Big Think

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Scientists can't define spirituality. But we can study its healing effects, says Columbia professor Lisa Miller.

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"Everything that we care about, everything we experience, everything we know, we know it through our conscious awareness of it."

Consciousness is everything we know, everything we experience. The mystery at the heart of consciousness lies in why our universe – despite teeming with non-conscious matter – is configured in a way where it's having a felt experience from the inside. Modern neuroscience suggests that our intuitions about consciousness are incorrect. And so, it's possible that we've been thinking about consciousness the wrong way entirely, says bestselling author Annaka Harris.

Consciousness is everything we know, everything we experience. The mystery at the heart of consciousness lies in why our universe – despite teeming with non-conscious matter – is configured in a way where it's having a felt experience from the inside. Modern neuroscience suggests that our intuitions about consciousness are incorrect. And so, it's possible that we've been thinking about consciousness the wrong way entirely, says bestselling author Annaka Harris.

0:00- The Hard Problem of Consciousness

0:39- Defining consciousness

2:20- Is consciousness more basic in nature?

4:29- Thomas Nagel’s perspective.

6:02- Consciousness vs. Thought

7:06- Decision making processes

**Summary of the Episode on Consciousness**

**1. The Hard Problem of Consciousness**

- The central mystery: How does non-conscious matter (atoms, electrons) configure in a way that creates conscious experience?

- Why does some matter "feel" something while the rest of the universe does not?

**2. Defining Consciousness**

- Consciousness is central to everything we know and experience.

- It is our direct connection to reality—without it, nothing would matter.

- Despite its importance, consciousness remains a scientific and philosophical mystery.

**3. Consciousness as a Fundamental Property**

- Some theories suggest that consciousness isn’t just a result of complex brain activity.

- It may be a fundamental aspect of nature, similar to gravity.

- If true, it could mean consciousness exists in more forms than previously thought.

**4. The Concept of "Umwelt"**

- Different organisms experience reality differently.

- Example: Bats use sonar instead of vision, leading to a completely different sensory world.

- This challenges our ability to define consciousness in a human-centric way.

**5. Decision-Making Without Thought**

- Even simple organisms and plants show behaviors that resemble decision-making.

- Example: Pea seedlings grow toward water, even responding to the sound of running water.

- The parasitic dodder vine chooses its host plant based on light frequencies.

- Suggests that basic forms of "awareness" might exist outside of brains.

**6. Rethinking Consciousness**

- If consciousness is not just a product of complexity, it might be everywhere in some form.

- This could mean that even simple processes in nature have a "felt experience."

- The idea challenges traditional science but opens new possibilities for understanding life.

**Conclusion**

- The nature of consciousness remains an open question.

- If it’s a fundamental property of the universe, it might extend far beyond human and animal minds.

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About Annaka Harris:Annaka Harris is the New York Times bestselling author of CONSCIOUS: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind and writer and producer of the forthcoming audio documentary series, LIGHTS ON. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Nautilus Magazine, the Journal of Consciousness Studies, and IAI Magazine. She is also an editor and consultant for science writers, specializing in neuroscience and physics. Annaka is the author of the children’s book I Wonder, coauthor of the Mindful Games Activity Cards, and a volunteer mindfulness teacher for the organization Inner Kids.

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