Philosophy

Q: When do we first become aware of ourselves? Experiment 1 (mirror self-recognition test).Empiricism counter

Procedures: 1) Get a child in front of a mirror and let him look at his/her self for second. 2) Put a mark on his/her face and let him/her look at him/her self again in the mirror.Observations: 1) 18 months child is not able to recognize that the one in the mirror is him/her self. 2) A 22 months child is able to recognize him/her self and touched this mark on his own face Conclusion From 18-24 month is the age when we become self-aware

Note: chimpanzee has passed the test.

Q : what part of the brain needs to be active in order to me to be active ?Experiment 2 Procedures:1) they injected the experimenter with an Anesthestatic drug (that causes temporary state consisting of unconsciousness , loss of memory , lack of pain and muscle relaxation) rationalism counter

2) They asked the experimenter to think about playing tennis. Observations: 1) The experimenter starts from awareness to be unconscious gradually until he is completely unconscious and the brain activity stops. Conclusion: All the brain functionalities stops however the consciousness still exists until a defeats occurs to (cerebral cortex) _ a main part of the brain_. The consciousness starts to collapse.

Note: all Anesthestatic drugs make some defeats in the thalamus which cause loss of consciousness.

Q: Could consciousness be separated from the body by illusion??? Experiment 3 Procedures:1) Putting a goggles on the eyes that displays a camera scene behind the experimenter (shows his back).2) You observe as you are setting behind yourself 3 m away. Observations:1) If somebody hits your chest while pretending that he is hitting your chest. Youll be convinced that he is hitting you. 2) Even if he tries to hit you with a hummer in front of the camera. youll shake as if somebody is about to hit you with a hummer in reality Conclusion:Sensing of yourself is just an illusion created by our brains depending on data came from our sense organs. So changing these data could make someone feels he is in another body

Experiment 4 Procedures: 1) Scientists are able to get the electric pulses of a specific neurons, amplifying them and even hear them.Observations: 1) It was found that some neurons only respond to very specific situations like seeing a picture of an actor (or anybody you love) 2) Even that these neurons respond to the name of this actor the same way they have responded to the photo although the huge difference between the shape of the photo and the letters of the name. Conclusion: Every single image you see, there is a neuron firing up in your brain correlated to this image.

Theory: a single neuron doesnt represent the consciousness but the collection of neurons together make the consciousness.

Q: what exactly happens when we are asleep (unconscious?)

Experiment 5 Procedures: 1) Wearing a helmet with microphones implanted in it ( listen to the neurons ) 2) Using (TMS) (Transracial magnetic stimulation) _stimulate neurons by sending pulses ; and the reaction of neurons is measured by the microphones) Observations: 1) Conscious person : affecting a specific area will cause another many areas to respond simultaneously 2) Asleep person: only the exposed area of the brain reacts to the stimuli (the cerebral cortex).

Conclusion: Consciousness is due to integration (communication) between different neurons throughout the brain.

Q: what exactly takes a decision (me) or (my neurons) what is free will??

Experiment 6 Materialism counter

Procedures:

1) The experimenter has two buttons (he has the choice to push one of them) meanwhile, a scanner is scanning his brain and computer detects when exactly he pushed the button. Observations: 1) Up to 6 seconds before the person makes a decision. the brain has already made the decision Conclusion: 1) Conscious decision is a secondary stage of brain activity. 2) There is unconscious brain taking the lead of the decision and then comes the conscious

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