The wonder of the nature of the mind is at the core of our humanity. William James, often regarded as the grandfather of
consciousness science, challenged the consciousness view as a passive, purely
mental phenomenon. He argued instead that the mind is deeply intertwined with
bodily movement and sensory feedback. He thought that cognitive processes are
inherently purposeful and directed towards action. While stimulus constantly
evolves consciousness, consciousness actively participates in the world through
physical actions.
He recognized how seemingly abstract thoughts and emotions
are rooted in motor activity. For instance, thinking is not solely mental but
connected to subtle muscular movements like those in the throat or eyes. This
inherent connection to action led him to the concept of consciousness as a
motor, a metaphorical framework emphasizing consciousness' active, dynamic
nature. In this concept, experience, a fundamentally motor-driven, active
process, originates in perception compelled by the senses and bodily sensations.
The brain's perception of the environment triggers memory
and reaction, which deeply intertwines consciousness with its physical
surroundings. Through these physical interactions with the world, consciousness
guides behavior, helping organisms adapt to their environment. This interplay
shapes our thoughts and alters the world, fostering a harmonious, parallel
evolution of mind and matter.
For example, the sensory experience of a forest, with its
rustling leaves, scents, and breezes, brings up memories—fragments on our
mental scaffolds, such as a childhood camping trip. These past experiences
formed the preferred pathways of the brain's physical wiring, representing a platform
for the present. Thus, we process the present through the past. The
experience—such as the clearing off the ground for the tent—affects the
environment in a constant feedback loop, with each influencing the other. External
stimuli trigger perception, inspiring actions to shape our world.
But how does this process work? We can take James' idea of
consciousness as a motor further. In contrast to a motor that uses an external
power source to create motion, the brain is more like an engine, a machine that
burns fuel to generate motion. However, the engine's speed depends on fuel intake, while
the brain's activation changes with stimulus, not its energy supply. The
brain's generous glucose supply is constant whether we're solving a complex
math problem, daydreaming, or fast asleep. The steady energy flow ensures
smooth information transmission, like oiling a motor reduces friction. In this
analogy, stimuli are the fuel that powers the engine of our mind.
James' concept of the mind as a motor underscores the dynamic role of consciousness in its environment. However, the constantly engaged mind uses the information from the stimulus as fuel. Therefore, consciousness is an information-processing engine. Like a well-oiled machine, this 'consciousness engine' efficiently processes and stores information as memories and experiences. These memories can serve as constantly changing mental scaffolding, which guides the interpretation of our experiences. This perspective bridges the gap between the mind and its environment, offering a dynamic and pragmatic understanding of consciousness as a physical entity. Viewing consciousness as a physical organization provides a compelling perspective on the potential of artificial intelligence.
Images credit: Nathan Cowley
The book Emotional Reasoning: Insight into the Conscious Experience is published on August 30, 2024.
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