How is Consciousness Formed?

Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. PhD

In general terms, consciousness is defined as the state of awareness of self and the environment. Consciousness can be defined as the subjective awareness of the momentary experience interpreted in the context of personal memory and present state (John, 2003). Consciousness is the ability to feel emotions and have the ability to make decisions, plan, and generally respond in non-automatic ways.

Consciousness is not a single, monolithic entity; it’s a collection of interconnected processes. Internal factors such as the activity of neural networks, neurotransmitters, and neuroplasticity and external factors such as sensorimotor experience, social interactions, and self-awareness help to form consciousness. The development of consciousness is connected with evolutionary progression. Biological, experiential, and evolutionary factors are linked with consciousness.

Consciousness develops as a memory system. Consciousness is a process (not a static entity) with a continuous flow of experience. Consciousness encompasses ongoing, dynamic interactions and transformations with a deeper connection to oneself and the world.

The first appearance of consciousness is linked to the Cambrian explosion around 520-560 million years ago. The Cambrian explosion represents a major turning point in the history of life on Earth. With the Cambrian explosion, complexifying nervous systems and new sensory capabilities arose. This period saw the rapid diversification of animal life and the development of the first complex brains, along with the emergence of simple reflexive behaviors and a unified inner world of subjective experience.

When does consciousness first begin in humans? is an age-old question. Research suggests that some form of consciousness may be present in the late stages of fetal development. Studies have shown that fetuses respond to stimuli and exhibit signs of awareness. Although human fetuses may exhibit some rudimentary forms of awareness, they don't possess the full capacity for consciousness. In humans, the emergence of consciousness depends on the activation of the cortex by thalamo-cortical connections around 24 weeks after conception (Padilla & Lagercrantz, 2020). This means the emergence of consciousness occurs around 24 weeks of gestation.

Infants are born with a basic level of consciousness. Newborn infants are able to differentiate between self and nonself touch, express emotions, and show signs of shared feelings (Lagercrantz, 2009). They display basic or minimal consciousness, and with age and maturation, they can reach a higher level of consciousness. Gradually they possess self-awareness, subjective experience, or the capacity to reflect on their own existence.

  

Consciousness and Its Components

Consciousness consists of wakefulness (or arousal) and awareness. It provides a subjective experience of the world and oneself. As described by Askenasy and Lehmann (2013), subjectivity, intentionality, self-awareness, and will are major components of consciousness in human beings. Carl Gustav Jung believed that consciousness is composed of four aspects: thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuiting.

Consciousness and the Human Brain

The essence of the mind is consciousness. The brain plays a crucial role in the formation of consciousness and arises from biological processes in the brain. Consciousness is a result of complex neural activity and the neural structures required for conscious experience. The intricate interplay of neurons and their connections helps to form consciousness. The brain and its metabolism are responsible for consciousness. The cerebral cortex, thalamus, and parts of the brainstem are a crucial area for consciousness and work together to create the conscious experience. The cerebral cortex deals with many conscious functions, including awareness, perception, thought, and memory. 

  

The Evolutionary Origin of Consciousness

Human consciousness is thought to have evolved gradually through a complex interplay during evolution (Padilla & Lagercrantz, 2020). Consciousness may have arisen through natural selection and evolutionary processes. It may have begun as an extension of very basic primitive or primordial emotional influences. Consciousness presumably evolved as part of the evolution of the nervous system. It took nearly 5 million years to form a fully developed brain cortex. Experts believe that consciousness began with humans, Homo sapiens, around 200,000 years ago.

 

Conscious Experience

Conscious experience refers to the subjective awareness and perception of emotions, sensations, and thoughts that make up our individual experience of the world. Chemicals, electrical stimulation, and sometimes brain trauma can alter conscious experience. Head injuries, strokes, seizures, infections, and issues related to blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood flow to the brain can disrupt consciousness.

 Neuroplasticity and Consciousness

Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change and adapt due to experience. Neuroplasticity is deeply intertwined with consciousness. With neuroplasticity, the brain adapts to new experiences, expands conscious awareness, and shapes the content of consciousness. Furthermore, consciousness influences brain neuroplasticity. Consciousness leads to neuroplastic adaptations.

 Stream of Consciousness

William James, in his Principles of Psychology (1890), introduced the term, and it mimics the continuous, free-flowing nature of human thought. It is the unbroken flow of thoughts and awareness in the waking mind—the dynamic flow of mental activity. William James argued that consciousness constantly changes and evolves. Rational thoughts, sensations, perceptions, ideas, and emotions form the content of human conscious experience. Every person's inner thought process is distinct and personal, shaped by their individual experiences, feelings, and viewpoints. According to Smallwood (2015), conscious experience is fluid, and its dynamic nature is illustrated by the experience of mind wandering.

Meta-Cognition and Consciousness

Metacognition and consciousness are related concepts but distinct. Metacognition is the ability to reflect on and regulate one's own thinking and cognitive processes. It is a purposeful recognition, awareness, and even control of one's personal thought processes. Metacognition, construed as a conscious, intentional process, goes beyond simple awareness. Consciousness provides the foundation for metacognition, and metacognition builds upon consciousness. Metacognition involves monitoring and regulating consciousness processes.

  

Quantum Theory of Consciousness

Physical laws Neurobiology alone cannot explain consciousness. Some quantum physicists suggest that consciousness is a manifestation of quantum processes in the brain. They describe consciousness as a computational process. Georgiev (2023) states that the evolution of brain cortical networks contributes to increased computational power, memory capacity, and cognitive intelligence of the living organisms. According to the quantum theories of consciousness, quantum mechanical phenomena, like superposition and entanglement, play a role in how the brain generates consciousness. Quantum entanglement theorized different parts of the brain could be connected in conscious experience. Hameroff and colleagues (2014) hypothesized that consciousness depends on biologically 'orchestrated' coherent quantum processes in collections of microtubules within brain neurons.

  

The Cultural Shaping of Consciousness

Culture has a powerful influence on human perceptions and behavior. Therefore, culture has played a notable role in human consciousness. Culture profoundly shapes consciousness by influencing how individuals perceive themselves, others, and the world around them. Cultural identity and heritage shape neurocognitive processes. Both conscious and unconscious images are shaped by the cultural environment. Pérez-Arce (1999) indicates that cultural factors have a determining influence on an individual's behavior regardless of the neurophysiological status of the brain.  

According to the evolution of human consciousness psychologist Merlin Donald, humans have developed such a deep dependency on collective storage systems. Merlin Donald states that the evolution of consciousness has gone through a number of stages: episodic, mimetic, mythic, and theoretic. Episodic con-consciousness, characterized by episodic event perceptions and self-awareness

 

The Relationship Between Consciousness and Language

Conscious capacity provides the biological basis for symbolic thought and language. Consciousness exists prior to language development. Language and consciousness are not separate entities but rather influence each other in a dynamic and reciprocal way. Language helps to organize thoughts. Language shapes a dimension of consciousness. Basic forms of consciousness can exist without language; however, language shapes consciousness. Language is built upon pre-existing consciousness. 

  

Disorders of Consciousness

Disorders of consciousness (DOC) are conditions where wakefulness and awareness are significantly impaired. These conditions can inhibit consciousness. Brain injuries can cause a range of disorders of consciousness. Coma, vegetative state, and minimally conscious state are the consequences of a severe brain injury that disrupts the brain's ability to generate consciousness (Bagnato, 2022). There is no consciousness in brain death (brain death is the permanent, irreversible, and complete loss of brain function). A brain-dead person is not aware and responsive to his surroundings. In a brain-dead person, all conscious processes cease to exist.

 

Can Consciousness Extend Beyond the Physical Brain?

The existence of a consciousness independent of the brain is a crucial question. Some have argued that consciousness can exist independently of the physical brain. The patients who encountered near-death experiences have described some forms of out-of-body experiences. However, these experiences could be hallucinations following brain ischemia. There is no conclusive scientific evidence to prove that consciousness can reside outside the body.

   

References

 Askenasy J & Lehmann J. Consciousness, brain, neuroplasticity. Front Psychol 2013; 10(4):412.

Bagnato,S. (2022) Chapter 26 - The role of plasticity in the recovery of consciousness, Editor(s): Angelo Quartarone, Maria Felice Ghilardi, François Boller, Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Elsevier, Volume 184, 2022, Pages 375-395, ISSN 0072-9752, ISBN 9780128194102.

Changeux J-P, Dehaene S 2008 The neuronal workspace model: conscious processing and learning. In: Menzel R (ed) Learning Theory and Behavior, Vol 1. J Byrne (ed) Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference. Elsevier, Oxford, pp 729–758.

Georgiev DD. Evolution of Consciousness. Life (Basel). 2023 Dec 27;14(1):48. doi: 10.3390/life14010048. PMID: 38255663; PMCID: PMC10817314.

Hameroff S, Penrose R. Consciousness in the universe: a review of the 'Orch OR' theory. Phys Life Rev. 2014 Mar;11(1):39-78. doi: 10.1016/j.plrev.2013.08.002. Epub 2013 Aug 20. PMID: 24070914.

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Lagercrantz H, Changeux JP. The emergence of human consciousness: from fetal to neonatal life. Pediatr Res. 2009 Mar;65(3):255-60. doi: 10.1203/PDR.0b013e3181973b0d. PMID: 19092726.

Padilla N, Lagercrantz H. Making of the mind. Acta Paediatr. 2020 May;109(5):883-892. doi: 10.1111/apa.15167. Epub 2020 Jan 31. PMID: 31922622.

Pérez-Arce, P. (1999). The Influence of Culture on Cognition, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, Volume 14, Issue 7, 1999, Pages 581-592.

Smallwood J, Schooler JW. The science of mind wandering: empirically navigating the stream of consciousness. Annu Rev Psychol. 2015 Jan 3;66:487-518. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015331. Epub 2014 Sep 29. PMID: 25293689.