Giving Up on Consciousness as the Ghost in the Machine

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Philosophy of Mind

Background:

• The intuitive, consciousness-centric view of psychology and behavior is challenged by cognitive neurosciences.
• Research over 30 years indicates executive functions are often performed by non-conscious brain systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate the causal efficacy of subjective awareness in human psychology.
• To propose a neurocognitive framework for understanding consciousness.

Main Methods:

• Review of cognitive neuroscience research on executive functions and awareness.
• Analysis of the first-person experience versus third-person scientific perspective.
• Application of biophysical causal dependency principles.

Main Results:

• Growing evidence suggests executive functions operate outside subjective awareness.
• The traditional view of consciousness as causally efficacious is questioned.
• Subjective awareness may be an epiphenomenon, lacking direct causal influence on actions.

Conclusions:

• A scientific account of the mind should prioritize underlying neural processes.
• Consciousness is the experience of awareness, not necessarily its driver.
• Both conscious and non-conscious mental aspects depend on brain activity.