Vienna Conference on Consciousness

Part I"What is the neural basis of

consciousness? Where is it in the brain?"

Contribution by

Michael L. Berger(Center for Brain ResearchMedical University Vienna)

biochemist & pharmacologist

Vienna Conference on Consciousness

Part I"What is the neural basis of

consciousness? Where is it in the brain?"

Contribution by

Michael L. Berger(Center for Brain ResearchMedical University Vienna)

biochemist & pharmacologist

not involved in consciousness research

Vienna Conference on Consciousness

Part I"What is the neural basis of

consciousness? Where is it in the brain?"

Contribution by

Michael L. Berger(Center for Brain ResearchMedical University Vienna)

biochemist & pharmacologist

not involved in consciousness research

just thinking

Vienna Conference on Consciousness

Part I"What is the neural basis of

consciousness? Where is it in the brain?"

Contribution by

Michael L. Berger(Center for Brain ResearchMedical University Vienna)

(1) Consciousness as I understand it is not just a private affair.

Left alone, without interaction with the physical world or other human beings, we would be unable to differentiate reality from dreaming. While awake, we always receive feedback from the physical world, and only this makes us sure that we are confronted with reality. Blumenthal (2005)

Kaspar Hausers Geschwister

(2) Consciousness results from human communication.

Each human being is the result of incessant interaction with other human beings. Our "selves" cannot be understood without taking into account our multiple relationships to others. Even what we call "reality" is principally the result of human communication: the minimum consensus we agree on, while exchanging our experiences with "the outer world".

“outer world““reality“

(3) Consciousness may be seen as collective property.

Consciousness is always shared between individuals; understanding each other means sharing of consciousness. At the far end, physical boundaries as bodies may lose their significance. Consciousness may persist beyond the life of individual bodies.

(4) Collective Consciousness is the source of culture and tradition.

Intense communication among large communities for long periods of time creates culture and tradition. All our "selves" are formed in this framwork during critical developmental periods. Cultures adopt characteristic properties, that may continue far beyond several generations.

(5) All these phenomena have a solid biological basis.

Thinking, communication, remembering, affection, socializing, adapting to habits, tradition, society, conflict, all these things are based on solid biological grounds, with various levels of complexity. The involved neural processes can be investigated with scientific methods.

(6) Consciousness cannot be investigated in isolation.

At least human consciousness cannot, since it is related to more variables than we reliably can control. We can only study certain aspects of conscious behavior, always in relation to a personal, social and cultural background. It makes no sense to look for something like a "specific material carrier of consciousness".

(7) Consciousness is a chaotic phenomenon.

Since consciousness is based on rather complex mechanisms (ion channels, transmitter release, trillions of plastic neuronal connections, interaction between thousands of individuals, asynchronous development of societies), it cannot be predicted in any reliable way (even less than the weather). We need no quantum mechanics to save the concept of "free will".

(8) The experience of selfness and individuality.

Recent neurological studies have revealed that even "the feeling of being someone" is the result of neuronal activity. Under pathological circumstances, this feeling may be lost, and we may then be convinced to "be someone else" or even to leave the boundaries of "our" body.

Blanke et al. (2004) Brain 127:243

(9) Consciousness helps humans to survive.

The only reasonable explanation, why such a thing as "consciousness" exists is, that it has contributed to the survival of mammals, primates, and humans in particular. There is nothing mysterious in it. It is a biological instrument to enable versatile and highly adaptable communication and tradition.