Exploring Consciousness and its Definitions

Consciousness is fundamentally about subjective experience, which can be classified into access consciousness and phenomenal consciousness. Access consciousness pertains to the global availability of information within a cognitive system, enabling organisms to respond to their environment and engage with goals effectively. In contrast, phenomenal consciousness refers to the qualitative experiences, or the 'what it's like' aspect of being aware, integral to feelings such as pain or pleasure. Distinguishing between these two types of consciousness is crucial for discussing the nature of conscious experience across different organisms, including humans, animals, and even potential artificial intelligences.