Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Letter: Continuing adventures into human consciousness (2)

Published 19 November 2025

From Wolf Kirchmeir, Blind River, Ontario, Canada

It seems to me that consciousness isn’t a state or quality, but something the brain does. Two observations that I think support this conclusion: one, we manipulate conscious experience by ingesting certain substances.

Two, anaesthetics reduce conscious experience to about as close to zero as is likely possible. The above implies that the proper question isn’t “What is consciousness?” It’s “How does the brain do conscious experience?” I suspect the awkward grammar of that question has a lot to do with why it’s rarely asked.

Issue no. 3570 published 22 November 2025

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop