What if consciousness is an emergent illusion? “You” are merely a passenger, observing your physical self’s actions and assuming ownership of them. What if consciousness is merely an effect, not a cause?
>“You” are merely a passenger, observing your physical self’s actions and assuming ownership of them
Oh boy. Now here's the rub. We know this is true at least sometimes. When you make a decision and explain it, it is often(always?) just a post-hoc rationalization. You don't actually know why you make a lot of the decision you do even if you dearly believe so.
This is very clear in split-brain patients where one side will make the decision and the other side will come up with an excellently reasoned explanation of the decision.
What's even weirder is that when the hemispheres are split apart, the two sides seem to both be able to understand and carry out instructions (and can even compete with each other to do them, e.g., the left hand and right hand may try to push each other out of the way), which suggests that there may be two wholly separate consciousnesses in each half of the brain.
I hope you haven't read the novel blindsight and I get to be the one to tell you about it. They might as well have given that book your post as a title.
Oh boy. Now here's the rub. We know this is true at least sometimes. When you make a decision and explain it, it is often(always?) just a post-hoc rationalization. You don't actually know why you make a lot of the decision you do even if you dearly believe so.