forms of consciousness and learn about our own in the process, even then, we still don't know just how far our human consciousness can take us. Many have experienced a timeless state, pure being, etc. But there exists a realm of deluded states of consciousness as well. Very curious

However consciousness is one of the most impossible things to define, it always has been. But being seems be the closest definition. Or, awareness of being, I think, therefore I am? I Am, that I Am. It's as simple as... being? But note, we can only readily observe what we know about consciousness right now from experience. LOL. Such a mind loop

[WindowsME]

We are collecting localized data through sensory components, and as we actively collect this data, we are conscious. When you look at this thread you are involving your eyes at the very least. They scan through text, color, motion and peripheral images. If you close your eyes, your other senses still seek clues as to what is happening around you or to you. Lets say you go to sleep. You are no longer collecting empirical data, and instead you are internalizing what you've collected. If someone pushes you while you sleep, you are now collecting data and, once again, conscious. The only problem lies in how this data is stored. Because we collect data through signals and impulses sent through neurons, consciousness is the transmission and recollection of specific paths of stimulated neurons. How close am I?

[korny]

Draw some sacred geometry, meditate in the lotus posture while chanting the OM, balance your chakras and then drink ayahuasca. That's all you have to do.

[Syhto]

AHAHAHAHA

[WindowsME]

Originally Posted by korny

Draw some sacred geometry, meditate in the lotus posture while chanting the OM, balance your chakras and then drink ayahuasca. That's all you have to do.

Snorted furiously