Science Insight – Quest to find Consciousness

For a long time, consciousness has been the subject of neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, cognitive science and other disciplines in the natural and social sciences and the humanities. What is the nature of consciousness? Asking the question is simple, but determining the answer is not. Consciousness can seem utterly familiar, even mundane. People excuse themselves for “unconsciously” ignoring someone they know or profess that they seek to “expand their consciousness.” But a true understanding of the phenomenon remains elusive. How do the brain’s physical systems work together to create the subjective experiences of the mind and the self-reflective, private thoughts that make us who we are?

What is clear, however, is that consciousness is formed by external stimuli, to which we are exposed throughout life—when we taste wine, recognize a face or listen to a John Coltrane saxophone solo. All of these events trigger a sequence of processes that we experience as coherent, inner and subjective states of sentience called qualia—a key term in consciousness studies. The core problem in the study of consciousness is the understanding of how such stimuli affect our brain and how measurable brain phenomena and metabolism are translated into experience. The problem is intriguing and challenging because our subjective experience is not only perceptual, as in the cases mentioned above, but also uses inner processes, such as worrying about paying the telephone bill on time, deciding on the future and our feelings toward others.

Check out these three new selections in the Seattle Public Library catalog in order to gain further insight into the phenomenon of consciousness and the mind.

Soul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness by Nicholas Humphrey

Perplexities of Consciousness by Eric Schwitzgebel

The Mind: Leading Scientists Explore the Brain, Memory, Personality, and Happiness by John Brockman

“All science is experiential; but all experience must be related back to and derives its validity from the conditions and context of consciousness in which it arises, i.e., the totality of our nature.” Wilhelm Dilthey

~ Leon C.