What is consciousness? By Nanthana Lathan Year 10 To this day, scientists and philosophers are still debating new ideas on what consciousness is, many of these controversial and puzzling. Many agree that there is some sort of consciousness within humans and even mammals, the topic continues to baffle scientists and philosophers. The main debate is how and what needs to be explained and analysed to achieve the answer of what consciousness is. Some may refer to consciousness as an aspect of "inner life". It could also mean a certain level of awareness, or refer to an individual's thoughts and imagination. All these explanations have implications for our life as a society, as the idea of consciousness gives rise to the idea of
conscience.
State of Consciousness The state of consciousness refers to the brain being aware of the internal and external environments in order to react to a situation or simply being aware of our surroundings. There are times where consciousness is absent from our brain, for instance in dreamless sleeps or in comas. There are also circumstances where the relationship between the mind and the world can be hindered, known as "altinerate consciousness". This can be produced through drugs, alcohol or can occur naturally.
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