Consciousness Analysis

Consciousness (kinda) Humanity likes to put a face on things. We enjoy logos, patterns, and color schemes. We feel comforted by associations that remain constant. Familiarity makes for a comfortable existence. Anything mankind can’t visualize puts itself in a category of fear and discomfort. One could even argue that the electron microscope exists solely to aestheticize what ails mankind-- influenza, cancer, and the common cold now all have mugshots. CAT scans give an aesthetic to medicine and biology that’s been lacking since the inception of these fields. However, there’s one thing no one has ever placed their finger on: how do we recognize our own thought processes? How do we visualize our own sentience without trivializing it? Scientists …show more content…
Its mystery and misunderstandings makes it a robust hunt for the zealous biologist. People in white lab coats all over the world scramble to get the clearest view, the most grounded understanding, and the most non-negotiable perspective on what consciousness is and how humanity can define it from a scientific standpoint. Evan Galloway, a scientific journalist and researcher, has examined several studies in his pursuit of this answer. One such study followed faculty and students at the University Of Cambridge, UK and University of Liège, Belgium who set out to bridge the communication gap between vegetative patients and their doctors.The problem with recognizing consciousness other than our own is that it operates on a trust basis. As Galloway puts it, “...it is hard to prove that your friend Jane Doe is also conscious because you can only rely on her outward behavior”(Galloway). Researchers used fMRIs to create a visual dialogue of what inoperative patients were unable to communicate. By asking these patients simple questions or asking them to visualize certain activities, such as playing tennis or navigating their hometown, and scanning their cognitive responses, scientists could create a visual catalog of brain responses. ‘Yes’ may be a green flair up in the left temporal lobe, while ‘no’ may be an orange spot on the …show more content…
“‘Consciousness is a transitive or 'intentional' process (it is 'about' certain content), and therefore it may be illusory to look for a 'pure' form of consciousness independent of its particular contents and of the task that it affords’” (Galloway). While researchers were able to “affirm” the presence of consciousness in select vegetative individuals, it was only when these individuals were given content to prompt them. This may suggest that consciousness only exists as a communication tool, used to further humanity and possibly other species in the quest for survival. With this interpretation we see consciousness much more like a language than an environment. As a communal tool more than an