Consciousness Demystified

After Consciousness Explained comes Consciousness Demystified based on a model of neurobiological naturalism related to the ideas of John Searle but based in evolution and neuroscience and asserting that there is no need to invoke any new, unknown forces to account for the way the brain creates consciousness. The book presents a sophisticated analysis using the three principles of life, neural features and a natural explanation of the subject-object barrier. The authors distinguish and define three forms of subjective awareness: exteroceptive, interoceptive and affective, each with multiple explanatory gaps which they in turn categorise into four neuro-ontologically subjective features – referral, mental unity, mental causation and qualia. They then run through the evolutionary development of mental images and affects in a variety of vertebrate consciousness, all of which makes fascinating reading and affirms the adaptive function of consciousness.

The final chapter addresses the naturalisation of subjectivity, which is the crunch of the argument and highlights special neurological features unique to conscious brains. The authors then address the four gaps referred to above, asserting that 'qualia cannot be dissociated from life processes in general (p. 112). They formulate two forms of irreducibility – auto-ontological from the subjective pole and allo-ontological for the outside observer. Qualia are therefore both neurobiologically unique and exclusively first person so there are two aspects that should not be collapsed into one as in standard discussions of the hard problem. Does this elegant formulation demystify consciousness? Well, within its scope it makes a valuable contribution, but no mention is made of evidence for consciousness beyond the brain or non-locality that might require an extension of their naturalism or a consideration of the fundamental nature of mind or consciousness – 'top down' as well as bottom up. And here Tim Freke's ideas on the evolution of the soul might be germane in seeking consistency within an account of the evolution of consciousness and its expressions towards greater depth and complexity.