Phenomenon Of Consciousness Research Articles

Spontaneous-unconscious forms of thought processes: philosophical and psychological aspects of research

The subject of this study is those aspects of human mental activity that are determined by its inclusion in non-articulated and non-reflexive spheres of mental activity. The purpose of this article is to analyze the psychological and philosophical aspects of studying specific aspects of the formation and functioning of thinking as the highest cognitive ability of a person, namely in that part of this ability that manifests itself in a spontaneously unconscious form. One of the tasks that require resolution and arise in such a context is to raise the question of whether these forms of manifestation of thinking are considered only a consequence of the influence of external factors, or whether it is a necessary element of the process of their formation and functioning. Another task, due to the specifics of the chosen research subject, was the question of choosing a methodological context and prospects for further research. The methodological approaches and methods used in the course of the research involve both the theoretical developments of classical philosophy and psychology, as well as the results of modern philosophical and psychological research, which allows us to apply the so-called method of "systematic eclecticism", which partly allows us to actualize an integrated approach to such a complex field of research as the phenomenon of human consciousness. The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that despite the continuing interest in the problems of the functioning of human thinking, its origin remains insufficiently investigated in terms of its relationship with the unconscious processes of the human psyche. One of the reasons for this situation is the relative differentiation and fragmentation in methodological campaigns. As one of the main conclusions in the attempted study of the mental processes indicated by the chosen topic is the position of the inextricable connection, interdependence of conscious and unconscious acts of the psyche, and the spontaneous-unconscious form of manifestation of thinking is naturally inherent in it. As a particular conclusion based on the results of the conducted research, it is proposed to update the already existing results achieved in cognitive sciences as an interdisciplinary field of research on problems of consciousness and thinking.

Социальные практики экологического сознания: региональный аспект

The article analyzes the environmental consciousness of the region's population as a special property of reflecting the social nature of a person, expressed through personal concern about the state of the environment, through the acquisition of environmental information and practical activities to preserve and restore the natural environment. Particular attention in the article is given to theoretical approaches to the consideration of the phenomenon of ecological consciousness. Human consciousness as a "specific property of organized complexity" is considered in the works of Teilhard de Chardin, V. I. Vernadsky, I. R. Prigogine. In the philosophical direction (R. S. Karpinskaya, I. K. Liseev, N. N. Moiseev), a co-evolutionary approach is used, which reflects the unity of human, society and the nature that undergoes changes. The study of environmental consciousness with the help of a rational sociological approach involves the use of statistical methods for researching a particular region. Understanding the ecological consciousness as the three-element system "man – society – nature" enables us to compose a model of ecological consciousness in the form of three components: world perception, information, activity. In the course of the author's sociological study, it was found that a significant number of the of the Saratov region residents (88%) are personally concerned about environmental problems. At the same time, the population is informed both about global environmental problems and about the environmental situation in the region. However, residents of the region towns do not consider themselves sufficiently informed about the environmental problems of their place of residence. Most of the respondents (71%) take an active part in the implementation of environmental activities, for example, 67.5% participated in community work days to clean up the territory; 22.8% – participated in tree planting campaigns; 49.1% try not to use plastic bags and bottles, if possible, etc. The conclusion made is that the environmental consciousness of the population in the Saratov region fully corresponds to the compiled model, due to the fact that the population feels personal responsibility for the state of the environment, is aware of the environmental principles that enable conscious environmental activities of the nature protection to be performed.

Filosofskij podhod k probleme soznaniya i duha

This article examines the relevance of the problem of the formation and spiritual development of the human spirit, directing both individual and social consciousness in the right direction. The phenomenon of the spirit in the context of human existence appears as a new standard of life, a new view of the world, a completely different level of the understanding of reality. Modern philosophy studies the phenomenon of spirit and consciousness with the help of specific concepts, supersensible and transcendental categories. The phenomenon of spirit and consciousness in a person is a complex problem, and its methodological basis is formed by numerous approaches of different historical periods, the systematization of which is presented in this article.

Classical and Non-Classical Neural Communications

This review was constructed to show how the connectome has evolved in motor command systems from simple command elements to complex systems of neurons utilizing parallel distributed processing and the possibility of quantum entanglement between groups of neurons. Scientific and medical interest in neural pathways and their connections have driven neuroscience and brain research for many decades so that specific systems and their feedback loops have been considered in detail. We review motor command systems in invertebrate and vertebrate nervous systems, using PubMed and more generalized searches. We contemplate the attractiveness of the command neuron concept and why it has been largely superseded by parallel distributed processing (PDP) in both vertebrate and invertebrate models. Action potentials, synaptic connectivity and communication within the nervous system are extremely important to understanding basic neurological and physiological functions. However, newer concepts suggest computation within nervous systems may resemble quantum phase computation and that computational action potentials are also quantal. We suggest that a rational form of computation that can operate according to the physiological constraints of neurons and their connectivity is essential in further evaluating neuronal interactions. We also consider recent studies that indicate that quantum entanglement may occur in the human brain. Thus some brain functions may be non-classical, most likely the phenomena of consciousness and self-awareness. The significance of this review is that future studies on motor command should not just consider the connectome but should also consider computational systems within nervous systems and the likelihood of quantum entanglement between groups of neurons not currently indicated by the connectome.

Neuronal correlates of eyeblinks are an expression of primary consciousness phenomena

The blinking rate far exceeds that required for moistening the cornea and changes depending on whether a person is resting or engaged in cognitive tasks. During ecological cognitive tasks (such as speaking, reading, and watching videos), blinks occur at breakpoints of attention suggesting a role in information segmentation, but the close relationship between cognition dynamics and blink timing still escapes a full understanding. The aim of the present study is to seek (1) if there is a temporal relationship between blink events and the consecutive steps of cognitive processing, and (2) if blink timing and the intensity of blink-related EEG responses are affected by task-relevance of stimuli. Our results show that, in a classical visual oddball task, (i) the occurrence of blinks is influenced by stimuli, irrespective of their relevance, (ii) blinks following relevant stimuli are only apparently delayed due to the need of finalizing a behavioural response, and (iii) stimulus relevance does not affect the intensity of the blink-related EEG response. This evidence reinforce the idea that blinks are not emitted until the last step of the processing sequence has been completed and suggests that blink-related EEG responses are generated by primary consciousness phenomena which are considered by their nature non-modulable (all-or-nothing) phenomena.

Studies of consciousness in Russian philosophical discorse: specificity, problems and prospects (on the example of the works of Russian and Belarusian authors)

The author of the article considers and analyzes the main directions, problems and prospects of modern domestic philosophical studies of consciousness. A number of questions related to attempts to establish the main characteristics of the phenomenon of consciousness, to determine the key concepts and categories are raised. It is described to identify the structure of modern philosophical discourse. The main lines of development of interdisciplinary research of consciousness within the framework of such rapidly developing fields of knowledge as cognitive sciences, neurobiology, synergetic, etc. have been demonstrated. The paper establishes a general range of problems and issues related to the need for meaningful specification of concepts, substantiation of the arguments used in the study of this phenomenon. Poorly developed thematic blocks related to the issues of the origin of consciousness and its localization, the definition of its structural and content elements, the establishment of the mechanisms of its functioning, the practical implementation of the acquired knowledge are identified, which indicates the need for further attempts to study this object within the framework of philosophical discourse.

О генезисе коллективной субъектности в деятельности технологического кружка (к программе исследований)

<p>The paper presents the results of studying the activities of technology clubs operating in different regions of Russia. Based on the materials of the All-Russian competition of technological clubs, the objectives, content and forms of organization of activities, the team of the circle, history and traditions, the nature of the interaction of participants and some other issues were analyzed. The characteristics of activity common to technological clubs are highlighted and illustrative examples are given. The concept of “joint consciousness of the club team” is introduced to describe a phenomenon that manifests itself in most effectively working technological clubs. From the point of view of the authors, the presence of a joint consciousness of the members of the club simultaneously affects the development of each participant and the group as a whole. Joint consciousness is a prerequisite for the formation of collective subjectivity. The collective subjectivity that arises in the understanding and reflection of the members of the circle club, in turn, changes the form of the organization of consciousness, in which ideal elements shred between all members of the club appear – goals, values, means of organizing joint activities, tasks to be solved. The authors of the article propose a program for further research of the phenomenon of joint consciousness as the basis of the shared membership in the club and the process of the emergence of collective subjectivity.</p>

Professional legal consciousness of a lawyer

The purpose of the article is to analyze the legal consciousness of a lawyer as a specific type of professional legal consciousness. The work reveals the phenomenon of professional legal consciousness, and its structure is determined. The factors that influence the legal consciousness of a lawyer are identified. The specificity of legal psychology and legal ideology of a lawyer is revealed.

Entangled cognition in immersive learning experience

Immersive learning environments in education provide a set of rich and diverse learning affordances (possibilities). Cognition in such environments can be considered as embodied, enacted, embedded, and extended (the 4Es of cognition). During such cognitive happenings, we assume and live as valid everything we experience. Yet in this enactive structural coupling between individuals and their experiential world, another phenomenon occurs. We become a behaviorally inseparable entity with the virtual/immersive world. We become entangled with that virtual/immersive world. Here we propose that, within the framework of the 4Es of cognition, a recognizable lived experience phenomena occurs when learners engage with virtual or immersive learning environments. That is, cognition becomes entangled in immersive environments with alternative realities. Coming from the Santiago school of cognition, and building from ideas from immersive learning, 4E cognition, and quantum entanglement inspired in quantum cognition, we attempt to describe the process of entangled cognition happening in immersive learning environments. We recognize at least two levels of entanglement from the same recursive phenomenology: one we call a local entanglement, related to perception and sense-making; and a second we call a global entanglement, connected to the process and phenomena of human consciousness and meaning-making, accessible when conceived as a whole. We see the benefits for such a theoretical framework to ultimately guide, justify, and encourage the emergence of an epistemology shift in educational technology towards design principles that account for entangled cognition in immersive learning (and beyond), and the associated possibilities offered by new immersive technologies in education.

The mind-body problem and the irrationality of the brain’s phenomenal judgements

The article gives a brief overview of the problems faced by materialism in connection with the phenomenon of consciousness. Yet new arguments help to uncover the problems of alternative positions to materialism, above all, the dualism of properties. Key arguments show that it is difficult for non-physical consciousness to perceive its own nature even when it has direct access to experience. That is due to the fact that the physical substratum of consciousness implements a self-sufficient physical intelligence. And if that intelligence ceases to conclude that consciousness is non-physical, which would be unreasonable to it, then non-physical consciousness, despite any arguments it has had, inevitably comes to the wrong conclusion for itself that it is not non-physical. It turns out that consciousness requires such a study to know its nature, which paradoxically comes to the truth only in the error of the physical intelligence, with the latter constituting the intellectual faculties by which such inquiry is made. Such a need for error is difficult to justify. Likewise, by similar logic, it is impossible to prove flawlessly the existence of non-physical consciousness. If it existed, an individual with a perfect intelligence and direct, non-physical access to consciousness would come to a corresponding anti-physicalist conclusion on its basis. But such an outcome cannot happen, since this conclusion depends on an equally perfect and error-free physical intelligence, for which it is not true. Thus, we are deprived of sufficient justification to conclude that our consciousness is non physical. At the end, a path to finding a solution to the problem of consciousness is briefly outlined, providing a way out of a situation where there is such a strong critique for all positions in the philosophy of consciousness. It is related to an exploration of the nature of our antiphysicalist ideas.

The Knowable and the Unknowable in the Dimensions of Epistemology. Review of: Petrushenko, V. (2022). Epistemology of Religion: textbook. Lviv: Hrad Leva. pp. 220

In this review, we examine the content of the first Ukrainian textbook written by V. Petrushenko, which is devoted to the key issues of epistemology of religion. The review analyzes all parts of the work, which comprehensively reveal the most important issues of this section of philosophy with an emphasis on modern research. The author relies on methodological pluralism in the disclosure of topics, trying to reveal the issues as deeply and thoroughly as possible. The textbook provides a comprehensive epistemological analysis and assessment of the components and phenomena of religion and religious consciousness.

Cognition and Consciousness Entwined.

We argue that cognition (information processing) and internal phenomenological sensations, including emotions, are intimately related and are not separable. We aver that phenomenological sensations are dynamical "modes" of firing behaviour that (i) exist over time and over large parts of the cortex's neuron-to-neuron network and (ii) are consequences of the network-of-networks architecture, coupling the individual neuronal dynamics and the necessary time delay incurred by neuron-to-neuron transmission: if you possess those system properties, then you will have the dynamical modes and, thus, the phenomenological sensations. These modes are consequences of incoming external stimuli and are competitive within the system, suppressing and locking-out one another. On the other hand, the presence of any such mode acts as a preconditioner for the immediate (dynamic) cognitive processing of information. Thus, internal phenomenological sensations, including emotions, reduce the immediate decision set (of feasible interpretations) and hence the cognitive load. For organisms with such a mental inner life, there would clearly be a large cognitive evolutionary advantage, resulting in the well-known "thinking fast, thinking slow" phenomena. We call this the entwinement hypothesis: how latent conscious phenomena arise from the dynamics of the cognitive processing load, and how these precondition the cognitive tasks immediately following. We discuss how internal dynamical modes, which are candidates for emotions down to single qualia, can be observed by reverse engineering large sets of simulations of system's stimulated responses, either using vast supercomputers (with full 10B neuronal network analyses) or else using laptops to do the same for appropriately generalised Kuramoto models (networks of k-dimensional clocks, each representing the 10,000 neurons within a single neural column). We explain why such simplifications are appropriate. We also discuss the consequent cognitive advantages for information-processing systems exhibiting internal sensations and the exciting implications for next-generation (non-binary) computation and for AI.

Modeling of will and consciousness based on the human language: Interpretation of qualia and psychological consciousness

In a previous paper, the authors proposed a mathematical definition of a public language and a new model of consciousness based on that public language. Consciousness spans a wide range of disciplines, including medicine, philosophy, mathematics, physics, and psychology, and it is desirable that the model of consciousness should also be able to answer questions of consciousness in each discipline. This paper applies the HLbC model proposed by the authors to the question of psychological consciousness and examines whether it can explain the phenomenon. Regarding the problem of so-called optical illusions, such as Rubin's vase, it can be explained by the fact that consciousness is caused by a stochastic fluctuation of consciousness with respect to figures that can be interpreted in multiple ways. Empathy and mutual understanding are also proposed to be mathematically represented and understood in terms of the Kullback-Leibler divergence, which is the basis of the HLbC model. Furthermore, the HLbC model was applied to prospect theory, the basis of behavioural economics, and confirmed that its properties can be successfully explained. From the above, we confirmed that the proposed HLbC model can explain the phenomenon of psychological consciousness.

The Role of Image and Sign in a Artwork

The article deals with the problem of image and sign in a work of art. If the image is one of the examples of philosophical and psychological perception of objects and phenomena of real life through consciousness and feelings, then figurative thinking is the main feature of a work of art. That means, an image is a phenomenon of consciousness; in the theory of art, it is interpreted as an image of reality perceived by the senses. In a literary work, an artistic image is an aesthetic concept, characteristic only for art, of comprehending life's realities and reproducing them. As the art of the word, literature appeals to imagery and image. Such theoretical studies of the image form is taken as the basis of the article. Also considered are the objective-cognitive characteristics of the image, the ways of its definition, conclusions about the application of the concept of “image”. It is known that any phenomenon with the help of the author's imagination in a work of art can turn into an image. Despite the fact that the image originates in real life, in literature, according to the rules of art, it moves away from reality and moves into a new space. The image in a work of art has a leading meaning, and the sign, to a certain extent, participates in the creation of this image. Signs occupy a special place in the history of mankind. Many works are devoted to the study of systems of signs underlying works of art, the sign-semiotic function of literature. The signs that generate the image are symbolic in nature. In the course of the study, it is proved that the talent and imagination of the artist play an important role in creating images, providing a variety of signs in the artistic space, and appropriate conclusions are made.

Позднесоветское религиозное сознание в поэзии Ильи Кормильцева

The article examines the phenomenon of late Soviet religious consciousness of the intellectual, expressed in the poetry of I. Kormiltsev. The crisis of Soviet ideology of the second half of the 20th century is seen as a conflict of ideology and religion, actualized after March 5, 1953. The cultural periods of Soviet history of the second half of the 20th century are characterized in the context of religious consciousness. Thaw period — aimed at finding alternative scenarios, but gave nothing but the very state of the search. The era of stagnation, which simultaneously attempted to capture the stability of society while capturing the ideals of the Thaw, which were not suitable for this purpose. The period of perestroika, which uncovered all the accumulated contradictions. I. Kormiltsev's work is taken as a marker of religious instability 1980–1990s. The conclusion is made that in this period the poet is characterized by the actualization of Christian meanings. The analysis of the poem «The Scoundrel and the Angel» is carried out for the subject characterization. The text is parsed as an example of assertion of Christian meanings through their formal negation.The conclusion is made that the actualization of Christian symbolism, characteristic of I. Kormiltsev's poetry in this period, is due to the reflection on the search for a new national identity.

Feelings Are the Source of Consciousness.

In this view, we address the problem of consciousness, and although we focus on its human presentation, we note that the phenomenon is present in numerous nonhuman species and use findings from a variety of animal studies to explain our hypothesis for how consciousness is made. Consciousness occurs when mind contents, such as perceptions and thoughts, are spontaneously identified as belonging to a specific organism/owner. Conscious minds are said to be subjective and to have a self that experiences mental events. We hypothesize that the automatic identification that associates minds and organisms is provided by a continuous flow of homeostatic feelings. Those feelings arise from the uninterrupted process of life regulation and correspond to both salient fluctuations such as hunger, pain, well-being, or malaise, as well as to states closer to metabolic equilibrium and best described as feelings of life/existence. We also hypothesize that homeostatic feelings were the inaugural phenomena of consciousness in biological evolution and venture that they were selected because the information they provided regarding the current state of life regulation conferred extraordinary advantages to the organisms so endowed. The "knowledge" carried by conscious homeostatic feelings provided "overt" guidance for life regulation, an advance over the covert regulation present in nonconscious organisms. Finally, we outline a mechanism for the generation of feelings based on a two-way interaction between interoceptive components of the nervous system and a particular set of nonneural components of the organism's interior, namely, viscera and circulating chemical molecules involved in their operations. Feelings emerge from this interaction as continuous and hybrid phenomena, related simultaneously to two series of events. The first is best described by the terms neural/representational/and mental and the second by the terms nonneural/visceral/and chemical. We note that this account offers a solution for the mind-body problem: homeostatic feelings consistently generate the "mental" version of bodily processes.

Material Evidence of Consciousness—A General Brief Overview and a Suggested View

This is a general, very brief overview of recent findings about consciousness phenomenon; what is it? How does it work? Is it a global phenomenon or restricted to the human brain? Subjective or objective experience, just philosophy, or maybe tested empirically? Is there material evidence for its existence in literature heritage? The article methodology is just a descriptive write to what introduced briefly; to conclude a suggested view or hypothesis about recent findings.

Consciousness as a Trigger to Adaptation

Consciousness refers to mental states of a cognitive agent that make it aware of elements of its environment and its own state. Phenomena of consciousness have been studied in Philosophy, Psychology and Cognitive Science. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the study of consciousness has broadened to include questions such as “When is an AI system conscious?”, “What role does consciousness play in the cognitive architecture of an AI system?”. This paper proposes a cognitive architecture that attempts to answer such questions and is an extension of proposals for practical reasoning, founded on the notion of epistemic goals, goals where the desired state-of-affairs is knowledge of something in the environment or within the agent itself. The proposal is illustrated with an example involving an autonomous vehicle.

The problem of forming the legal consciousness of the individual in modern society

The article explores the problem of formation of legal consciousness of the individual within the framework of current global changes of socio-economic and political nature, the role of legal consciousness in the process of legal socialization. The phenomenon of legal consciousness is considered as the ratio of subjective feelings and representations of an individual, social groups, and society to the formed system of law, the ratio of existing rules of interaction in society in legal and desired relations. At the present stage of development, legal consciousness is a single, complex and multi-structured system that determines and regulates the skills of legal behavior. Legal consciousness is the core criterion for the formation and functioning of a legitimate civilized state. The article deals with the importance of individual personal traits, characteristics of subjective representations and attitudes to the law, legislation, ideology in the process of formation of individual legal consciousness.

Феномен автоагиографии: к вопросу о замене субъектности в христианской мистике

The article attempts to comprehend the phenomenon of religious consciousness. The aim is to describe, as an immanent experience, psychotechnics (work on oneself) — that which understands itself and describes itself in its own language with the help of metaphysical concepts. The introduction considers the so-called “Eulogy” of Moscow priest Alexei Mechev, previously analyzed by P. A. Florensky and V. N. Toporov. What is incomprehensible and intriguing about the “Eulogy” is that it is composed to himself and by himself in the most commendable way (and by no means in a humble tone, as one would expect) and essentially is a glorification of oneself as a saint. In parts I and II of the article, the same phenomenon is examined on the basis of works of 14th century German mystics: the autobiography “Vita” by the Constance mystic Heinrich Suso (1295/1297–1366) and the diary notes of the Zurich visionary Elsbeth von Oye (d. 1341/1342), which have survived in the original. In both the first and the second case, attention is paid to the phenomenon of double voicing, when statements endowed with performative power and devoid of any doubt about their complete, unconditional rightness are adjacent to the most derogatory and humble self-assessments. This is what the replacement of subjectivity looks like: as the human subjectivity of the charismatic is eliminated, the subjectivity of God, the divine “spark” unfolds in him: the emanation of God that is in him, which. however, is of another nature than the charismatic, in relation to which the charismatic himself acts as an instrument. Setting itself no limits, the imperative and categorical discovery of a “spark” in a humble charismatic corresponds to the glorification of oneself in Father A. Mechev’s “Eulogy”, which is emphasized in the Conclusion and explicated in several findings.