The definition of consciousness is 'The fact of awareness by the mind of itself and the world'. Human consciousness has been studied and practiced by various Asian countries and by ancient Greeks. In modern times, studies of human consciousness have long been the topic of Psychology, Neuroscience, Anesthesiology, and many others. The simplest and clearest example that shows the relationship between consciousness and stimuli is 'Necker Cube'. Multiple people who look at the cube say that they see 2 3D configurators of the cube diagram flipping. The effects of drugs on human consciousness and perception have concerned the neuroscientists from the past until now.

▲ The simplest and clearest example that shows the relationship between consciousness and stimuli, `Necker Cube`

Human beings and most of the animals have the same sensors called nociceptors. It is the main reason why human beings flinch or scream in pain when we are close to getting hurt or already hurt. The most well-known theory of consciousness is that human consciousness is just like the pixel of a picture. The only difference is that the pixel that innumerable neuron carries is shared and added by the other neurons and creates the experience that we are now viewing. This theory is the widest used theory applied by various scientific observations and medical experiences around the world.

A well-known neurologist and psychiatrist, Giulio Tononi, paid attention to people who lack the cerebellum(an organ that contains half the neurons in the brain), yet capable of conscious perception. Simply concentrating on the number of neurons in the brain, having consciousness seems impossible. However, according to Tononi's theory, the cerebellum's processing mostly occurs by the neuron itself, not by exchanging and integrating signals between neurons.

▲ Nulla Di Piu Grande, which was written by Giulio Tononi

The 'Integrated Information Theory' developed by Giulio Tononi attempts to explain what consciousness is and how it might be associated with human behavior. Tononi explains that if integrated information theory is correct, computers could behave exactly like human beings, and he illustrated that this theory is currently being tested with neuroimaging, TMS, and computer models.

May 18th, 2019

by Minsu Chung