Conscious

“What if consciousness isn’t unique to humans? What if it’s a fundamental property of the universe, present in all matter?”

1. Consciousness is the experience of "being."

Consciousness is often defined as the state of being aware of and able to experience the world. Philosopher Thomas Nagel famously described it as "what it is like" to be a particular organism. This means that if there’s something it feels like to exist as a being, then that being is conscious. For example, humans are conscious because we experience sensations, emotions, and thoughts.

However, this definition raises questions about what qualifies as an experience. Does a tree, which reacts to its environment, have an experience? Or is it simply responding to stimuli without awareness? The book challenges us to rethink our assumptions about what it means to "experience" something and whether this is limited to humans or even animals.

Our intuition often guides us in determining what is conscious, but intuition can be misleading. For instance, we once believed the Earth was flat because it felt intuitively correct. Similarly, we might assume that only humans or animals with brains can be conscious, but this assumption may be flawed.

Examples

• Thomas Nagel’s definition: Consciousness is "what it is like" to be an organism.
• The human experience of sensations, like pain or joy, as evidence of consciousness.
• Misleading intuitions, such as the historical belief in a flat Earth, show how assumptions can be wrong.

2. Plants may have a form of consciousness.

Research into plant behavior reveals surprising complexity. For example, Douglas fir and paper birch trees communicate through underground fungal networks, sharing nutrients and even helping their offspring survive. This suggests that plants are aware of their environment and capable of purposeful action.

Plants also exhibit memory. The Venus flytrap, for instance, only snaps shut when two triggers are activated, indicating it "remembers" the first trigger. Similarly, ivy explores its surroundings to find the best structures for growth, showing a form of environmental awareness.

These behaviors challenge the idea that consciousness requires a brain. If plants can sense, remember, and respond to their environment, could they have a basic form of experience? Or are these actions purely mechanical, devoid of awareness?

Examples

• Douglas fir trees sending nutrients to their offspring through fungal networks.
• The Venus flytrap’s memory of the first trigger before snapping shut.
• Ivy’s ability to "feel" its surroundings and grow toward supportive structures.

3. Consciousness is not necessary for decision-making.

Many of our actions are automatic, driven by brain processes that occur before we’re even aware of them. Studies show that sensory information reaches the brain at different times, and our conscious awareness of events often lags behind the brain’s initial processing.

For example, when you touch something hot, your hand pulls away before you consciously register the pain. This reaction is a result of instinctive programming, not conscious thought. Similarly, driverless cars process their environment and make decisions without any form of awareness.

Even our thoughts often arise without conscious control. You might suddenly think of an old friend without intending to. This suggests that much of what we consider "thinking" happens automatically, with consciousness merely observing the process.

Examples

• Reflexive actions, like pulling your hand away from a hot surface, occur before conscious awareness.
• Driverless cars make decisions based on environmental data without being "aware."
• Spontaneous thoughts, like remembering an old friend, arise without conscious effort.

4. The self is an illusion created by the brain.

Our sense of self feels central to our consciousness, but it’s actually a mental construct. The brain creates the illusion of a unified self by binding together sensory inputs and experiences. However, this process can break down, revealing the self as a flexible and even dispensable concept.

For instance, people on psychedelic drugs like LSD often report a "dissolution of the self," feeling deeply connected to the world around them. Similarly, meditation can heighten awareness while reducing attachment to the self, creating a sense of unity with the environment.

These experiences show that the self is not a fixed entity but a product of how the brain organizes information. Consciousness can exist without a sense of self, as demonstrated by these altered states.

Examples

• LSD users report losing their sense of self while feeling connected to the world.
• Meditation reduces attachment to the self and increases awareness of the present moment.
• The brain’s binding process creates the illusion of a unified self.

5. Consciousness may exist in all matter.

The theory of panpsychism suggests that consciousness is a fundamental property of the universe, present in all matter. This idea challenges the assumption that consciousness emerges only in complex systems like the human brain.

Panpsychism aligns with physics, which shows that all matter is made of the same basic elements. If consciousness suddenly appears in some matter but not others, it would require a "radical emergence," which science generally avoids. Instead, panpsychism proposes that all matter has some form of experience, even if it’s vastly different from human consciousness.

Critics often misunderstand panpsychism, thinking it implies that rocks or atoms have human-like awareness. In reality, the theory suggests that consciousness exists on a spectrum, with simpler forms of matter having simpler experiences.

Examples

• Physics shows that all matter is made of the same elements, supporting panpsychism.
• Radical emergence, where consciousness appears suddenly, contradicts scientific principles.
• Panpsychism proposes a spectrum of consciousness, from simple to complex.

6. Split-brain studies reveal multiple consciousnesses in one body.

Research on patients who’ve undergone corpus callosotomy, a procedure that separates the brain’s hemispheres, shows that two distinct conscious experiences can exist within one person. Each hemisphere processes information independently, leading to fascinating results.

For example, if a patient holds an object in their left hand but can’t see it, they may be unable to name it. This happens because the right hemisphere, which controls the left hand, recognizes the object, but the left hemisphere, responsible for speech, does not.

These studies suggest that consciousness is not a singular, unified phenomenon. Instead, it can be divided and adapted, supporting the idea that complex consciousness arises from the combination of simpler forms.

Examples

• Split-brain patients experience separate awareness in each hemisphere.
• A patient holding an object in their left hand may not be able to name it due to hemispheric separation.
• The adaptability of consciousness supports the idea of combining simpler forms into complex awareness.

7. Intuition often misleads us about consciousness.

Our intuition tells us that consciousness is unique to humans or animals with brains, but this assumption may be wrong. History shows that intuition can lead us astray, as with the belief in a flat Earth or the fear of flying despite its safety compared to driving.

Similarly, we intuitively associate consciousness with behaviors like decision-making or memory. However, plants and even machines exhibit these traits without necessarily being conscious. This challenges us to question our assumptions and consider new possibilities.

By recognizing the limits of intuition, we can approach the study of consciousness with an open mind, exploring ideas like panpsychism without dismissing them outright.

Examples

• The flat Earth belief was based on intuitive but incorrect observations.
• People fear flying more than driving, despite statistics showing it’s safer.
• Plants and machines exhibit behaviors like memory and decision-making without clear evidence of consciousness.

8. Altered states of consciousness reveal its flexibility.

Experiences like meditation, drug use, and even brain injuries show that consciousness is not fixed. These states can dissolve the sense of self, heighten awareness, or create entirely new perceptions of reality.

For instance, meditation practitioners often report feeling "at one" with the world, while LSD users describe vivid sensory experiences and a loss of ego. Brain injuries can also alter consciousness, as seen in cases where patients lose specific abilities or develop new ones.

These examples highlight the adaptability of consciousness and its dependence on the brain’s organization. They also suggest that our everyday experience of consciousness is just one of many possible states.

Examples

• Meditation creates a sense of unity and heightened awareness.
• LSD users experience vivid sensations and ego dissolution.
• Brain injuries can change consciousness, revealing its dependence on brain structure.

9. Consciousness may hold the key to understanding the universe.

If consciousness is a fundamental property of matter, it could provide answers to some of science’s biggest questions. Just as the discovery of the Higgs boson advanced our understanding of particle physics, uncovering the nature of consciousness could revolutionize our view of reality.

For example, panpsychism offers a simple explanation for how consciousness arises: it’s always been present in some form. This avoids the need for radical emergence and aligns with what we know about the universe’s consistency.

By exploring consciousness as a universal property, we may uncover new insights into the nature of existence, bridging the gap between science and philosophy.

Examples

• The Higgs boson solved a major mystery in particle physics.
• Panpsychism explains consciousness as a universal property, avoiding radical emergence.
• Understanding consciousness could bridge the gap between science and philosophy.

Takeaways

1. Question your assumptions about consciousness and remain open to new ideas, even if they challenge intuition.
2. Explore practices like meditation to experience altered states of consciousness and gain a deeper understanding of the self.
3. Stay curious about scientific and philosophical theories, such as panpsychism, to expand your perspective on the nature of reality.