From Allan Smith, London, UK
I wonder if what consciousness actually is eludes us because we are trying to make too much of it. Could it be that self-awareness, i.e. consciousness, has the primary function of keeping us motivated, so as to keep us alive? Without sensory input, to which we react, we would starve to death, succumb to danger or fail to procreate. When sensory inputs don’t have our full attention, our chattering minds keep us mentally ticking over. When we are unconscious, through trauma or anaesthesia, we are at our most vulnerable, so the need to be conscious is self-evident (Letters, 14 March).
It follows that being self-aware is a biological imperative, alongside self-organisation and self-defence. As such, all living things must be “conscious” to some degree, either individually or collectively.
Ed’s note: For more on consciousness, turn to page 30
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