Neural Basis for Consciousness

THE  NEURAL BASIS FOR  CONSCIOUSNESS

No matter what we claim about the function of consciousness, the simple fact is that we are conscious. We each have a stream of inner experiences—and so we know what redlooks like, or how it feels to be happy or tired or jittery; we know that we feel good when we’re with certain people and uncomfortable when we’re with others. What biological mechanisms make these experiences possible? How is it possible for the three pounds of tissue we call the brain to support consciousness of the surrounding world and con-sciousness of ourselves?