Evolution of consciousness I

Abstract

The existence of a psycho-physical parallelism in humans and other conscious creatures requires an 'interaction' between subjectivity and physiology, where consciousness is as much a casual agent as the molecules and atoms of the system. This interaction is illustrated in the fanciful case of an ancient fish that has a 'painful' experience and a corresponding physiological response. The model gives consciousness properties of both cause and effect that are deterministic; and yet, it reflects our experience of having choice. Experiments are discussed involving PET scans with humans and autora-diographies with rats. They are designed to demonstrate the influence of consciousness on concentrations of narcotics in the brain.