Consciousness and Its Purpose

What are we?

Having detailed in the previous section the logical foundation for our reasoning where we not only realized the importance of thinking in probabilities but also assumed that we exist and are subjected to consistent patterns, it becomes imperative to continue our exploration by properly defining what do we exactly mean by existence. In other words, what are we? What is this feeling, this experience of being alive as we look out on the world and perceive it from our own center stage?

No center

The human brain is by far the most sophisticated phenomenon we have thus far been able to observe in the universe. Inside this mysterious structure, roughly 84 billion neurons fire in synchrony with each other to produce a myriad of incredibly complex functions such as movement, language, creativity, and emotions.

Evolutionary tool

It can be quite fascinating to realize that consciousness is merely a biological property that emerges out of the synchronized activity of billions of neurons. But even more fascinating are the questions that this observation tends to lead to. Why were physical neurochemical processes ever accompanied by an experience? Why haven't humans remained conscious but not self-aware? Why did consciousness come along, for what purpose?