Consciousness = "Something that it is like to be that organism"
The "hard problem of consciousness" defined:
- Mark Solms
The "philosophic zombie" problem -
We know that brains can do perfectly complex behavior management unconsciously (manage your heart, lungs, healing processes, etc), so why isn't ALL behavior managed unconsciously? Perception and learning can be proven to successfully occur unconsciously (subliminal advertising).
Where is the source of consciousness?
Hypothesis 1: Prefrontal cortex is the hub of consciousness.
Prediction: If the prefrontal cortex is damaged (or doesn't exist), consciousness will disappear.
Measurement: Claims to have no sense of self; doesn't use the word "I"; doesn't exhibit ability to play with ideas in their imagination; doesn't react intelligently to surroundings.
Patient with an almost completely destroyed prefrontal cortex was able to measurably prove that they were still conscious.
Hypothesis 2: The insula cortex is the hub of consciousness.
Prediction: If the insula cortex is damaged (or doesn't exist), consciousness will disappear.
Measurement: Claims to have no sense of self; doesn't use the word "I"; doesn't exhibit ability to play with ideas in their imagination; doesn't react intelligently to surroundings.
Patient with their insula cortex missing was able to measurably prove that they were still conscious.
Hypothesis 3: The entire cerebral cortex is the hub of consciousness.
Prediction: If the entire cerebral cortex is damaged (or doesn't exist), consciousness will disappear.
Measurement: Claims to have no sense of self; doesn't use the word "I"; doesn't exhibit ability to play with ideas in their imagination; doesn't react intelligently to surroundings.
Patient with their entire cerebral cortex missing was STILL able to measurably prove that they were still conscious. They were able to react to their environment in intelligent ways - expressing joy at the appropriate moments.
Hypothesis 4: The brainstem is the hub of consciousness.
Prediction: If the brainstem is damaged (or doesn't exist), consciousness will disappear.
Measurement: Claims to have no sense of self; doesn't use the word "I"; doesn't exhibit ability to play with ideas in their imagination; doesn't react intelligently to surroundings.
Patient with their brainstem damaged were UNABLE to measurably prove that they were still conscious. The Reticular Activating System (RAS) of the brainstem proved to be the source of consciousness.
Test damage to the Reticular Activating System (RAS) of the brainstem:
A study of many patients who suffered a stroke in the RAS found that a 2 cubed millimeter lesion was enough to “turn the lights out” for consciousness.
Test a brain with only a brainstem RAS (no cerebral cortex):
Consciousness still exists, affective emotions exist.
Test the stimulation of a healthy patient's Reticular Activating System (RAS):
A study for stimulating the RAS got the following result.
RAS found to be the seat of emotions.
Based on well-known neurotransmitters.
Feelings, perhaps, being the root of conscious experience.
Does an understanding of feelings explain the hard problem of consciousness?
Perhaps fundamental reality can be boiled down to positive and negative feelings which guide all evolution?
More detailed explication of proposed functional flow of consciousness in his Mark Solms's book.
Click here form more on consciousness: "Cosmic Consciousness" Analogy (Hard Problem of Consciousness) | TranscendentPhilosop (wixsite.com)
An emotion can be likened to a weighting value. The "how" of self-consciousness may be a double memory loop. When an experience is replayed from memory, the neuronal activations are nearly identical to those of the original experience. When a strong emotion is active before replaying a memory, the conscious experience may focus on different aspects of the experience with different emotions. You notice different things in the memory depending upon which emotional weighting you approach it with. A pattern of inputs over a moment of time is recorded to form a memory. The processing of the inputs over the same time is also recorded. The initial states of the neurons are recorded. All of these together form the 'experience' of that moment. A complete replay of that moment, within the same brain, would require resetting the initial states before recreating the pattern of inputs to reproduce the same processing. A full moment's worth of experience cannot be compared to any other moment, while it is occurring. No period of time can be compared to another period of time. It is only possible to appear to compare moments, and experiences, by comparing recordings of those moments, memories of those experiences. To be conscious of being conscious is impossible without memory. Then you can experience a memory of remembering an experience so you can consciously discover 'what it's like' to have an experience.
Definitely agree