Consciousness | An Unsolved Mystery of Universe

 Consciousness as an unsolved mystery. 

There are two great mysteries that have captivated the human imaginations for thousands of years. First of this is why the universe exist at all? And second one is why conscious minds exist to perceive it. Despite thousands of years of analysis, explanations and debates by philosophers and scientists on this topic, consciousness is confusing and controversial. 

This topic is not restricted to any one field or subject but it is universal and is being discussed in Philosophy, Quantum physics, Neuroscience and Psychology. All of them have different idea of consciousness.

How dictionary defines the word consciousness?

Basically, we define consciousness as sentience in dictionary which is capacity to feel, perceive or experiment subjectively. We are the living beings with individual tastes, feelings, passions, thoughts and perceptions. But do animals and other living things have the same level of consciousness?  

Remember not to confuse consciousness with the word mindfulness. Mindfulness just means being aware of yourself, your responsibilities and your surroundings.

Neuroscience Of Consciousness

Does brain’s physical appearance have something to do with consciousness? Does it explain its minds aspect or mental experiment? Well, brain is an extraordinary and powerful organ. And something extraordinary about brain is not that it has 90 billion neurons or the number of connections that if you count every second, it would take you about 3 million years to finish counting. 

But what truly extraordinary is that what are patterns of brains that makes you YOU.  And what makes you feel, perceive and experience this universe.

So, maybe there is something in brain that is related to consciousness. But no instruments and experiments has proved it yet. Some scientists tried to associate the structure of brain with consciousness but they failed badly. Because no such thing makes true sense.

Materialism on Consciousness

Materialism can either say that there is nothing like consciousness at all, only we have intelligence.  Or it could say yes it exist but there is a gap between our knowledge of brain and consciousness.

Materialism uses theory of evolution and origin of intelligence to explain consciousness. Michio Kaku says that consciousness is sum total of feedback loops to make picture of yourself in space, in society and in time.

Consciousness in Organisms with respect to materialism

This divides the animals on the basis of three levels of consciousness. Level 1 consciousness is present in reptiles that have very good understanding of their position in space. Especially when they have to grab their prey. 

Level 2 consciousness is in monkeys that are able to solve few problems. Since we know that monkeys have the ability of insight learning. As the experiment shows that monkeys were able to stack boxes of different sizes in a cage to reach bananas. 

Level 3 consciousness is of humans because we plan for the future while other animals do not have the next day agenda. While our brain is a prediction machine. We have social hierarchy, feelings and imaginations. 

This is also reflected somehow in brains of these organisms when compared. Reptiles only have the dorsal brain which is at the back. While monkeys have both parietal and temporal lobes which makes the central brain. And humans have the pre frontal lobe at the front too. When you scan a human brain while thinking it shows pre frontal lobe is activated and is accessing memory.

According to the 3 brains (Triun brain theory) by Mr Paul Maclean (1990, Physician and Neuroscientist, reptilian (lizard) brain only regulate body temperature, heart rate, sleeping, eating, respiration rate, high alert and subconsciousness that supress us and limit our powers and brain. Centre (middle) or limbic brain that is emotional centre and sense fear, anger, happiness, anxiety etc. Then comes the frontal or cerebral only in humans. This one is called the smart brain and is associated with cognition, language, abstract thoughts, imaginations and creativity. 

Dualism and Spirituality on Consciousness

 But dualism says no brain knowledge can ever solve the consciousness problem. This is because dualism believe that there is a spiritual world around us in addition to the material world.

According to Rene Descartes (French Philosopher and Mathematician, 1596-1650)

“If an evil or demon has taken over my brain or if I am living in a simulation created by some superficial powers or I have illusion about reality of the World in which I am living. Then my body, this world, every perception of mine and experience of this universe could be wrong. But only thing he could not fool/delude me of is sense of existence.” 

Spiritual speaker and practician Sadhguru says:

This is my body, that is your body distinctively developed, same is the case with memory but there is nothing like your consciousness and my consciousness. As a spiritualist we do not consider mindfulness and wakefulness as consciousness because these are state of mind and body respectively. 

Do not consider brain as very significant thing because intelligence is right across the whole body. If you consider memory adds intelligence as brain. Then every cell of body is carrying the memory of your forefathers and genetic memory. 

This is phenomenally more than brain, what is going on inside each cell. But we have become so brain-oriented that we say we would be stupid in next years. As AI (Artificial Intelligence) is going to take over the World. But in spirituality intelligence and thinking is not of much worth. 

"Consciousness is considered as intelligence beyond memory."

Conclusion:

This question is raised by thinkers of every culture and time. Consciousness is the matter of all significance, value and meaning in universe. But no consensus has ever reached on how and why we have it? 

But there is an idea that mystery of consciousness is correlated to mystery of consciousness. We are conscious because we exist. And we are conscious to perceive the idea, objective and meaning of our life. 

>> Also Read our post on vestigial (non-functional) organs of humans and animals

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