Living Mirrors with Dr. James Cooke Antonio Damasio on consciousness, feeling & homeostasis | Living Mirrors #81
Feb 4, 2022
Antonio Damasio, a renowned neurologist and neuroscientist, focuses on how emotions intertwine with consciousness. He challenges the notion that rationality prevails, emphasizing the crucial role of feelings in shaping human experience. The discussion explores the evolutionary link between consciousness and homeostasis, highlighting how our emotional responses aid survival. Damasio also delves into the crafting of consciousness through sensory perception, critiquing oversimplified views and suggesting a biological understanding of consciousness even in simpler organisms.
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Damasio's Early Career Shift
- Antonio Damasio was initially interested in language and studied aphasia in stroke patients.
- Observing emotional changes in these patients sparked his focus on feelings and affect in neuroscience.
Consciousness from Homeostasis
- Consciousness originated from homeostatic feelings related to life regulation, not higher intellectual functions.
- Feelings provide organisms knowledge of internal states, marking the true start of consciousness evolution.
Distinguishing Emotion and Feeling
- Emotions are objective bodily actions observable externally, unlike subjective feelings known only to the self.
- Feelings arise internally and trigger visible emotional actions which then feedback as emotional feelings.
