State of Consciousness Essay Example

Different philosophers have different arguments on the state of consciousness. Some philosophers argue that the body and the mind are separate entities. They also believe in dualism, which has the idea that the mind which is a nonmaterial entity is separate but connected to the physical body. In contrast, psychologists argue that consciousness is in the brain, and therefore not different from it.

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Helmholtz, a philosopher, states that what we see, hear, and feel is as a result of the brain's guess on the cause of sensory input. In his experiments, he finds out that late verbal response was as a result of change awareness (Earl, 2018). Our vision guides behavior even when we are unconsciously aware that we are seeing. In his view, this shows that the mind and the physical body are two separate things. Fast and precise response to varying stimuli is vital in avoidance of danger and catching of prey (Earl, 2018). On the other hand, identification of object can wait. This shows that accuracy is more critical as compared to speed when planning prospect actions. Consequently, we do things fat and accurately, and its independent of what we observe consciously. In reference to Nagel (2018), consciousness causes brain events where thought and action meet at an interaction point in the brain. However, the interaction site has not been identified according to neuroscience. Also, consciousness is an essential part of the brain, yet there is still no identification of its causal effects. In reference to Nagel, (2018), experiments suggest that conscious awareness arrives way too late to help in performing some actions. One can act consciously if he/she chooses to, while other activities are always unconscious. Consciousness, therefore, does not select information, but instead summarizes information regarding the state of the whole creature and its surroundings, making a compacted summary accessible to the brain.

On the other hand, The Global Workspace Theory argues that an event is made conscious by going through processing by the global workspace, and is made available to the unconscious system. The theory states that the bright spot is where consciousness happens. Therefore, the method supports that consciousness and the body are not separate entities. Inattentional blindness is another indicator that consciousness and action are related. One fails to notice a visible but unexpected object since attention was engaged elsewhere (Nagel, 2018). Arien Mack's study of intentional blindness helped him conclude that 'We seldom see what we are looking at unless we direct our attention towards it." (Nagel, 2018). Therefore, conscious experiences lay focus on the quick gathering of information. One thus concentrates on what is essential. In reference to, consciousness cannot be an inspirational mind, and thus a physical injury to the brain can eliminate it. Also, reality consists of both physical matter and mind processes, which shows that there is a relationship between the body and the mind.

Conclusion

People have different perceptions regarding the mind and the body responses. Some Psychologists believe that dualism exists, while others think that there is no relation the body and consciousness. Nevertheless, it's evident that the body and conscious mind communicate to develop a fast defense mechanism against danger or any other action that an individual takes. Conversely, Philosophers believe that the two are separate entities, and as a result, some activities like hair growth occur unconsciously.

References

Earl, B. (2018). The biological function of consciousness.

Nagel, T. (2018). Is Consciousness an Illusion?. Retrieved from http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2017/03/09/is-consciousness-an-illusion-dennett-evolution/