The comments are so intelligent that I STOPPED watching the video and started reading many comments before returning to the video. Thank you, guys.

"Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature [consciousness], for in the final analysis we ourselves are part of the mystery we are trying to solve." - Max Planck

All animals have and experience consciousness, in the sense that when they perceive a threat or danger to their existence, they avoid it or take measures to protect themselves, and when they do not, they take measures to procreate. But the starkest difference, and maybe the biggest and ONLY difference between man and an animal is that man has the ability to turn the mind's eye inwards and self-reflect, to ask deep questions about the meaning and origins of not only his existence, but existence of the universe itself.

I agree discovering the Universe and new technologies are very important But knowing our Intelligence more and Consciousness are priorities too 👍

Best analogy for consciousness that I've heard is that it is like a TV set. We see a monitor showing sounds, colors, images, emitting senses that we can perceive. However if we tried to take the TV apart to see where the images are coming from, all that we're left with is bits and pieces, when really the images are coming from the radio waves being transmitted through the antennas. Perhaps this is a spiritual outlook on consciousness, but as my friend Mukesh formerly said, it's food for thought.

Trying to understand consciousness is basically the brain trying to understand itself. It's pretty amusing if you think about it.

It seems highly unlikely to me that humans would develop consciousness while all other animals don't have it. I think it's more likely that consciousness follows a spectrum and is simply related to awareness of the outside world and of how it changes.

There is no way that other animals do not have consciousness. They may not be as developed as ours, but they definitely have consciousness.

This is hands down the best comment section I have ever seen! So many great theories.

Last time, I tried to figure out this question.I felt I was going crazy.

My neurologist and I were talking about how the brain works and all of its inner functions. She said that science knows a lot about the brain. I asked her, "Do you think we will ever figure out how the brain works completely?" She said, " I don't think we were ever meant to." Profound statement and absolutely true. The brain is a mystery. I don't think that science will ever completely figure it out. Besides that, when science learns something, something else pops up. The brain is mysterious and beautiful. It is us. We are looking out at the world through a set of peripherals. Who we really are is encased in a dark, protective, skull.

we are always fully conscious because our brains work in miraculous ways. even when we are asleep our brain still works. that's why we can actually do anything and everything subconsciously

we are the universe's way of experiencing itself

How did I get so little from this video - it feels like a science report with no actual results to discuss, and just throws around words and conversations working with the people in the field

The really curious thing is that we have a level of consciousness that transcends merely surviving. We have a level of consciousness that allows us to enjoy and appreciate the level of consciousness we have. Maybe that's the universes way of telling us to be happy.

The most satisfactory explanation I have ever heard about this topic is in Mandukya Upanishad, that too in 7th verse to be more precise.

I read an article on how an artifical intelligence will help explain the human conscious. This study could be on how we learn behaviors based on our understanding and perspective. It could also explain how memories help shaped the brain's ability to be aware or surrounding and the critical claim of survival.

Consciousness can't be an illusion, because illusions themselves are conscious experiences.

We are pure consciousness having a material experience, with our Creator holding it all together.

Absolutely well done and definitely keep it up!!! 👍👍👍👍👍

I personally believe that consciousness created the universe and not the other way around. It would explain why things are relative to the viewer, why perception is different for everyone

Consciousness could be another force like gravity or electromagnetism that exists only in biological beings and manifests itself as a brain. Kind of like how energy tends to manifest itself as a wave, consciousness moulds itself as the most stable entity possible and in this case this object that consciousness tends to mould into using available resources on earth is the brain. Say this force were to go to a metallic planet, then if thermodynamically possible, the consciousness will manifest as a metallic brain instead (like a transformer).This consciousness force could be why brains developed independently in different parts of the world (and maybe the universe), in that no matter where you are, as long as the right matter is available consciousness will manifest as a self aware entity.

That user illusion metaphor is so great. First time I ever heard it put that way. 10:40

I am an agnostic and I am set on pursuing what happens after death. This has helped my understanding immensely and I am grateful for that.

Best computer voice I've heard. It almost sounds completely human.

i suffer from depersonalization disorders . this is what I feel everyday, my mind detached from reality

The contents of this channel are as good as it's filming!👌👌👌

Consciousness is basically the OS of the universe. And our brain and body is the hardware used to access this OS

The best bit : "Consciousness is nothing more than a cognitive illusion...similar to how desktop of our laptops work as a user friendly interlace, that simplifies and distorts, the complicated processes going on inside " Food for thought.

It seems as if consciousness is the only state we will ever experience; If we're not conscious, we don't experience. Trying to apply the concept of reality as one true state I believe causes pain and denial in us. That there is something more real out there, that we cannot experience. If there is, we would never be able to know about it purely of its nature, if there isn't, well alright, we will know about it eventually. Experience and consciousness is required to define itself. Trying to define it as something that we cannot experience or imagine is therefore impossible.

Summary: We don't have an answer, but we have even more questions. Nothing new at this front.

The ability to enjoy things like Art, music and film is what boggles me. Our ability to explain the world around us, mystify, de-mystify, and construct reality is what leaves me thinking about why is consciousness the way it is, Why and how has it been decided that these things were necessary for survival. There is no need for these things in our lives but yet, here we are. The complexity in which we perceive the world just makes me think that there is more to it. There is no need for such complexity and superfluous existence. We could do without half the stuff we experience/feel but yet here we are. With all....this. I am sure science will reverse engineer and explain a lot of things in my lifetime. But there is the burning question that occurs to me in my quiet moments. Why is there even life/evolution and succession of things that work in harmonic force together? It is like a machine learning algorithm that continues to grow more efficient over time. My human pea brain will never understand such things and while it is great to live life by the rules of science. You can also live by supposition within reason. That there is a great unknown and in the age of reason we are too quick to say what is without evidence can be dismissed. I like to be open to possibilities and I veer on the side of rationale. That yes this existence will end and so will my consciousness. But then I think why am I? Why is this? Intelligent design, it may not be as there are plenty of ridiculous flaws in our bodies and other species. But design there is nonetheless. Consciousness has a higher meaning I believe and so does the universe. I live in the here and now. What I can experience, touch, feel, and think. But me telling someone even 50 years ago the concept of a smartphone, they would laugh and say that's something out of a sci-fi. Everything is not possible till it is possible. Be open-minded and be hopeful it is what has gotten us this far.

Has anyone looked in the mirror for a couple minutes and just asked who am I? Felt like I was a stranger to myself it was such a strange feeling.

I find the heartbeat at the start really unsettling with headphones.

And maybe consciousness is everywhere. In streams and rocks etc. And we egotistically focus on ourselves.

The univers is talking to itself thru everybody and everything all the time!

Consciousness is a distributed brain function. That’s why it is hard to pinpoint. Different parts of the brain send, collect and evaluate sensory information what we collectively describe as being self-aware and conscious. Just like any other brain function, consciousness evolved into existance because it has survival benefits compared to not having it.

Sometimes i suspect that my consciousness is the *only* that exists. All you people are just puppets in my world, playing a script along, providing the reality with wich i interact...

can it get any more insane than the approach here? It is beyond rediculous. you certainly show your cards, Economist.

I love studying about consciousness and theories about it. How do we know its the end all/ be all though? maybe there is something beyond consciousness?

I think conciousness gives animals an advantage compared to animals with less conciousness, because they can predict them while being unpredictable.

I liked the part of accidental discover of consciousness. Shouldn't the same cells be present in other living things, like lab rat on which tests could be performed upon?

意識の話は面白いですね😊Thank you for your message♪

A realization I came to is we think we see & sense external reality but really experience a model built by our mind from sensory input.

What if it is not a product of brain function?

To me, consciousness seems so simple. It is a 2 part process in the brain that repeats over and over again(even while we sleep). Part#1 - We attempt to answer the question "What is going on?". Part#2 - We attempt to answer the question "What should I do?". Part#1 is all about using our senses, our memories and our reasoning. Part#2 is all about taking action(or not). The learning aspect of this is about a summation of wisdom(memories + rational).

This presentation begs the question that matter is fundamental.

I loved the comments more than the video 😃... inspiring thoughts

Consciousness is as mysterious as the universe. One day we'll understand.

"Is it a high level summary..." Yes. It's as simple as that. The debate beyond that point is just fear of purposelessness and ultimately death.

Just did a search on "Conscience" and this video struck me among the results. Have not watched it... don't care to either, I am here for YOU. Minds are far deeper, and YOU came to this video... Why? ........ ? All input is valuable since diversity is the best way to avoid overspecialization! What do you feel when you look into a mirror? When you stare into your own eyes??? I often look at my limbs and digits with this separation... Just blown away at how weird and complex they are, how detached I am from understanding them... What the bleep am "I"? How can I have these "thoughts"? Two mushy balls that can "catch" photonic energy from a giant ball of burning madness in space!??!! What?! Hearing is an Atmospheric sensor so sensitive that it makes a cats wiskers look weak and insignificant! On that note, it's gotta suck to be able to FEEL people near you fart with sensors rooted right at your mouth..... Then again they do say "How well are you today" by smelling crotch.... Anyway.. :-) What blows you away about being conscious?

Good, thought provoking video.

"I get introspective and think about the brain and it's kind of like a universe within."

Your consciousness comes from outside "you". Youre def not your body, thats ego. You are spirit having a human experience. Consciousness is, always was, forever will be. Enjoy the ride! You are but a spark of youre true essence down here in 3d. Youre here to remember youre the creator. LOVE

I always read the comments and find some amazing responses... and have gained such great propects...

Great presentation. Thanks.

In September 2018, I bled out (post surgery), had a heart attack from catastrophic blood loss and died. I was “dead” for more than ten minutes. During that time, I was more “alive” than I’ve ever been. What is consciousness? What is this body? What is life? And what is our place in the whole question? I still don’t know but I do know this: We’re here to bear witness to Creation and to love.

"Consciousness is nothing more than a cognitive illusion". And what causes the illusion? Saying its an illusion doesn't solve the problem. It merely avoids and extends it because you can't explain it.

There should be some definite guide lines from the experts and scientists, like Grammar of a Language, how to use the Ladder of Consciousness for further exploration and Study.

The brain does not produce conciousness . The brain is IN conciousness . Its SILENT and STILL .

This programme is primarily based around a reductionism belief system. I would suggest you look at the work of Stuart Hameroff and Sir Roger Penrose.

Consciousness is that which is aware of itself and its environment, human consciousness in that case experiences its environment through thoughts, feelings and emotions using the mind as a medium. The mind relays the environment to consciousness as it has constructed it with the sole objective of trying to preserve it i.e. consciousness and give it peace and joy. Human consciousness/ being/ awareness is higher in the strata of earthly life because of its mind. The mind and consciousness are both intangible just like energy is and both are products of the brain and the environment/ cosmic system. In death it disintegrates into unconscious energy. My opinion.

Thats like asking -- what is a tree ? We can put together a detailed description of the tree ,but we will never know what it is ,we could say tree is energy but that doesnt tell us what tree is .Similarly we will never know what consciousness is . However it can be seen by those who can see it .Thats as far as we can go .

Helpfull

Forget about brains. If you wanna get an answer to the question, you should explore consciousness in consciousness. This can be done in meditation. The question "What is consciousness" has no verbal answer, because the question only allows answers describing "something", but consciousness isn't something. Therefore, the answer you can find in meditation is not told by words, it is told by silence.

1:37 - But they do not both agree on that in the sense that consciousness *only* arises in the brain. This has been questioned by the ancient Greeks, Renaissance figures such as Bruno, Cardano, Patrizi, then later by Spinoza, Leibniz, Fechner, Bergson, James, Whitehead, Bertrand Russell, Galen Strawson, et al. The view that consciousness, or some form of sentience, is and was universal is called panpsychism. Christoph Koch figures prominently here - even he has self-identified as a panpsychist (2012).

we developed the frontal cortex which I believe plays the role in filtering the senses. It gives choice to decision making. Gives the brain the ability to look at its self like a mirror in terms of observing memory’s

Nice one!

_Blessings to you._ ⬆

Consciousness is not separable from its contents. In order to be conscious you must be conscious OF something. If you are looking for something you believe to exist called "pure consciousness", what you may find is some state of mind that you will decide satisfies your criteria to be called "pure consciousness", but in reality it will be just another state of mind - still conscious OF something. In that case something abstract.

Is that a sound? The heartbeat effect in my ears at the beginning was cool.

Very good video.

THE THEORY OF MIND, 'get in another person's shoes, feel what they're feeling, see yhe world from THEIR perspective' . I wonder if research is done on the effects of cannabis related to this subject. I can tell you, smoking cannabis does make you extremely conscious of yourself AND others, you can literally feel what someone you know really well felt/feels in a certain situation. Cannabinoid receptors are all over the brain, and cannabinoids in Cannabis do activate those receptors in many different ways. But the taboo on cannabis will last and prevent serious science from exploiting it. But it does have a potential to make your mind go out of your body and be very empathic, modifying your state of consciousness. The grandfather of Cannabis research, Raphael Mechoulam, thinks sensibility to certain cannabinoids/the amount of certain cannabinoid receptors in the brain are what defines one's personality, the difference in personality between me and you could be linked to differences in cannabinoid receptors in the brain. (remember, our body constantly releases endocanabinoids for countless reasons in the brain)

Consciousness is Gods awareness of its self. It is all there is. Its name is I am. I am not religious person,but I know things. Thank you. So be aware of who you really are boys and girls.😉👏

The most interesting question I've ever become of 🙂

The state of being aware of and responsive to one's surroundings.

Consciousness is a sphere of waves, a vibration source, an energy field. The rest of our brain is just an interface.

Consciousness is the only thing that cannot be an illusion.

A very apt view for such a publication. (However incorrect it may be...)

Consciousness is awareness, Which is an awakened state of our existence,our brain turns it on or we start becoming consciouss of our sorroundings at around 4 years old, think of your earliest memory or first thought that's when you became aware or your consciouss flipped on. Look into the mirror for 10 minutes everyday and you'll see your conscuisness or existence. Awareness is consciousness. It's our higher intelligence that separates us from other animals or plants,that live and act simply on instinct.

wtf i never got such a good boy pat for an MRI before...

Why is the Economist reporting on consciousness?

Damn these videos are so well done, it's like I'm watching a documentary.

i'm sure of something that one day science and philosophy meets at some point where we can find the better understanding of self consciousness and universe.

We are the only product of the Universe, made by the Universe, that can change it in a way that the Universe can't do itself. While entropy and heat death occur as a constant, and destruction and dispersion wreck havoc; we busy creatures are creating order from all of the chaos. Consciousness is just that -- the ability to create order from chaos.

As a person diagnosed with Schizoaffective syndrome at age 16 the human brain is a miracle but can also bring down the individual! Really the number one asset we always possess is our mind 👍

Didn’t realise Economist touch on such topics.

Consciousness is information transmitted, information analysis and transformed,and information stored,a series processing This is defination

happy baby elephants at 7:58

10:23-11:05. brilliant

I like this video so much

Fascinating

My famous equation, "Consciousness has no Mass". Ray Hassan

Reality is the physical form of consciousness. The human body is a flesh and bone vehicle for the spirit, an avatar for consciousness. As the Bible says "We live in God and God lives in us" we are all one in the same. Love always.

I like that "back stage look"

Consciousness is like using a computer to analyse data and relay the information back to you, in a human's case, the brain, the mind, the senses and the body are part of the computer which analyses different tasks that people are involved with and feeds the information back to them so they can decide what to do, the better the computer the more imformative it is, the better condition the brain, mind, senses and body the more informative it is, the more aware one is of their own system the more consciousness one becomes which can help them transcend their physical and mental limitations to potentially reach the ultimate consciousness of liberation and enlightenment.

We do not yet have a complete understanding of "communication" at a cellular level. Seems consciousness the result of millions of "bits" working in concert. Next question: Are highly intelligent more conscious then the average?

What if consciousness is a force of nature like electricity? What if the biological body is just like the hardware of a machine and without the electrical force it can't function. Just like how a toaster can be unplugged and plugged and how if the hardware of the toaster breaks down over time then the toaster or body in our case ceases to function. I don't know anything about advanced physics so i couldn't mend a theory to this but i think its cool to think that we are all biological manifestations of a single consciousness and depending on our biology we have different traits and interests kind of how machines with different hardware perform different tasks and specializations. I hope we get to the bottom of this within my lifetime because it would be cool to know for sure what makes us be.

THe left hemispheric claustrum mentioned in electrical stimulation shutting down consciousness , with attendant amnesia, is quite an interesting area. THe lateralization of many functions in all brains (I'm unfamiliar with the structure of the brian rings and distribution of functions in the obviously conscious, intelligent octopus,though I played with them as a child in the shallows off that home,so, "all" may be incorrect. But it does apply to vertebrate brains) varies. What is solely the function of some lateralized processes, can and does, in other senses and actions, be transferred to its opposing are, although the wiring and performance differs. So, consciousness is contingent monitoring nd the ability to direct changed behaviors in response. consciousness is certainly awareness, then. Studying the consiouc choices made by a coursing predator - the gray wolf, - in response to changes in direction and even overt behaviors of its prey in pursuit, we find, as in cats and in many mammals' play, also seems to stimulate feelings of reward. The claustrum is situated adjacent to perhaps the most important sensory area, where smell and its memories are processed. I've called the molecular senses, in particular smell, the sense of truth. In ourselves, evolution in both trees as primates and later standing and moving far from the ground , where more detectable molecules exist in concentrations high enough to validate recency, lost us considerably the ability to detect truth. So we, for those initial reasons, were stimulated to evolve other methods, including a more complex logical capacity, along with far greter capacities for deceptive, nonfactual ideation and transmission - like symbolic language having no direcct relationship to what is described. Other species, I have to caution you, also possess logical, teleological, imaginative and even verbal symbolic capacities, and not all of these are mammals, or even vertebrates. We really share for example, the amygdala[e], with its known capacities to focus when novel stimuli of any kind occur. its nuclei and connections distribute and collect relevant information (and by relevant, I also mean memories that cause behavior more relevant to previous salient events and stimuli that can be utterly IRrelevant in the present. This occurs in other animals subjected to trauma as well) the claustrum is adjacent to the insula, where such important processing as that of extremely aversive stimuli, occurs. As you can intuit, memory is vital to appropriate response. You must now become aware, conscious, that memory's networks, constructed by you, must remain free to reinterpret its own productions of the past, and sometimes you must abandon all beliefs that are contraindicated by sensory, motor, intellectual processes.Change, the wolf teaches, is the nature of the universe, and health, even life, requires that we constantly accept and adapt to change. That's why consciousness arose. Did you know that the eye independently evolved in different phyla from 3 to 40 times? It really has such utility that evolutionary pressure favored light detection of variation in the distance. Consciousness, again, is the most efficient method of assembling new and old information, of retaining and amending it. It's not mere epiphenomenon, but itself perhaps the most important sense, even exceeding that subsidiary, molecular, smelling capacity, that occurs down to the smallest organisms at the simplest edge of life we know. (it's all very much more complex than you can imagine - detecting and responding to increases and decreases of multiple stimuli use more than one or tow separate molecular mechanisms i even bacteria - which themselves change behavior vastly when in groups. They, too can be described as social, however simple, as their behaviors are adaptive or, even like the worst of us, exploitative!) Philosophically, consciousness is the most efficient way to process and associate novel experience.In fact the claustrum is quite strongly wired to our most associative area - the parietal cortex. Again, all brians are wired in quite the same way, and so the superb efficiency of consciousness both generates unity and gathers associations, whether they are conscious themselves, or not. THe brain works as one, just as you are only effective as an individual when you understaand that all your mental processes are YOURS, and you are not intrinsically subject to outside , especially, nonsensory, influences. When those who persist in imaging the latter case, they give up their own capacity, not only of choice, but even of correct attribution of sensory input. Philosophy must be defined as informed speculation. We learn truthful things through exploration, evaluation, and testing. Sometimes we become conscious of our brain having worked outside of our attention (work is being done on what's called the Default Mode Network, which should bring information useful to those conversant with the biochemical/physical, and neurological processes at their several levels of action and modalities). It cannot anymore be called philosophy to misattribute such revelation to any "mind" outside our own, except inasmuch as they are in actual sensory interaction with ourselves. This brings up schizophrenia, which subject has to do with neurological structural deficits of real-world origin. Much and lately, most purported information prominent in this culture, is non- and contrafactual, exhibiting symptoms on a social level much like that occurring in damaged or miswired brains. brains themselves respond every moment, growing new dendritic connections and allowing to wither, inappropriate useless old connections. We DO exercise, though, even the actually inappropriate, causing them to persist in the face of new informatin that contradicts theri validity. This is the problem you see. Some, of course is in your own brain, as you previously believed your own constructed networks of information (which subject I'd have to go into another time and place). Some is less persistent misattributino - that speculation to which I referred. Some DOES come from attending too much to contrafactual information driven into your senses or associative parts of your brain, by inadvertent and purposeful others. It, then, remains insufficient to be critical of either yourself OR others, but to receive and evaluate both. otherwise you will never catch a real dinner, withering into total incapacity from whatever previous state you have allowed yourself due to your own inattentions, misattributions, and failure to maintain conscious awareness of the stimuli your beautiful living senses receive, transmit, and translate.

I paused at 1:42. I'm pretty certain that consciousness does not arise in the brain but exists independent of the brain. The brain is more like a radio receiver. Apparently, many of your contributors and commenters share this view. Still a great video and many parts have been added to my collective knowledge on this enigma.