“Cogito ergo sum
Not an easy concept to define, consciousness has been described as the state of being awake and aware of what is happening around you, and of having a sense of self. [Top 10 Mysteries of the Mind]
The 17th century French philosopher René Descartes proposed the notion of “cogito ergo sum” (“I think, therefore I am”), the idea that the mere act of thinking about one’s existence proves there is someone there to do the thinking.
Descartes also believed the mind was separate from the material body — a concept known as mind-body duality — and that these realms interact in the brain’s pineal gland. Scientists now reject the latter idea, but some thinkers still support the notion that the mind is somehow removed from the physical world.
But while philosophical approaches can be useful, they do not constitute testable theories of consciousness, scientists say.
“The only thing you know is, ‘I am conscious.’ Any theory has to start with that,” said Christof Koch, a neuroscientist and the chief scientific officer at the Allen Institute for Neuroscience in Seattle.”
Comment:
The above is an extract from an article by Tanya Lewis titled ‘Scientists closing in on science of Consciousness’ dated 30 July 2014 on the http://www.livescience.com website.
My interest was evoked when the insubstantial spirit of my uncle communicated with my clairvoyant, and also responded to something I had said.
RAJA ARASA RATNAM 