Name: The quest to understand consciousness
Uploaded: 2011-12-19T16:02:38Z
Duration: 18 min 25 s
Description: Every morning we wake up and regain consciousness -- that is a marvelous fact -- but what exactly is it that we regain? Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio uses this simple question to give us a glimpse into how our brains create our sense of self.

Antonio Damasio: The quest to understand consciousness

The quest to understand consciousness

Every morning we wake up and regain consciousness -- that is a marvelous fact -- but what exactly is it that we regain? Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio uses this simple question to give us a glimpse into how our brains create our sense of self.

Conscious minds arise each morning, yet most people rarely reflect on this daily miracle. The sense of self, far from being a simple byproduct of thought, is grounded in brain structures that map the body's internal state. Damage to a tiny region of the brain stem can erase consciousness entirely, even if the rest of the brain remains active. Modern brain imaging now reveals the intricate neural maps and pathways that create the vivid spectacle of subjective experience.