BİLİNÇ PROBLEMİNE REVONSUO’NUN YAKLAŞIMI
TOBIDER - International Journal of Social Sciences March 31, 2023 DOI: 10.30830/tobider.sayi.13.2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | The authors argue that Revonsuo's originality lies in his eclectic approach: he seeks to explain consciousness as an objective neurobiological phenomenon while also accounting for the subjective, first-person reality of phenomenal consciousness, using dreaming as a heuristic model. They note that current technology cannot yet measure dream content, but Revonsuo remains hopeful future neuroimaging will do so. |
Abstract
In this article, we examined Revonsuo's view of consciousness, which he described as "biological realism".Essentially, Revonsuo attempts to consider the phenomenon of dreaming as a heuristic point of departure in elucidating the mystery of consciousness, which he describes as a higher level of biological organization in the brain.Because, according to him, the dreaming brain creates a kind of "pure consciousness" with farreaching theoretical and philosophical implications: The dreaming brain presents a state of "pure consciousness" that allows to examine the subject independently of external stimuli.Through the phenomenology of dreaming, Revonsuo arrives at an understanding of the "world simulation of consciousness" as a metaphor that captures the phenomenon from a first-person perspective.Revonsuo, who considers centering dreaming as a unique opportunity in terms of the science of consciousness, on the other hand, points to an obstacle that this poses to us: The problem of objective measurement of dreams, which have a qualitative structure.The fact that currently available technological devices have not provided empirical evidence to bring his "dream catcher" thought experiment to life does not necessitate Revonsuo to abandon his theory.Some technologies that will emerge in the future may offer new measurement devices that can overcome this task to the service of consciousness science.Revonsuo is hopeful that in the future, objective measurement of dream contents with a new neuroimaging technology will enable us to explain how consciousness emerges as a biological phenomenon.We conclude that the originality of Revonsuo's approach lies mainly in his eclectic attitude: Trying to explain his objective neurobiological reality in a perspective that also takes into account the subjective psychological reality of phenomenal consciousness.