Consciousness-Take 4
"Unraveling 'You': Bioelectricity, Cognition, and the Boundaries of Selfhood"
"Unraveling 'You': Bioelectricity, Cognition, and the Boundaries of Selfhood"
So, again … here we are. Talking about consciousness… yet again. Psychiatrist, so occupational hazard. Let’s blame your parents. Your parents FINALLY think you are at an age where you MIGHT BE interesting. Finally. So you have been ‘conscious’ before now, right? Since you were born, right? You WERE (in the sense of ‘I AM’)…so yeah, you WERE, and have been, since you were born, but seemingly now you are different. You have been conscious ever since, but consistently inconsistent in your ‘You’-ness over the course of your life. Don’t get me wrong, you can look back and ‘see’ the you, you recognize. And yet, you also notice how you are different now from what the YOU that you were when say, you were 16 or 17; or 5 or 3, right?
Cognition and as an extension, consciousness (an emergent property of brain and thinking), seems to change over time. Your brain has to grow and mylenate and all that. Then you have to ‘fill it’ with information, which means interconnections and physical changes and electrochemical changes down to the atomical scale, right? Is it the substrate from which consciousness (the hardware if you will, layers of complexity all the way down) emerges (the self-writing, self correcting and self-referrential software running on said hardware), seems to change over time.
Let’s explore this a bit, shall we? What do you think? (Ha Ha, get it… can’t help myself.)
The human 'self'—that core consciousness that whispers to us about our identities, that inner voice that feels so uniquely ours—is perhaps one of the most intriguing and mysterious concepts in both philosophy and neuroscience. As a practicing neuroscientist and physician, I have spent many years exploring this concept and pondering over the unique matrix of biology and experiences that make 'you' uniquely 'you.'
First, let's delve into the work of Dr. Antonio Damasio, a renowned neuroscientist who has devoted his life's work to understanding the nature of human consciousness. Damasio has argued that consciousness and the 'self' are deeply intertwined with our bodily senses and emotions. In "The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness," he writes, "Emotions are not a luxury, they are a means of communicating our states of mind to others. But they are also a way of guiding our own judgments and decisions. Emotions bring the body into the loop of reason" (Damasio, 1999). In Damasio's view, the boundary of the self is not merely our skin—it extends to our emotions, perceptions, and the way we interact with the world.
Next, let's consider the concept of 'autopoiesis,' introduced by biologists Francisco Varela and Humberto Maturana. They proposed that all living systems are 'autopoietic,' or self-creating. Autopoietic systems continuously renew and recreate themselves, maintaining their structure and functions while constantly interacting with their environment. According to Varela and Maturana, cognition is not a representation of the world 'out there,' but rather a "continuous enaction of linkages with the environment" (Varela, 1980). This perspective echoes and expands Damasio's view, suggesting that our 'selves' emerge from our interactions with the world and that cognition isn't separate from this process.
Now, let's add the voice of neuroscientist Gerald Edelman to our discussion. In his theory of "Neural Darwinism," Edelman argues that our brains develop through a process akin to natural selection, wherein neuronal connections are shaped by our experiences. "Every perception is an act of creation. Every memory is an act of imagination" (Edelman, 1989). Edelman's theory expands our boundaries of selfhood even further, suggesting that 'you' are an ever-evolving product of your brain's creative and selective processes.
Despite the diversity in their approaches, these researchers share a common theme: the self is not a static, isolated entity. It is a dynamic, evolving process, intimately intertwined with our biology, our environment, and our interactions.
However, the story does not end there. Enter Dr. Michael Levin, a groundbreaking biologist at Tufts University. Levin's work introduces a fascinating new dimension—bioelectricity. He suggests that bioelectric signals among cells play a critical role in coordinating growth, development, and regeneration in multicellular organisms. This bioelectric communication could be considered a form of computation or even a primitive form of cognition—a 'scale-free cognition' that defines the 'self' in an organism (Levin, 2019).
Levin's concept of the 'computational boundary of a 'self'' suggests that our identities—our 'selves'—emerge from this complex bioelectrical network. The physical body may be the hardware, but it's this bioelectrical signaling, this silent communication within us, that drives the software of 'you.'
In pulling together the strings of thought from Damasio, Varela, Maturana, Edelman, and Levin, we start to see a captivating picture of the 'self'—one that is far more intricate and dynamic than the simple physical boundaries of our bodies. Our 'self' is not just our physical form, but a complex, ever-changing network of interactions—biological, cognitive, and environmental.
To sum up Edelman's perspective, our brains—our 'selves'—are constantly in the process of 'becoming,' shaped by our experiences, our perceptions, and the very biology that underpins our existence. This concept is beautifully captured in Edelman's words, "What you are doing at any given moment is based on history, yet the you that you think you are is always in the present" (Edelman, 1989). This quote encapsulates the essence of the dynamic and evolving nature of selfhood, as proposed by these pioneering thinkers.
By weaving together Damasio's theory of emotions and consciousness, Varela and Maturana's idea of autopoiesis, Edelman's theory of Neural Darwinism, and Levin's novel concept of bioelectricity and scale-free cognition, we can propose a conceptual framework for understanding the 'self.' This framework is akin to a multi-layered tapestry, where each thread adds richness and depth to our understanding of the complex phenomenon we call 'self.'
'You'—the individual that you perceive yourself to be—are not just a physical entity, but a constantly changing, multi-dimensional process. This process is shaped by your biology, your interactions with your environment, the bioelectrical signals flowing within you, and even your emotions and thoughts.
As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the 'self,' it's essential to remember this multifaceted nature. There is no singular 'you'—there is a chorus of processes, all harmonizing to create the symphony that is your consciousness. The 'you' that is 'you' isn't a static entity but an ongoing performance—a dance between your biology, your environment, your emotions, and your cognition.
This perspective doesn't diminish the importance of the individual; on the contrary, it elevates it. It reminds us that we are not mere bystanders in the universe—we are active participants, continually creating and recreating our 'selves.'
In the end, the exploration of the 'self' remains one of the most profound journeys we can undertake—as scientists, as physicians, as philosophers, and most importantly, as individuals. By exploring the complex boundaries of our 'selves,' we not only advance our understanding of human nature but also uncover deeper insights into the essential question that has fascinated humans for centuries: "Who am I?"
References:
Damasio, A. (1999). The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness. Harcourt.
Varela, F. J., Maturana, H. R., & Uribe, R. (1980). Autopoiesis: the organization of living systems, its characterization and a model. Biosystems, 12(5), 187-196.
Edelman, G. M. (1989). The Remembered Present: A Biological Theory of Consciousness. Basic Books.
Levin, M. (2019). The computational Boundary of a "Self": Developmental Bioelectricity Drives Multicellularity and Scale Free Cognition. Communicative & Integrative Biology, 12(1), 112-120.