Neuroscience vs Advaita Vedanta – The SOURCE of Consciousness
Summary
TLDRThis script delves into the enduring mystery of consciousness, exploring both neuroscience's quest to understand the brain's role and the philosophical theories attempting to explain it. It contrasts materialist views that attribute consciousness to brain activity with the Advaita Vedanta perspective, which sees consciousness as a fundamental, non-material reality. The script highlights the limitations of scientific methods in capturing the essence of consciousness and suggests self-inquiry as a path to understanding one's true nature.
Takeaways
- 🧠 Neuroscience is exploring the brain's 100 billion neurons to understand how they produce mental functions but has yet to explain the origin of consciousness.
- 🔬 Historically, the understanding of the brain's role in consciousness has evolved from Aristotle's radiator theory to modern sophisticated theories.
- 🤖 The script contrasts the brain's ability to produce mental functions with the unique conscious experiences of a human, which a robot cannot replicate.
- 🌐 Current theories suggest that consciousness arises from a decentralized or distributed network in the brain, rather than a single localized source.
- 🌌 Bernard Baars' Global Workspace Theory posits that consciousness emerges from the interaction of neurons in a global workspace.
- 🏆 Francis Crick and his collaborator proposed that synchronized activity in the claustrum leads to consciousness.
- 📊 Giulio Tononi's Integrated Information Theory suggests that consciousness is a result of highly integrated information in the brain's cortex.
- 🔍 Michael Gazzaniga's Attention Schema Theory explains consciousness as a simplified model created by the brain's attention to neuronal interactions.
- 🏵 Robert Penrose, a physicist, believes in quantum effects within microtubules as the source of consciousness, differing from conventional physical laws.
- 🧘♂️ Advaita Vedanta, an ancient Indian philosophy, considers consciousness as a fundamental, non-material reality, contrasting with the materialist theories of neuroscience.
- 🔍 Vedanta emphasizes the role of the observer or the conscious self, which is distinct from the brain's neural activity, in experiencing thoughts and emotions.
- 🌌 The script highlights the 'hard problem of consciousness' identified by David Chalmers, which questions why physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experiences.
- 💡 It concludes that while scientific and philosophical theories have limitations, Advaita Vedanta offers a method of self-inquiry based on one's own conscious experience to understand the true nature of consciousness.
Q & A
How has the understanding of the brain's role in consciousness evolved over time?
-Initially, ancient thinkers like Aristotle viewed the brain as a cooling system for blood. Later, Descartes proposed the pineal gland as a link between the physical and immaterial realms. By the 19th century, the impact of brain injuries on mental faculties was recognized, and today, neuroscience explores the intricate networks of neurons responsible for cognitive functions.
What is the current state of neuroscientific research on consciousness?
-Neuroscience has made significant strides, with technologies like EEG, fMRI, and PET scans providing detailed insights into neural activity. However, despite these advances, a comprehensive explanation of how the brain produces consciousness remains elusive.
What is the Global Workspace Theory proposed by Bernard Baars?
-The Global Workspace Theory suggests that consciousness emerges from the interaction of neurons within a decentralized network that functions like a screen projecting various images and ideas.
How did Francis Crick's later research contribute to the study of consciousness?
-Francis Crick, known for discovering the structure of DNA, later theorized with a researcher that consciousness arises from the synchronization of neurons in the claustrum, a part of the brain.
What is the Integrated Information Theory by Giulio Tononi?
-Integrated Information Theory posits that consciousness is a result of highly integrated information within the brain's cerebral cortex.
What does the Attention Schema Theory by Michael Gazzaniga propose about the nature of consciousness?
-The Attention Schema Theory suggests that consciousness is a simplified model or representation created by filtering the interactions of neurons throughout the brain by the faculty of attention.
What is the unique perspective of Robert Penrose on consciousness?
-Robert Penrose, a Nobel laureate in physics, believes that consciousness is the result of quantum effects occurring in microtubules within cells, and cannot be explained by ordinary physical and mathematical laws.
How does Advaita Vedanta view the relationship between the brain and consciousness?
-Advaita Vedanta considers consciousness as a fundamental, non-material reality. It posits that while the brain produces mental activities, the awareness or consciousness by which these activities are known is the observer or the true self (atma), which is the presence of the fundamental reality, brahman.
What is the concept of 'brahman' in Advaita Vedanta?
-Brahman in Advaita Vedanta is described as the infinite, intelligent fabric of existence, which is the fundamental reality that gives rise to both the physical universe and consciousness.
How does the method of self-inquiry in Advaita Vedanta differ from scientific methods?
-Self-inquiry in Advaita Vedanta is based on introspection and one's own conscious experience, rather than external observation or speculation. It aims to discover the true nature of consciousness from within, unlike scientific methods that rely on observable phenomena.
What is the 'hard problem of consciousness' as described by David Chalmers?
-The 'hard problem of consciousness' refers to the challenge of explaining why and how physical processing in the brain gives rise to subjective experiences, which is considered an insurmountable obstacle for neuroscientists using conventional scientific methods.
Outlines
🧠 The Quest for Consciousness in Neuroscience
This paragraph delves into the ongoing quest of neuroscience to unravel the mysteries of the human brain. It highlights the intricate network of neurons responsible for our cognitive abilities and emphasizes that consciousness is more than just the sum of our biological parts. The script also touches on the historical perspectives of brain function, from Aristotle's view of the brain as a radiator to Descartes' concept of the pineal gland as a link between the physical and immaterial. It outlines the advancements in brain imaging and the challenges faced in understanding how the brain produces consciousness, which remains elusive despite sophisticated theories.
🤖 The Divergence of Consciousness and Machine
The second paragraph contrasts the concept of consciousness with the capabilities of a hypothetical human-like robot. It posits that while a robot can analyze the chemical composition of a mango, it cannot experience the sweetness or aroma as a human does. The paragraph explores various theories proposed by neuroscientists to explain the emergence of consciousness, including the Global Workspace Theory, the synchronization of neurons in the claustrum, Integrated Information Theory, the Attention Schema Theory, and the quantum effects within microtubules. It acknowledges the speculative nature of these theories and their difficulty in verification.
🌐 The Materialist View vs. Vedantic Understanding
This paragraph examines the materialist or physicalist perspective that attributes the origin of consciousness to the brain and its neurons. It contrasts this with the spiritual teachings of Advaita Vedanta, which posits consciousness as a fundamental, non-material reality. The script discusses the historical development of neuroscience and its limitations in addressing the 'hard problem of consciousness,' and how Vedanta offers a different approach by focusing on the observer of mental activities. It also touches on the challenges that modern physicalist theories pose to spiritual teachings about the true self.
🕉️ Advaita Vedanta's Perspective on Consciousness
The fourth paragraph provides an in-depth look at the Advaita Vedanta view of consciousness as the observer and the fundamental reality known as brahman. It explains how brahman is the underlying reality that gives rise to both the physical universe and consciousness. The script distinguishes between the scientific study of the brain's neural networks and the Vedantic exploration of the conscious self, which is the aware subject behind all mental activities. It also introduces the concept of atma, the true self that is the presence of consciousness within each individual.
🔍 The Limitations of Scientific Inquiry in Understanding Consciousness
This paragraph discusses the inherent limitations of scientific methods in studying consciousness. It explains that consciousness is a private experience and cannot be observed or measured with scientific instruments. The script introduces the concept of 'neural correlates of consciousness' as the focus of neuroscience and acknowledges the problem of subjective experience that cannot be accessed by external observers. It also presents the idea of panpsychism as an alternative view, suggesting that consciousness might be a fundamental aspect of the universe, alongside matter and energy.
💭 Philosophical Theories and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
The final paragraph explores various philosophical approaches to the 'hard problem of consciousness,' including idealism, neutral monism, and panpsychism. It discusses the challenges these theories face in providing a satisfactory solution and contrasts them with the teachings of Advaita Vedanta. The script concludes by emphasizing the unique value of Vedanta's self-inquiry method, which is based on personal conscious experience rather than external observation or speculation.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Neuroscience
💡Consciousness
💡Neurons
💡Global Workspace Theory
💡Integrated Information Theory
💡Advaita Vedanta
💡Atman
💡Brahman
💡Quantum Gravity
💡Self-Inquiry
💡Panpsychism
Highlights
Neuroscience has made significant progress in understanding the brain's 100 billion neurons and their role in mental faculties like sight, speech, and memory.
Despite advances, the exact mechanism of how the brain produces consciousness remains a mystery to modern science.
Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle believed the brain functioned as a radiator to cool the blood.
Rene Descartes theorized the pineal gland as the link between the physical body and the immaterial soul.
19th-century doctors and phrenologists observed the impact of brain injuries on personality and mental faculties.
Modern neuroscience uses techniques like EEG, fMRI, and PET scans to study neural activity and brain functions.
Consciousness is more fundamental than mental functions, as it allows for subjective experiences like tasting or smelling.
The Global Workspace Theory by Bernard Bars suggests a decentralized network of neurons where consciousness emerges from their interaction.
Francis Crick and his collaborator proposed that synchronized neuronal activity in the claustrum gives rise to consciousness.
Giulio Tononi's Integrated Information Theory posits that consciousness arises from the integration of information in the brain's cortex.
Michael Gaziano's Attention Schema Theory links consciousness to the brain's faculty of attention creating a representation of mental activities.
Robert Penrose suggests quantum effects in microtubules as the basis for consciousness, differing from conventional physical laws.
Advaita Vedanta considers consciousness as a non-material fundamental reality, contrasting with materialist neuroscience theories.
Brahman in Advaita Vedanta is described as the infinite, intelligent fabric of existence, underlying all reality including consciousness.
Atma, or the true self in Advaita Vedanta, represents the presence of Brahman's consciousness within individuals.
Advaita Vedanta's self-inquiry method offers a way to discover the true nature of consciousness beyond scientific limitations.
David Chalmers' concept of 'the hard problem of consciousness' highlights the difficulty of observing consciousness through physical means.
Chalmers proposes panpsychism, considering consciousness as a fundamental reality alongside matter and energy.
Advaita Vedanta differs from panpsychism by asserting one fundamental reality, brahman, of which matter and consciousness are manifestations.
The video discusses various philosophical approaches to consciousness, emphasizing the limitations of scientific methods in this domain.
Transcripts
For several decades now, neuroscience has been probing deeper and deeper into
the human brain to understand its mysteries. Today, researchers are discovering how huge,
intricate networks of brain cells called neurons are responsible for your ability to see, hear,
speak, and remember. Eventually, they will discover exactly how your brain can produce
all the functions of your mind. But the fact is, you are more than
your brain and its neurons. You're more than the sum of your biological parts,
all the cells, tissues, and organs that make up your body. You are a conscious being who
is aware of yourself and of the world around you. Because of consciousness,
you can experience the sweetness of a mango or the fragrance of a rose. Because of consciousness,
you have a rich inner life with an amazing range of emotions. Because of consciousness,
you can even observe or witness all the activities of your mind, including your emotions. So,
in addition to producing mental faculties, how does your brain produce consciousness itself?
Well, in recent times, neuroscientists have developed a number of sophisticated
theories that attempt to explain this. We'll review some of their theories shortly. So far,
none of them has successfully explained how your brain produces consciousness, and such an
explanation seems unlikely in the near future. In ancient times, no one considered our brains to
be somehow involved in activities like thinking and feeling. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle,
thought that our brains were radiators that cooled the blood circulating through our bodies. In the
17th century, the French philosopher, Rene Descartes, thought that the pineal gland,
which is located deep inside the brain, was the crucial link that connected our machine-like
material bodies to our immaterial conscious souls. By the 19th century, doctors who treated
patients with brain injuries understood quite well that such injuries could dramatically affect a
person's personality, emotions, and other mental faculties. Around the same time, practitioners
of phrenology or craniology made wild claims that our mental traits could be identified by
the size and location of bumps on our heads. Since those times, neuroscience has made huge
strides in understanding the brain and its 100 billion neurons. Particular regions of the brain
involved in sight, speech, memory, balance, and so on are being methodically explored
and mapped out in great detail. Brain tissue is microscopically studied to see how neurons are
interconnected with each other. The electrical signals that neurons use to communicate are
measured, either by directly probing the brain, or indirectly, using EEG instruments and magnetic
stimulation. More recently, functional MRI and PET scans are being used to create highly
defined images of neural activity throughout the brain. In the future, new technologies might make
it possible to measure the neural activity in your brain accurately that your innermost
thoughts and feelings can be decoded. On the other hand, detecting thoughts and emotions
in your brain is not the same as detecting consciousness. Your brain and its neurons generate
crucial mental functions like wakefulness, alertness, and attention, but consciousness
itself is even more fundamental. How is that so? Consider this. Suppose a
human-like robot has sophisticated sensors in its nose and tongue that can perform detailed
chemical analysis of anything placed in its mouth. The robot could identify each of the specific
chemicals responsible for the taste and smell of a ripe mango, but the robot wouldn't experience
the sweetness and aroma of a mango like you would. That kind of conscious experience can take place
in your brain, but not in the electronic brain of a robot. So, in the next section,
we'll explore how conscious experience, like the sweetness of a mango, can arise in your brain.
Will scientific research ever locate a particular network of neurons in the brain that are
responsible for consciousness itself? Decades ago, some researchers considered this idea,
but ongoing studies have completely ruled out the notion that consciousness arises from a
single, localized source in the brain. All current theories suggest that the source of consciousness
is decentralized or distributed. Those theories are highly speculative and extremely difficult
to verify. They're also quite complicated, at least for me. Yet, it's really important
to understand their basic ideas, so let me give you a quick overview of the main theories.
Bernard Bars describes the origin of consciousness in the brain through his Global Workspace Theory.
By global workspace, he means a decentralized network of neurons that functions like a screen,
a screen onto which various images and ideas are projected. According to Bars, consciousness
emerges from the interaction of neurons in that global workspace.
Francis Crick received a Nobel Prize for discovering the structure of DNA. Later
in his career, he collaborated with a researcher who considers consciousness to be a fundamental
property of complex neural networks. Together, they theorized that, in a part of the brain known
as the claustrum, neurons become synchronized with each other, and their synchronous
activity gives rise to consciousness. Giulio Tononi developed a mathematical model
of consciousness called Integrated Information Theory. He claims that
consciousness is nothing but highly integrated information. According to Tononi, the enormous
integration of information in the brain's powerful cerebral cortex gives rise to consciousness.
According to the Attention Schema Theory of Michael Gaziano, when the interactions of neurons
throughout the brain are filtered by the faculty of attention, a simplified model or representation
is created. For Gaziano, that representation or schema is responsible for consciousness.
Finally, Robert Penrose is a Nobel Laureat in physics who believes that consciousness
cannot be explained through ordinary physical and mathematical laws. So,
he postulates the existence of quantum gravity, and concludes that consciousness is the result of
quantum effects which are thought to occur in the microtubules found inside cells.
Ok, that's enough. As I said, all these theories are highly speculative, and none of them are even
close to being verified. Yet, they are taken quite seriously by many neuroscientists. Other theories
have been proposed by Western philosophers. Some of them suggest that consciousness is an
epiphenomenon or side effect, a side effect of human evolution. When vertebrates evolved into
human beings with huge brains, consciousness might have naturally emerged, perhaps by one of
the neuroscience theories we've just seen. Other philosophers, like Daniel Dennet,
try to minimize the significance or role of consciousness. They claim that,
feeling like a conscious being who enjoys the sweetness of a mango is simply an illusion.
What you wrongly consider to be subjective, conscious experience is actually produced by
your brain like all other mental activities. If you don't completely understand all these
theories, that's perfectly ok. I don't either. Among scientists and academics, each of these
theories has many supporters, and probably just as many critics. But for us, what's important is that
all these theories share a crucial feature. They all attribute the origin of consciousness to the
brain and its neurons. Such theories are called materialist or physicalist. They're physicalist
because they accept the existence of matter and energy alone, but they reject the existence of any
kind of non-material, non-physical reality. In Advaita Vedanta, consciousness is a
non-material, non-physical fundamental reality. Fortunately, you don't have to
be a neuroscientist or philosopher to understand it properly, as we'll see in the next section.
The rishis of ancient India and the great Vedantic scholars who followed never even
imagined that consciousness could be produced by the human brain. So it's no surprise that
their teachings never directly addressed any physicalist theories like those of
modern neuroscientists and philosophers. But in today's world, scientific advances have given
those physicalist theories a lot of traction, a lot of credibility. As a result, those theories
can threaten the very foundation of spiritual teachings that say, your true self, atma,
is pure consciousness, the light of awareness that reveals or illumines all the activities
of your mind. Since this teaching is directly contradicted by current physicalist theories,
they should not be ignored or taken lightly. Long ago, teachers of Advaita Vedanta directly
addressed the opposing views of other schools of thought, like the dualism accepted by the Sankhyas
and the nihilism accepted by Buddhists. But today, the biggest challenge to Vedanta comes,
not from these ancient schools of thought, but from modern physicalist theories for the origin of
consciousness. Fortunately, Vedanta's teachings are so complete and thorough that they can
effectively respond to these new challenges. From the perspective of Advaita Vedanta, the basic
shortcoming of neuroscience is that it's limited to describing how billions of neurons in your
brain interact with each other to produce your thoughts, emotions, and other mental activities.
Vedanta, on the other hand, goes a step further, a huge step further, by showing how your thoughts
and emotions are known to you, how they're observed by you, how they're witnessed by you.
That means, in addition to the mental activities produced by neurons in your brain, there's another
factor involved. And that factor is you, the conscious being, the awareful subject who observes
every mental object produced by your brain. So we can say that neuroscience describes the brain,
its neurons, and the mental objects they produce, whereas Vedanta describes the very consciousness
by which those mental objects are known. And, that consciousness is your essential nature,
because basically, you are a conscious being. In Advaita Vedanta, consciousness is a fundamental
reality. Whereas science considers matter and energy alone to be fundamental,
the rishis of ancient India considered matter and energy to merely be forms or manifestations of an
underlying reality that's even more fundamental. They called that underlying reality brahman and
described it as satyam jnanam anantam. Satyam means the underlying reality because
of which everything exists, the so-called fabric of existence. But brahman is much more than that.
It's is also jnanam, intelligence, knowledge, consciousness. Brahman is responsible for the
intelligent, natural order that governs the cosmos, a universal order that includes all
the laws of nature like gravity, momentum, and so on. Brahman is also responsible for
the presence of consciousness throughout the world, including its presence in your own brain,
as we will discuss shortly. Finally, brahman is anantam, limitless, boundaryless. Since the
universe is vast, its source must be more than vast. Its source must be infinite. So
in simple English, brahman can be called the infinite, intelligent fabric of existence.
Brahman gives existence, not only to the physical universe, but to you and me as well,
to our bodies and minds. Brahman is also the source of our consciousness, and the consciousness
of all sentient beings. Brahman's presence within us as consciousness is called atma, the true self.
And in highly intelligent beings like you and me, that consciousness becomes manifest as the
observer or awareful witness of the thoughts and emotions produced by our brains.
That consciousness is present in your experience right now as you watch this video,
which is a conscious experience. But even though you already know that you're a conscious being,
you might not know that your consciousness is actually the presence of brahman,
the fundamental reality, the fabric of existence. Fortunately, you can discover the true
nature of your consciousness through the powerful method of self-inquiry that's taught by Advaita
Vedanta. That method has been discussed in many of my other videos, so we won't dwell on it here.
Even though Vedantic self-inquiry can lead to the discovery the true nature of consciousness, it
turns out that conventional scientific methods can never lead to that same discovery. Why not? Well,
science is based on observation, the observation of worldly objects and phenomena, like looking at
the stars with a telescope. But consciousness can never be found by looking through the
lens of a telescope or with any other kind of scientific instrument. It can be found only by
reversing the direction of your inquiry. Rather than looking for consciousness in the world,
you have to look within yourself. You have to use introspection, not scientific instruments,
because consciousness belongs to the observer, not to objects being observed. Let me explain.
When thoughts and emotions are produced by your brain, your experience of them is said to be
private. That means, those experiences are only available or accessible to you, to you alone.
No one else can feel what you're feeling right now. Neuroscientists can study your brain, and one
day, they might be able to accurately detect your thoughts and emotions. But they will never be able
to observe your personal, private experience. They will never know how it feels to be you.
Even if they can explain how your brain produces feelings of sadness and perceptions of color,
they can never know what sadness feels like to you or what a particular shade of green
looks like to you. Neuroscience can't observe your private conscious experience, nor can it
detect or measure consciousness itself. For this reason, neuroscience, on its own, cannot discover
or explain the origin of consciousness. Of course, most neuroscientists are really smart,
so it's not surprising that at least some of them acknowledge this problem.
They admit that they can't directly observe or study consciousness itself. They accept
the fact that their research is limited to the brain's intricate neural networks and the
mental activities produced by those networks. Neuroscientists call those mental activities,
the neural corelates of consciousness. It is those neural corelates of consciousness that
they actually study, not consciousness itself. Some researchers who understand the limitations
of neuroscience try to escape those limitations to better understand the
nature of consciousness. We'll discuss their ideas in the final part of this presentation.
"The hard problem of consciousness" is an expression coined by a philosopher
named David Chalmers. He uses it to describe the apparently insurmountable obstacles that
prevent neuroscientists from directly observing or studying consciousness. Much like in Advaita
Vedanta, Chalmers differentiates the objective existence of thoughts and emotions from your
subjective, conscious experience of them. He says, "Why should physical processing
(in your brain) give rise to a rich inner life at all? It seems unreasonable that it should,
and yet it does. If any problem qualifies as THE problem of consciousness, it is this one."
Having recognized this problem, Chalmers himself proposes an alternative to the physicalist world
view, the view that accepts only matter and energy as being fundamental. Chalmers says that
consciousness is another fundamental reality that exists in addition to matter and energy.
According to this theory, consciousness is a natural feature or property of the universe,
along with matter and energy. This theory is called panpsychism and it's been around for a
long time. Yet, Chalmers uses it very skillfully to explain how consciousness might simply be a
natural property of brain matter that enables it to produce subjective, conscious experience.
But, many knowledgeable critics argue that panpsychism is merely a philosophical concept,
and not a legitimate scientific theory. They reject it because it can't experimentally tested
by scientific methods. As we discussed before, consciousness itself can't be
scientifically detected or measured. Panpsychism resembles Advaita Vedanta in
some ways, but in fact, the two are quite different. How? Panpsychism is a kind of
dualism. It accepts two fundamental realities, the physical reality of matter and energy and the
non-physical reality of consciousness. Advaita Vedanta, on the other hand, is a non-dualistic
teaching. It accepts only one fundamental reality, brahman. In Advaita Vedanta, matter and energy are
considered to be simply forms or manifestations of brahman, and not independent realities.
In addition to David Chalmers, other modern philosophers have used a variety of strategies,
trying to address the hard problem of consciousness. Some of them have resorted
to idealism, an ancient philosophy that's still studied today. Idealism accepts only
consciousness as a fundamental reality, and it rejects the reality of matter and energy.
Other philosophers theorize a single fundamental reality that's responsible, both for physical
world of matter and energy, as well as the non-physical world of consciousness. This theory
is known as neutral monism. Like panpsychism, idealism and neutral monism have some similarities
with Advaita Vedanta, but they also have many glaring differences. Further, they're not widely
accepted and have no completely satisfactory solution to the hard problem of consciousness.
Ok. This has been a very intense and challenging discussion. If you're still watching this video,
you should be congratulated for your patience and dedication. I actually avoided making this video
for several years because I was intimidated by the complexity of the theories we discussed here.
But after a lot of study, it became clear to me that none of the theories can really threaten the
validity of Advaita Vedanta. Why? Because the scientific and philosophical methods they use
all suffer from their own limitations. On the other hand, Advaita Vedanta is free from those
limitations because it's neither a science nor a philosophy. It s a powerful method of self-inquiry
that can lead you to discover your true nature. And that inquiry is not based on scientific
observation or philosophical speculation. It's based on your own conscious experience,
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