The "Hard Problem of Consciousness" Arises from Human Psychology

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Philosophy of Mind
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Consciousness poses a significant challenge, termed the 'hard problem,' concerning how physical matter generates subjective experience.
• The difficulty may arise from ontological assumptions about consciousness being an irreducible property or substance.
• Intuitive psychological biases, specifically Essentialism and Dualism, are explored as potential sources of this perceived difficulty.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the psychological roots of the 'hard problem' of consciousness.
• To demonstrate how intuitive Essentialism and Dualism contribute to the perception of transformative experiences.
• To examine the role of embodiment in judging the transformative nature of experiences.

Main Methods:

• Five experiments were conducted to assess laypeople's perceptions of transformative experiences.
• Participants' judgments on whether experiences were transformative were analyzed in relation to embodiment and dualistic intuitions.
• The study examined correlations between perceived embodiment, bodily change, and the magnitude of transformation.

Main Results:

• Transformative experiences are perceived as such only when they appear anchored in the physical body.
• Gaining a transformative experience is associated with perceived bodily change.
• The degree of transformation correlates with the perceived embodiment of the experience and with Dualist intuitions.

Conclusions:

• The 'hard problem' of consciousness may be partly explained by psychological biases rather than solely ontological factors.
• Essentialism and Dualism influence how we conceptualize and perceive the transformative nature of subjective experiences.
• While not resolving the ontological debate, findings suggest psychological factors are crucial in understanding the perceived difficulty of consciousness.