How Has Your Understanding Of Consciousness Changed As A Result Of Your Work For This Course?
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Prior to taking this course my view of consciousness was not drastically different than it is currently. Previously I was skeptical of the concept of free will. This skepticism has been supported by the information learned during this course. There were, however, other topics that I had not considered before that were addressed in this class. These include the evolution of consciousness, whether or not other species are conscious, whether or not infants are conscious, and the theories of self, including ego and bundle theories.
In addition to these topics, the two things that I found most interesting were the results demonstrated by the two studies done by Libet. The first of these two experiments discovered that there is a half second delay in our conscious awareness. The other study demonstrated that the actual physical process that initiates a physical action happens before we consciously choose to initiate this action.
Libets first (1982) experiment was conducted on people that had been subject to neurosurgical procedures. As a result of the neurosurgery Libet was able to stimulate his subjects brains with electrical pulses which produced reports of stimulation along the skin. Libet also stimulated his subjects skin directly and then interrupted the brain process required to deliver that sensation to consciousness. What he discovered was that in order for a sensation to be felt the brain process associated with it must be active for at least one half of a second; if this process ends prematurely then the sensation will not be felt at all. However, if the process remains active for the minimum amount of time then the sensation will be subjectively referred back in time to when the event actually happened (Blackmore, 2004: 57-59).
Concerning free will, my previous view held that free will may or may not be an illusion. This is consistent with my current view regarding free will, however, I am now more knowledgeable regarding this subject. Libets (1985) experiment demonstrated that the conscious decision to make a motor action is preceded by a readiness potential. This is a negative shift in electrical potential that occurs approximately 550ms prior to the action. Reports of a conscious decision did not occur until 200ms before the action. The decision does not happen until the action had already begun. This means that consciousness happens too late to be the cause of an action. According to Libet, conscious control is an illusion (Libet, 1985).
Libet did propose that while we cannot choose to initiate an action, we can choose whether or not to precede with one after it has already started. Libet submitted two forms of evidence to support this hypothesis. One piece of evidence is that subjects occasionally reported an impulse to act but they instead suppressed the action. The other piece of evidence was demonstrated during additional experiments. During these experiments subjects were instructed to perform the motor action at times that were pre-arranged. Also, they were required to abort some of these actions. The data gathered showed that the readiness potential flattened out approximately 150-250ms before the preset time (Blackmore, 2004: 129-130).
Libets conclusion did draw criticisms, mostly concerning the action that was being tested and the method that was used to test the timing. Subjects were instructed to perform a trivial task, and were given no decision about that task itself, only when to perform the action. In light of these factors, some contend that the results should not be generalized unto other actions. The other objection regarding the method used to determine the timing of conscious choice questioned its acuracy.
If we can consciously choose to perform an action or at least prevent it from occurring, then who is making the choice? This brings up different theories of the self. There are two categories of theories regarding the self: ego theory and bundle theory. According to Ego theory each of us is a continuous, unified self, which is why we feel that way. Each of us has an inner self that experiences all of the different things that occur in our lives. This inner self is the same self throughout the course of life, although it may slowly alter over time. Contrary to Ego theory is Bundle theory. Bundle theory states that the feeling of an inner, unified self in an illusion. What really exists is simply a series of experiences that are linked together. There is no unified self. There is nothing that experiences events in our lives, just the experiences (Blackmore: 2004, 98).
There are differing viewpoints regarding the origins of consciousness. Some religions claim that each of us has a soul which produces consciousness. Others believe that consciousness is what