Consciousness is explored across three talks: first, its neural correlates are examined through experiments with operational definitions. Second, the sense of agency—awareness of controlling one's actions—is questioned, noting that much can be achieved without such awareness. Third, consciousness is proposed to play a critical role in social interactions, enabling assignment of responsibility, development of culturally acceptable justifications for actions, and sharing experiences to optimize group decisions.
Consciousness arises from self-organizing neural processes that prepare an organism to act on emotionally significant events, according to Ralph Ellis and Natika Newton's embodied, enactive theory. The authors argue that these processes function to maintain the organism's overall wellbeing. The review reconstructs their view and compares it with Chris Frith's model of consciousness.