Self-studio, 1st edition.
An exploration of the origins of consciousness & the sense of self.
About me:
Hi, I’m Lorimer! A science student planning to major in physiology and specifically interested in neuroscience. The mystery held within the confines of the human skull is what fascinates me most. It’s always been the big questions that have enticed me, constantly pondering the nature of reality and consciousness. Why am I alive in this beautiful world? and who exactly is this “I”? These are exactly the concepts self-studio will address.
The idea that consciousness is a by-product of the material world is a scientific theory, not a scientific fact. We tend to take this theory as true without question, when in fact, it is metaphysical assumption.
Humanity is yet to ascertain a conclusive answer to the origin of our conscious experience, heck; we struggle to even define it!
I’ll try anyway. I’d like you imagine a red balloon floating through the sky.
To me, in the simplest essence, consciousness is the sentience or awareness of internal and external existence. When we look at a balloon, we are aware of not only the balloon itself but also the fact that we are looking at a balloon.
In other words, consciousness is everything we experience. It’s the fright you’d get if the balloon were to pop, it’s the beat of your favourite song stuck in your head, the warmth of sun’s rays on your skin, the throbbing pain of stubbing your toe, the fierce love of a partner and the bittersweet knowledge that everything you feel is temporary.
The nature of such experiences are referred to as qualia; the raw felt qualities of sensations, emotions and thoughts within our conscious experience.
Despite there being no concrete, scientific definition of consciousness, people tend to have an intuitive and ineffably subjective understanding of what this elusive phenomenon refers to.
Yet the reason behind the occurrence of this phenomena continues to elude us all. Evolution tells us that the functions performed by our organs arose from resulting increases in survival fitness, could evolution also explain the manifestation of consciousness?
Materialism states that the quantities that characterise physical entities are what allows them to produce effects. For instance, it is the low mass of the balloon relative to the mass of the air it displaces, that causes it to be buoyant and rise into the sky.
Materialism suggests that in nature, all chains of cause and effect must be able to be described purely in terms of quantities. Accordingly, unquantifiable phenomena are excluded from such physical models and are causally-closed, that is, they cannot produce effects.
Our consciousness experience is qualitative, not quantitative. There is something it feels like to see the colour red of the balloon, which is not captured by merely noting the frequency of red light.
Qualities have no function within the quantitatively-defined physical models of materialism and thus are considered causally-closed. Hence, it makes no difference to the survival chances of an organism whether, the data processing taking place in its brain is accompanied by experience or not, the processing will produce the same effects. Resulting in the same behaviour of the organism and subsequently the same chance of survival and reproduction. Thus, suggesting that qualia are merely, superfluous extras.
The neural correlates of consciousness have been defined as the minimal neural mechanisms that are together necessary and sufficient for experiencing any conscious percept (Crick and Koch, 1990).
State of the art neuroimaging technology, such as fMRI, EEG and PET enables neuroscientist to visualise brain activity like never before, giving greater insight into the nuances of the neural correlates of consciousness. One important facet of our consciousness experience is our sense of self.
The sense of self or “ego” is the structure of the mind that organizes the universe in relationships of separateness, building the domain of you as a separate entity within your environment. The ego is created by you from your experiences of the world; from memories, beliefs and knowledge.
The ego is heavily intertwined with our conscious experience, they are seemingly inseparable. However, this is not the case. Psychedelic experiences induced through the usage of hallucinogenic substances (such lysergic-acid and psilocybin) are known to cause ego-dissolution; the complete loss of subjective self-identity. This occurs through downregulation of the anterior cingulate cortex of the Salience Network (SLN), as well as key structures of the Default Mode Network (DMN).
Increasing communication throughout the brain by activation and creation of unique neural pathways as shown in the figure below. Such stimulation offers a window into the nature of self-awareness and further supports the idea of a materially constructed embodied and narrative “self”.
Downregulation of these brain regions increase neuroplasticity; the process of the brain changing and forming new pathways. Neuroplasticity is enhanced by increasing AMPA-type glutamate receptor trafficking and by raising the level of brainderived neurotropic factor (bDNF).
This stimulation is showing promise in treating addiction, depression and anxiety when combined with relevant psychotherapy. There is still a lot we don’t know about these substances, this field is definitely worthy of rigorous research to assess potential benefits, address safety parameters and clarify therapeutic mechanisms.
Meditation has also been noted for influencing activity in the default mode network, providing safe and easily accessible opportunity to experience similar mental health benefits.
