Illuminating the "hard problem of consciousness" mystery

[David777]

In neuroscience, the hard question is its greatest mystery. The "hard problem of consciousness" question asks why and how physical brain processes give rise to subjective experiences, or "qualia," such as the "redness" of red or the feeling of pain.

My own hypothesis on qualia within Earth animal creatures with neural system brains, is that the internal and subjective component of sense perceptions, arising from stimulation of the senses by phenomena, are a result of location dependent 3-dimensional and power levels of standing wave brain wave oscillating electromagnetic fields.

Some neuroscientist and philosophers have always expected that mystery would never be solved. But I expect there will be a day when science shows textures in the subtle features of those fields that our current instrumentation is not yet incapable and sensitive enough of showing. And recently, there has been a breakthrough:

 

[oldman]

I never delved into any neurosciences, although it was briefly discussed when I was studying aviation engineering many years ago. However, we never went so deep into it that I heard of qualia. So, because I am supposed to be detail oriented, here is my question.

Why is qualia important? I know what it is, but know little about how it’s used. (Inquiring minds want to know.)

 

[fuzzybuddy]

David777 is way at the head of the class on "consciousness." My poor contribution is that any dumb human has an incredible amount of data stored behind the eyes. Just knowing that things like grass is green, and the sky blue are stored away in that vast brain. Even when you think of all the ordinary stuff, it's enormous amount of data. And considering this vast storehouse of data, why did that jerk cut me off, yesterday?

 

[bobcat]

In my view, consciousness and qualia can be simplistically defined as experiences, and entirely subjective. One can understand the mechanics, but you will never be able to equate them. We see colors differently, taste things differently, and experience things differently.

We aren't in touch with reality directly. Our brain is a reality simulator that collects information (Contaminated though it may be), and generates a reality for us we can function in and live life. Our emotions, beliefs, memories, and a host of other things come into play as the symphony of consciousness is orchestrated together one moment at a time. Even if we could know what it's like to be a bat, your knowing and my knowing would always be different.

 

[Paco Dennis]

I asked my tablet if "qualia" is for making further distinctions of our environment to help us survive...

Your intuition is on track with a prominent theory in philosophy and neuroscience. Qualia provide an evolutionary advantage by giving organisms a rich, subjective way to differentiate between stimuli that may be physically similar but have different survival implications. For example, the unique "badness" of the quale of pain, compared to the quale of a pleasant touch, gives us a powerful, immediate signal to avoid harm.

 

[David777]

In my view, consciousness and qualia can be simplistically defined as experiences, and entirely subjective. One can understand the mechanics, but you will never be able to equate them. We see colors differently, taste things differently, and experience things differently.

We aren't in touch with reality directly. Our brain is a reality simulator that collects information (Contaminated though it may be), and generates a reality for us we can function in and live life. Our emotions, beliefs, memories, and a host of other things come into play as the symphony of consciousness is orchestrated together one moment at a time. Even if we could know what it's like to be a bat, your knowing and my knowing would always be different.

is:

One can understand the mechanics, but you will never be able to equate them. We see colors differently, taste things differently, and experience things differently.

could be:
We see colors somewhat differently, taste things somewhat differently, and experience things somewhat differently.

What my posted news shows, is that unknown range given technology, of "somewhat differently", is now being reduced and likely to be greatly so in near decades, though agree, there is a limit to what we humans can ever know between individuals while allowing only ethical research that doesn't harm patients by damaging patient brains from internal invasive instrumentation.

Brain Scan Machines: Unveiling the Mysteries of the Human Mind

...Today, we have a veritable arsenal of brain scan machines at our disposal, each with its own strengths and applications. From the widely-used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to the lightning-fast Computed Tomography (CT) scans, and from the metabolic insights of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to the real-time functional mapping of fMRI, these tools have become indispensable in both clinical practice and research settings...

 

[bobcat]

Again, just my view, but as I alluded to, it is one thing to map pathways and activity in the brain that either gives rise to consciousness or contributes to it, but it is quite another to share the experience. Where I part company with the hopes of this endeavor, is that they seem to be focusing on the brain and possibly tracing its mind-blowing connections that could lead them to the holy grail.

I don't think we are organisms with brains, I think we are brains. When you touch something, where does your body become your brain? When you taste something, hear something, or see something, where do those sensors stop being your body, and become your brain? Even if I could map your neural connections, I could never know what it's like to be David777, because your body, taste buds, eyesight, hearing, skin, emotions, etc... are unique to you, not to mention the nearly 95% of neural processing that takes place in the unconscious.

They’re subjective by nature because of the mind-body problem. You can describe them, measure the brain waves associated with them, or observe someone’s behavior in response to them, but you can’t directly share them. because each one of us is remarkably unlike any other.

I had a dental appt the other day for cleaning, and the hygienist who had been at it for 34 years said: "Did you know everyone's tounge is different?" To which I said, "What do you mean?" She went on to explain that everyone's tongue has a unique pattern. She even held up a mirror for me, and pointed out the pattern there. Apparently, it's like a fingerprint that's even different with identical twins.

Anyway, for whatever it's worth, I believe that the "qualia" (As I understand it) refers to the individual subjective experience, and this will always be unique because we are.