Possible origins of consciousness in simple control over "involuntary" neuroimmunological action.
Kevin B Clark
Consciousness and Cognition May 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.04.002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Ambient environment Approach-avoidance conflicts Autonomic function Immunomodulation Internal states Involuntary action Mental field Passive frame theory Psychophysical stress response |
| Key points | Argues that Morsella and colleagues' hypothesis that consciousness primarily serves voluntary skeletal muscle control of external environments is incomplete, because voluntary action may have first evolved to regulate internal states under autonomic control. Using voluntary immunomodulation, the author contends that untrained skeletal-motor resolution of infection-related approach-avoidance conflicts, possibly via voluntary changes in respiration, contradicts that account and predicts self-awareness of visceral internal states. |
Abstract
The origin(s) and purpose(s) of consciousness continue to be fervently debated by neuroscientists. A recent unconventional hypothesis put forth by Morsella et al. suggests the primary function of consciousness is the integration, selection, and execution of advantageous lower-level voluntary skeletal muscle behavior on surrounding external environments. However, at main issue is whether more precise, adaptable voluntary skeletal motor action, and therefore the corresponding workings of consciousness, first emerged and evolved in animals to exert control over external environments or internal ones regulated by less flexible autonomic function. Using the example of voluntary immunomodulation, one can identify the strengths and weaknesses of either rationale. For instance, highly trained meditative techniques for immunomodulation more-or-less conform to Morsella et al.'s assumptions on higher-level indirect conscious control of autonomic function. Whereas, untrained skeletal motor resolution of infection-related approach-avoidance conflicts support conclusions contrary to those of Morsella et al. In such cases, primitive voluntary changes in host respiration rate and volume may selectively facilitate/inhibit acute autonomic psychophysiological stress responses to pathogen insult. This and other types of scenarios predictably give evolutionary and ecological rise to self-awareness of (visceral) internal states as well as to voluntary regulation of internal state action conflicts.