The Source of Consciousness - with Mark Solms

Mark Solms discusses his new theory of consciousness that returns emotions to the centre of mental life.

Understanding why we feel a subjective sense of self and how it arises in the brain seems like an impossible task. Mark explores the subjective experiences of hundreds of neurological patients, many of whom he treated. Their uncanny conversations help to expose the brain’s obscure reaches.

Mark Solms has spent his entire career investigating the mysteries of consciousness. Best known for identifying the brain mechanisms of dreaming and for bringing psychoanalytic insights into modern neuroscience, he is director of neuropsychology in the Neuroscience Institute of the University of Cape Town, honorary lecturer in neurosurgery at the Royal London Hospital School of Medicine, and an honorary fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists.

This talk was livestreamed by the Ri on 28 January 2021.

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[QZainyQ]

This is the best value of time I have ever spent watching something.

[willfreese]

What do all conscious beings have in common? When asked to deliver a lecture of a certain length, they fall behind and have to rush at the end.

[isaacshelton]

"Homeostasis resits entropy" loved that!!

[sheldonquamina]

I was just browsing through and I stumbled on this I just want to say you’re simply amazing just because even someone like me you explain it so easy and everyone can understand your a legendary hero man

[earthine]

It's when studying for a tedious exam, other subjects seem most remarkable.

[suddenseer]

I use 3D Markovian decision geometry for expressing other things in our species common social issues. These mathematical structures seem to be everywhere.
My brain literally had the feeling of popping with ecstacy when this lecture turned on some lights.
Thanks, I needed that.

[nimapanahi]

Brilliant, in the US sense! Theoretical physicist and mathematician by trade, but I've always had intense interest in philosophy and philosophy of everything. BUT, especially to the problem of "me" and physic processes. I'm buying the book as I type. Thanks for awakening me to this unique approach existing.

[stanlibuda]

What a great lecture!! Thanks to Mark Solms and the RI.

[Terpsichore]

I’m already reading it, and it’s making ‘sense’ to me and ‘affecting’ me greatly. Wonderful book. Thank you Mark!

[penguinista]

At 13:05 the tone of voice on, "I wasn't studying this because I was interested in building a career" made me so happy. That is the spirit of science.
Go to 12:40 for more context.

[LuisManuelLealDias]

The ideas around 54 minute mark remind me a lot of Terrence Deacon's ideas. I think this is the path forward. Very good presentation, I wish you good luck!

[giddyoldgoat]

Brilliant talk!. Loved the way you elucidated and teased out this problem. The problem of consciousness is something I have thought about for a very long time (I'm 65 now) without anyone in my life really wanting to engage with me about it. I will be getting your book (I'm in the UK). Thank you very much

[anitago]

I am extatic to hear this. Finally we can understand animals are somebody not something and we can stop treating them as objects to be exploited. I had this intuition spontaneously in 2013 and I went vegan. Hope all who listen think of animals and their hellish suffering in factory farms and slaughterhouses.

[MrSigmaSharp]

I would have given this talk in reverse. The content was amazing but the later parts were more crucial for the main idea and the most key point here was the one given last. Maybe it's just me who wants to know the agenda first and the details later

[zahraexshiatruthseeker]

Absolutely great! Something that I wanted to find out for some years now. I can't thank you enough, sir!

[colinpatterson]

The ability to ask what makes us conscious is exactly what makes us couscious in a sharable way.

[QZainyQ]

This is beautiful, I can't thank you enough for being the vessel through which this knowledge got to me.

[Nikihound]

I believe, like Dr. Solms states, that the source of emotions and thus foundational consciousness does reside in the (primitive) brainstem. The reticular activating systems (RAS) also, by the way, regulates some foundational aspects of attention. We need the RAS, for example, to filter the voices from the background noise at a cocktail party. So this brainstem does have a very fundamental role in our mental functions. It makes sense also from an evolutionary perspective. But the insight of homeostasis as the mechanism (the pendulum) of maintaining order and fighting entropy (the second law of thermodynamics) is absolutely brilliant. Life cannot exist with uncontrolled entropy. Life by definition is natures ability to create self-regulating systems that maintain homeostasis, the balance needed for all metabolic organisms to exist. And self-replication adds the ability of these systems to evolve under different environments. It is logical that evolution would bring about adaptive strategies to maintain a stable homeostatic state in a given environment. And as self-replicating populations adapt to new environments through mutations, evolution ensures the adaptability of lifeforms. And with the emergence of animal life, after the Cambrian explosion 540 million years ago, the animal kingdom would develop nervous systems capable regulating behavior (emotions are our evolutionary regulation of behavior) based on the homeostatic state of the individual and the predictive ability to secure this healthy, necessary state. This is all brilliant!! The neocortex (the pallium) also added a very large extension to our cognitive capabilities. This clearly also extended our capabilities of self-awareness. An awareness of self in a given environment and our ability to also change that environment in order to secure our homeostasis. This extended self-awareness is what makes us human. We are aware of our ability to modify our environment and also to feel empathy for other beings (other persons or agents). This the next level of awareness, our social awareness. We are aware of what others are aware of and even worried about what others are not aware of. This is evolutions next level. So I would also infer, that is also the next level of consciousness.

[chocksaway]

Fascinating talk on consciousness thank you, this type of learning is what the internet was invented for.

[ArtVandelayLTEX]

This was fascinating, going to read this ASAP.