Emergence ex Machina: Correlates of Consciousness

Abstract

Consciousness is a phenomenon that justifiably attracts pensive attention. And despite centuries of contemplation and decades of research, consciousness remains an elusive and poorly defined matter. Its nature, composition, and characteristics are hotly debated. The explanatory gap between phenomenal consciousness and the functions of neurobiological correlates is considered a hard problem. However, the so-called “easy” problem, the evolutionary and biological emergence of consciousness from the underlying substrate, is also not easily explainable. The discussion about the essence of consciousness spreads far from neurophysiology and biology into the fields of quantum mechanics and information theory. Old concepts of panpsychism and pre-eminence of information before material substrate have re-emerged in recent decades. Neopanpsychism is an idea of potential consciousness on a physical elemental basis, and it expands into the realm of astrophysical objects and their networks with the potential of complex data production and processing. Information theories of consciousness include possibilities for any non-biological object to harbour proto-mental abilities if they fulfil minimal architectural and informational requirements. The “normal” grasp and “realistic” world perception endure constant criticism from leading physicists and mathematicians. In this atmosphere, it is much easier to claim the platonic pre-eminence of abstract ideas before any substrate and ability of non-physical consciousness objects to exist independently. It is important to re-evaluate the main arguments of the discussion to focus practical efforts on the classical scientific research of consciousness and its underlying elements, with established metrics and clear directions. There are not many arguments which can shift the scientific approach from classical hypothesis proving/disproving towards the more scholastic discussion about the non-physical nature of consciousness and the inability to investigate it. The consciousness phenomenon certainly has emerging stages, as we can see in living nature, and, at the same time, cannot be limited by one person, living or physical object in possession of it. The challenge of consciousness emergence from abiological substrate is one of the fundamental questions that require significant scientific efforts to answer.