The Mystery of Consciousness

The human brain is a great puzzle in psychology as it gives rise to complex emotions and experiences. While we understand certain aspects of consciousness such as attention and perception, there are still big unanswered questions. One potential explanation is that consciousness is a byproduct of our ability to have a complex theory of mind, where we can predict what others are thinking about us. There are two senses of consciousness: access consciousness, which is information available to us and necessary for high-level reasoning, and phenomenological consciousness, the subjective experience. Some philosophers believe these two can exist separately. The mystery lies in understanding where the subjective experience comes from. It may be epiphenomenal, like the color red in blood, which is not essential to its function. However, explaining why consciousness is epiphenomenal remains a challenge.