Jan 4, 2025 01:20 AM
https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/psycholo...ciousness/
EXCERPTS: The puzzle of consciousness seems to be giving science a run for its money. The problem, to be clear, isn’t merely to pinpoint “where it all happens” in the brain (although this, too, is far from trivial). The real mystery is how to bridge the gap between the mental, first-person stuff of consciousness and the physical lump of matter inside the cranium.
[...] Intuitive dualism is one such psychological bias. It suggests to us that the mind is ethereal, distinct from the body. My research suggests that intuitive dualism arises in humans naturally and spontaneously—it emerges from the two innate systems: One guides our understanding of the physical properties of objects; another helps us “read” the minds of others. So it is not the product of rationally analyzing what exists. It is a psychological delusion that arises from within the human mind itself.
However, intuitive dualism has been shown to give rise to various prejudices, ranging from the denial of human nature to our misguided fascination with neuroscience and the tendency to stigmatize people with psychiatric disorders. Our consciousness intuitions could arise from the same source as these biases.
So, if consciousness appears somehow distinct from physical reality, then this conclusion could well arise not from what consciousness really is, but rather from what our psyche is telling us, courtesy of intuitive dualism.
How can we tell, then, whether or not our intuitions (that consciousness is not physical) reflect what consciousness really is? It looks like we are at a stalemate. And that’s a problem for the “hard problem.” (MORE -details)
EXCERPTS: The puzzle of consciousness seems to be giving science a run for its money. The problem, to be clear, isn’t merely to pinpoint “where it all happens” in the brain (although this, too, is far from trivial). The real mystery is how to bridge the gap between the mental, first-person stuff of consciousness and the physical lump of matter inside the cranium.
[...] Intuitive dualism is one such psychological bias. It suggests to us that the mind is ethereal, distinct from the body. My research suggests that intuitive dualism arises in humans naturally and spontaneously—it emerges from the two innate systems: One guides our understanding of the physical properties of objects; another helps us “read” the minds of others. So it is not the product of rationally analyzing what exists. It is a psychological delusion that arises from within the human mind itself.
However, intuitive dualism has been shown to give rise to various prejudices, ranging from the denial of human nature to our misguided fascination with neuroscience and the tendency to stigmatize people with psychiatric disorders. Our consciousness intuitions could arise from the same source as these biases.
So, if consciousness appears somehow distinct from physical reality, then this conclusion could well arise not from what consciousness really is, but rather from what our psyche is telling us, courtesy of intuitive dualism.
How can we tell, then, whether or not our intuitions (that consciousness is not physical) reflect what consciousness really is? It looks like we are at a stalemate. And that’s a problem for the “hard problem.” (MORE -details)