The Price of Consciousness

Carmen Wolfe

Vanderbilt University
The Price of Consciousness

Aristotle has been noted for proposing that “to be conscious that we are perceiving and thinking is to be conscious of our own existence.” According to this definition, humans are certainly conscious creatures, aware of their own existence. But is this condition uniquely human, or merely a phenomenon shared by all living organisms? Neurobiologists continue to research these topics as they explore the factors which distinguish man and animal. In his book The Feeling of What Happens, Antonio Damasio (1999, p. 316) asserts that “the drama of the human condition comes solely from consciousness.” The conditions which defiantly distinguish humans from other organisms extend beyond physical attributes and converge to differences among neurological elements. The unique consciousness of humans defines them as superior beings, yet this uniqueness comes with a definite price. Our consciousness alerts us to its absences in certain medical disorders. We are fortunate to have consciousness, yet are plagued because we are conscious of the fact that it is possible to lose consciousness, therefore losing part of our identity and decreasing quality of life.

The question of consciousness may be explored by comparing the conscious state of humans, to that of other animals. Is it this mental state that places man above animals? In the first chapter of Genesis, the Bible states that God placed man over all the other living creatures on the earth. This divine mandate proves evident in many aspects as humans orchestrate life on earth, with allowance for the existence of other organisms. Humans pass legislation on behalf of endangered organisms, build zoos to showcase wildlife, and hold command over the natural world and its resources. Nevertheless, some physical and biological similarities are shared among higher order organisms such as primates and human beings. The lines of distinction between man and animal become blurred as questions are raised concerning the actual physiological and neurological differences among organisms. Damasio’s studies (1999) define the true essence of human existence by exploring the neural and biological underpinnings that support the physiological superiority of humans over other organisms. By carefully distinguishing between core and extended consciousness, the division between humans and animals becomes apparent. Though many organisms exhibit characteristics of consciousness, human beings experience this state of consciousness to the greatest degree. With extended consciousness, an acute autobiographical self, and a powerfully complex mind with which to process images and objects to be known, humans are capable of existing at the highest levels of efficiency and productivity. We, as humans, have the unique abilities to think, reason, create, engineer, communicate, and manipulate our environment in order to improve our well-being and standard of living. Though animals may share some of these qualities, humans have obviously excelled, as evidenced by extensive technological advances and domination of the earth and its resources.

Nevertheless, this fullness of life that we deem consciousness comes at a great price.

Our curious minds are capable of exploring the nature of their own existence. Though some factors are hidden within complex neural structures, we strive to know ourselves and explore the complex facets of the human mind. In short, the very consciousness that distinguishes humans as unique organisms, leads us to the knowledge that such valuable levels of extended consciousness may be missing or damaged by neurological conditions. As evidenced by Damasio’s case studies, the nature of consciousness is defined by its absence. Certain neurological disorders have enabled researchers to identify characteristics of consciousness and the areas of the brain that directly contribute to defining self.

Though the concepts of self and consciousness may seem quite abstract, their existence solidifies when examined under the scope of personal experience with mental disorders which usurp a person’s ability to function normally. When my grandfather began to develop Alzheimer’s disease, I found great difficulty in understanding the physiological effects of his ailment. Lacking a full understanding of the disease, I was often discouraged by his inability to recall seemingly simple facts as he gradually slipped into a state drastically different than his original personality and character. By studying the existence and subsequent loss of the extended consciousness, I have gained a greater understanding of the implications of his disease in relation to consciousness, self, and the drastic changes that ensued.

Alzheimer’s leads to a loss of memory for past events that eventually erodes autobiographical records, leading to the gradual extinction of the autobiographical self and extended consciousness (Damasio, 1999, p. 209). This chain of events surfaces as the person must be reminded of simple facts such as his identity. To healthy conscious individuals, it may seem incomprehensible that one could forget simple facts such as name, place, and past personal experiences. Scientists, however, have come to better understand this symptom by investigating the connection between the mind and self-knowledge. This degenerate disease impedes the memory and inhibits the individual from leading a normal life where objects can no longer be processed and reviewed against the backdrop of a lifetime’s compilation of images associated with these objects. Though we visited often, my grandfather could never remember who we were. Because his recorded biographical images had been erased, our faces matched nothing he could recognize.

The collapse of core consciousness marks the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease. At this point, it almost seems that the person is no longer themselves. Personality, language, and distinct characteristics that formerly described the individual vanish from apparent view. Though language is not necessary for consciousness, humans depend on this medium of communication to monitor the well-being and mental state of others. Though the physical life of an Alzheimer’s patient may be preserved, do their lives progress in their own minds? I often questioned whether true life continued for my grandfather because his life was no longer a stream of occurrences, but rather a jumble of unrelated events. Without the ability to make new memories, the patient’s ability to be conscious of the passage of time may be questioned. Questions arise as to whether the patient would be better off to never have known the possibilities offered by the fullest extent of consciousness, only to have them stripped away by disease.

The price of consciousness involves the knowledge that the unique gift of consciousness may be lost, causing great disruption to the normal lives of individuals. Nevertheless, scientists follow the decree of Frances Bacon that “knowledge is power” and strive to fully understand the complexities of consciousness and its relation to our lives. Though knowledge of consciousness comes at a great price, this knowledge proves invaluable as it enables humans to more fully understand their own existence.

References

Damasio, Antonio R. (1999). The Feeling of What Happens. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Acknowledgements

I acknowledge the help and contribution of ideas from class discussions during Psychology 115W freshman seminar entitled “Human Knowledge Acquisition” at Vanderbilt University. Information was incorporated from class notes and exercises completed during class and as assignments outside of the classroom.

I acknowledge assistance from the world wide internet in determining the correct format for an APA paper. I used the Royal Windsor Society for Nursing Research web site at http://www.windsor.igs.net/~nhodgins/apa_format_guidelines.html to find examples for citing sources such as magazine articles and novels.

I acknowledge the use of the Tech Corps of New Jersey website at http://www.tcnj.org/ support/quotes/knowledge.htm as a secondary source for quotes used in the opening and concluding paragraphs of my paper.

If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them. - Isaac Asimov

Ability to think; reason, contemplate; create; engineer

Human experience the fullest extent of consciousness

Compare with animal consciousness

Experience life at fullest

However, this is at a price

Disorder define the presence of consciousness and what we don’t have

We know when we’re missing something

Knowledge is power.

Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626), Religious Meditations, Of Heresies, 1597

If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them. - Isaac Asimov

To be conscious that we are perceiving and thinking is to be conscious of our own existence. - Aristotle

http://www.tcnj.org/support/quotes/knowledge.htm

What it is to be human

Neurobiological account of the self

The drama of the human condition comes solely from consciousness

Create better life for self

Price of knowing danger, risk, and pain

Price of knowing what pleasure is and when it is missing

We are fortunate to have consciousness, yet are plagued because we are conscious of the fact that it is possible to lose consciousness