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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

we are the universe's way of experiencing itself

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...

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

What if it is not a product of brain function?

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.

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

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

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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

you've confused 'consciousness' with 'consciousness of self' again, common mistake, anthropocentrism motivated. Dogs, cats, horses, pigs, cattle, etc etc are all conscious, but most animals are not conscious of self, and not sensible of another's self.

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).

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Consciousness is the only thing that cannot be an illusion.

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

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

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.

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.😉👏

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.

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?

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.

Why is the Economist reporting on consciousness?

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.

A wise man once said: looking for consciousness in the brain is exactly like looking for the announcer inside the radio receiver. The whole body is conscious, but the brain is like a central processing unit and acts as the liaison or "adapter" between the ACTUAL consciousness and the physical body and the physical reality. The bottom line: to think that your consciousness is merely produced and stored in your brain (and is only a bio-electric & chemical construct) is extremely infantile and limited.

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).

"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.

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

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

it's completely impossible to ever know whether a being is conscious, in fact we even assume that everyone else is conscious because we know we are. also why can't consciousness be a spectrum?

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 👍

Try to smoke weed while reading the comments😪 Now that's consciousness😨

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 .

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?

So much people rejecting science and the scientific method in a video about science made by scientist... When we will learn to leave mysticism and religion away?

Keywords: Celebral cortex, claustrum, cerebelum, peripheral tissue, the theory of mind, evolutionary advantages of conciousness, neural correlates of conciousness.

The problem with this video is that it is based on the supposition that consciousness is a biological function in the brain. I suspect that consciousness goes much deeper than that. It is something that is of a spiritual nature, originating from a higher realm of reality. My belief is that the brain is just simply a receiver of consciousness, not the creator of it.

I am just waves forever crashing into emptiness and nothingness for no reason. I know no objective purpose to my life. Any subjective purpose that I create is arbitrary and is the result of desires and values over which I have no real control anyway. I know nothing about the truth of the world, that is if any truth even exists at all. I cant even begin a pursuit of truth as how can I begin to look for that which i don't know? And how would I know whether i found it? As I watch my mother glued to the bachelorette and my father return from a 9-7 job I realize that in this respect i am born from parents as ignorant as I, just as they were born from parents as ignorant as them and on it goes back to our inorganic origins. Any guise of morality that remains in me does not serve me, but rather serves a herd mentality that has evolved to ensure collective survival. My morality serves no purpose but to perpetuate nothingness as that is what we all are. To me, suffering is as empty as pleasure which is as empty as success which is as empty as love. It is empty because at its base it is all reasonless, mindless chaos. Even writing this very text is a futile exercise because through the necessity of its own interpretation by the reader, the meaning that I attempted to imbune in it will be lost and altered. The only reason that I stand here alive is because I have an in tact survival instinct which those who suicided before me did not. What kind of existence is this? Ahhh fuck it.

God is Consciousness. Without God there is no possibility of awareness or existence.

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.

I got really high once and got this thought: The brain is like an antenna, picking up on the presence of a cosmic source of consciousness we haven't yet discovered exists

out of body experience, near death experience, regression and re birth statements from children; all point to clues about consciousness

Our soul is our consciousness

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

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

Consciousness is conscious life forms. You and I, and all other conscious and aware life forms. Life is created by consciousness, and consciousness is created by life. The truth as it relates to conscious life is the ultimate truth because it is life and everything in it. For the first time in mankind's history we can Know the ultimate truth and it turned out to be better than anything we could have imagined. We have come a long way and endured more than you could imagine to be where we are now and it has all been for one ultimate purpose, to see the truth of life and live in true life. Everyone knows the truth subconsciously because indirectly we are the truth and the life, but directly we are controlled by our animal mind and desires. People are living as their mortal mind selves instead of their true conscious self. Mankind is missing true life which is everything for illusions which are nothing that our false self or mind creates. We have evolved this far subconsciously, it is time to see the truth of life and evolve consciously. We have progressed enough to learn the truth of life, take control of our minds, and see the real life that has been hidden from our sight until now. The Truth is out, Google *_Truth Contest_* and check it out. The real truth will make you free.

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.

The brain is the hardware that houses the spirit. When the brain dies, the spirit continues. Our consciousness, our sense of self, will continue forever.

First we must discover how one cell multiply in a whom to become a functioning human being. From where it get instructions to generate complicated organs at precise places with precise dimensions. This higher level consciousness as compared to other forms is what makes us different from other living beings.

You can learn ALOT about yours with a solid dose of psychdelics.

Pure conciousness exists in the subconscious. For if you can be completely aware in your subconcious mind, then you can be truly present in your concious world.

Matter>molecule>atom>subatomic particles>........source of this creation = Consciousness = I am the source of this creation !

I get the sensation that my true conscious self is sitting in the middle hump backseat of a car watching as my left and right brain operate the vehicle. I can yell directions at them and they usually take me where I’m trying to go but I’m definitely not the one driving.

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.

Could consciousness be considered a soul or spirit? Thanks

Our consciousness is a small spec in the ocean of an infinite, pure, blissful and eternal "Universal Consciousness" that exists. Once we are able to merge our consciousness in that universal consciousness by removing our mind, we call it "Enlightenment".

The brain does not generate consciousness, it receives it. Consciousness is non-local, entangled and coherent - A unified field of universal consciousness.

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.

happy baby elephants at 7:58

Spinning on this rock in the middle of nothing without a purpose, the ultimate experience

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

Ha! How amusing. It's not only mentioned a second time, but it's actually spelled out in front of you. "Consciousness begins in the brain". Anyone else watching this get the feeling that someone's really doing their best at driving a point home? That's because, as strange as it may sound, Consciousness is not produced by the brain. And this piece represents Scientism, not Science. And they have Daniel Dennet, of all people, to consult. Try reading *Irreducible Mind~Toward A Psychology For The 21st Century*

Brain does not generate Consciousness. Consciousness is a field. Hence the omnipresent God myth. Brain is local, mind is non local. Brain as transceiver.

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

Did they say, “...until the problem of consciousness is solved...” Who would have thought consciousness was a ‘problem’? It’s an *odd* statement.

I love how a fast dose of lead can end consciousness so fast.

Consciousness is the metaphysical ground of everything. Matter don't give rise to consciousness. Matter is a thought inside of consciousness. This can be verified in your own experience by having what the Buddhists call an 'enlightenment experience' or by radical skepticism.

We can't solve a mystery we ourselves are a part of.

Question is, why is our consciousness connected only to certain parts of body. For example, our brain receives signals from and is controlling heart, stomach, liver, kidneys and all other organs. Even though our consciousness is most likely inside of brain, it can't feel nor control those processes. If nobody told you you have heart, you wouldn't even know there is something in your chest, that pumps blood through your blood vessels, yet your brains knows it and controls it. This is in my opinion one of the weirdest aspects of consciousness, apart from filosophical aspects.

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)

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

no materialist can explain consciousness