The Mystery

Consciousness remains one of the most profound mysteries in science, with numerous unanswered questions about its origins and nature. Notable thinkers have attempted to define consciousness, but no universally accepted theory exists. Defining Consciousness Various definitions exist, but many hinge on the capacity for self-awareness and cognitive reflection, complicating the understanding of both human and non-human consciousness. Distinguishing between behavior and consciousness poses challenges; behaviors don't necessarily reflect conscious intent. Neuroscience and Consciousness Advances in neuroscience have identified complex interactions in the brain that contribute to consciousness, but overall understanding remains incomplete. Disorders such as Cotard's syndrome offer insights into the mechanisms of consciousness by studying cases of altered self-perception. Emphasis on the connection between bodily states and conscious experience is crucial for understanding self-awarenes...

Deep within the center of the brain is a small pine cone-shaped endocrine gland, called pineal gland, where the methylation of serotonin takes place. Also known as the 'feel good' or 'happiness' hormone, serotonin is chemically analogous to DMT, 'the spirit molecule'. DMT is not just found in the human brain, but in nature — most plants and animals have it. DMT is also a component of hallucinogens traditionally used by indigenous people of the Americas, including ayahuasca, a psychedelic concoction brewed up by Amazon healers as an aid to visioning and healing. Today, DMT is a doorway for seekers in the Western world who are venturing into spiritual territory that was once the exclusive domain of shamans and other native psychonauts. “DMT can . . . really open up the layers of your ego,” explains Mitch Schultz, director of the documentary DMT: The Spirit Molecule, about psychiatrist Rick Strassman’s pioneering research on DMT and spiritual experience. “Pulling b...

The connection between biophotons and consciousness is a theoretical and emerging area of research suggesting that the weak light emitted by living cells might play a role in brain function and consciousness. While not yet mainstream, theories propose that biophotons could be involved in intercellular communication, the synchronization of neural activity, and even generate internal 'biophysical pictures' for consciousness, potentially linking them to both well-being and disorders.   How biophotons might relate to consciousness Cellular communication: Cells emit biophotons, which are ultra-weak light particles. It is hypothesized that these light emissions form a communication network throughout the body, influencing cellular and systemic activity.  Increased emissions: The brain emits more biophotons during increased neural activity, which suggests a potential link between this light emission and the processes underlying consciousness. Synchronization: One theory sugge...

Our consciousness is the inner semantic space where the signals coming from the physical world, both inside and outside the body, are 'processed' by the brain and take the form of feelings, sensations, and meanings, i.e., of qualia. Qualia refer to what 'it feels like' when a sensation or a feeling emerges within our consciousness. Note that the nature of feelings is completely different from the nature of physical events. A physical event happens in spacetime and is accessible 'from the outside' through our physical senses and instruments. This produces a so-called third-person experience shared by all observers. A feeling is instead a private, first-person experience accessible only 'from the inside' by the owner of consciousness. However, the interiority I am speaking about is not a physical dimension. Let’s consider, for example, how a rose is recognized by its scent. A rose emits particular molecules with unique three-dimensional structures. They ca...

The idea of the ‘extended mind’ has become increasingly popular within philosophical discussion. We can see this view presented in the work of British philosopher Andy Clark, who has written a book called Supersizing the Mind. In addition, Alva Noë has written a book called Out of Our Heads, subtitled ‘Why you are not your brain, and other lessons from the Biology of Consciousness’. Their argument suggests that the mind is in fact an interaction between the brain and its environment, also known as the ‘inactive theory of the mind’. Today, we are seeing more people who are drawn to this way of understanding consciousness and the mind. When we turn to individual and collective experiences, our conscious awareness of the world certainly extends beyond the confines of our head. Instead, our mind is something we experience in direct symbiosis with our surroundings. What stands out about this view is its emphasis on consciousness as a playing field which extends out into the world beyond our...

This question and the wider study of consciousness has captivated philosophers and scientists for the past 3,000 years. In modern times, and especially from the eighteenth-century onwards, the most pervasive position within scientific discourse has been the theory of materialism. Put simply, this is the view that everything that actually exists is material or physical. The materialist dogma ultimately reduces everything to unconscious matter — in fact, it implies that since everything is made of unconscious matter, including our brains, that the phenomenon of consciousness and 'minds' should not exist at all. However, given that we are conscious, this poses a dilemma for the materialist: how does inert, physical matter give rise to consciousness and the capacity for subjective experience? In philosophical terms, this is known as the 'hard problem of consciousness'. In the materialist’s eyes, we ought to be unconscious — but we are not. This ultimately leaves the materia...