Our consciousness – Why is there only one of us?

Our consciousness – Why is there only one of us?

Consciousness is the core of our experience. It gives us the feeling of existing, of making decisions, of perceiving our environment and of relating to ourselves. But why is there only one of us? Can we imagine not existing anymore? These questions concern the essence of human existence and lead us deep into the scientific and neurological debate about the nature of consciousness.

1. What exactly is consciousness? Our consciousness – why is there only one of us?

Consciousness is the ability to be aware of thoughts, emotions and the environment. It makes us feel that we are there and enables us to respond to our environment. In everyday life we take our consciousness for granted, but once we think about it more deeply, it becomes an extremely complex phenomenon.

Consciousness is strongly linked to neural processes in the brain. Neuroscientists have discovered that consciousness cannot be traced back to a single part of the brain. Instead, several brain regions work together to produce what we experience as "consciousness." Particularly important are the prefrontal cortex , which is responsible for decision-making and self-reflection, and the thalamus , which processes and transmits sensory information.

Nevertheless, the exact definition of consciousness remains controversial. Scientists are faced with the challenge of explaining how subjective experiences – the so-called “qualia” – can arise from purely physical and chemical processes. This gap between objective brain function and subjective experience is called the “ hard problem of consciousness ,” a term coined by the philosopher David Chalmers.

2. Why is there only one of us?

The uniqueness of our consciousness can be explained in part by the biology and structure of our brain. Each brain is unique, shaped by genetic factors, environmental influences and personal experiences. From the moment we are born (perhaps even earlier), the brain begins to process a huge amount of information and build neural networks that are responsible for our individual memories, thought processes and perceptions.

These neural networks are highly complex and form the basis of our uniqueness. No two brains are the same, even in identical twins who are genetically identical. The uniqueness of our neural structure also means that our consciousness only exists once. When the brain stops functioning - for example, through death or severe brain damage - consciousness also ceases, as it is not an independent "soul" or immortal entity that could continue to live without the brain (according to current scientific understanding).

Scientists such as renowned neuroscientist Antonio Damasio have shown that our consciousness is closely linked to our physical state and our brain. The "self" we experience is a constant feedback loop of internal states and environmental stimuli that our brain processes in real time. This interplay allows us to exist as unique individuals, and the complexity of these processes cannot be easily copied or repeated.

3. Why we cannot imagine our own non-existence

Our consciousness – Why is there only one of us?

Our consciousness is designed to experience continuously. It registers impressions, thoughts, emotions and sensory perceptions, and it "works" continuously while we are awake and even when we are asleep (e.g. in dreams). Consciousness has no direct experience of "nothingness" because it has never ceased to exist as long as we are alive. When one tries to imagine no longer existing, one encounters a barrier: one has no reference for what it means to "not be". Our brain and consciousness only know "being" in the form of perception and thought.

Humans have a strong sense of "self," that is, of identity and continuity. This sense of "I" gives the impression that there is a constant entity that is always there - namely ourselves. To believe that this "I" will disappear at some point contradicts our deeply rooted experience that we are always here and now. The idea that this "I" will no longer be there at some point is difficult for our consciousness to grasp.

The central problem is that the state of non-existence is, by definition, unexperienceable. Our consciousness can only imagine states that it already knows or that it can access through experience. But death is a state in which consciousness no longer exists. Therefore, there is no way to construct an experience of "nothingness" in one's mind. Any attempt to imagine "nothingness" instead leads to a kind of existential paradox, since the imagination relies on an experience of "somethingness."

Another factor is the human fear of death. The unimaginability of one's own non-existence is often linked to a deep existential fear. This fear influences the way we think about death and often leads to a psychological resistance to seriously confronting one's own end. For many people, non-existence feels so scary and unimaginable that they avoid dealing with it.

4. The eternal presence of consciousness

Our consciousness is inseparably linked to the present. We only ever perceive the present moment and have no direct access to past or future moments, except through memories or imagination. Since our consciousness only ever operates in the here and now, it is difficult for us to imagine a future nothingness because the "now" is always present.

Comparisons with a deep, dreamless sleep are only of limited help, since in sleep consciousness returns, whereas death is a final state of no return.

5. Is consciousness just a construct of our brain?

The scientific community has long investigated whether consciousness is generated exclusively by neural processes or whether there are other explanations. Currently, there are two main currents in this debate:

a) The neurobiological model of consciousness

This model is based on the idea that consciousness is generated entirely by the activity of the brain. Numerous studies have shown that specific regions of the brain are responsible for certain aspects of consciousness. For example, the limbic system processes emotional reactions, while the prefrontal cortex is responsible for complex thought processes and self-perception. If these regions are damaged - for example through accidents, illnesses or surgical interventions - the consciousness and self-image of the affected person also change.

Research on anesthesia has also shown that the state of consciousness can be disrupted by interrupting communication between different brain areas, suggesting that consciousness depends heavily on the synchronous activity of multiple neural networks.

b) Alternative theories: Panpsychism and other concepts

Despite the sound scientific basis of the neurobiological model, there are alternative theories that attempt to explain consciousness beyond the purely physical processes of the brain. One such theory is panpsychism , which states that consciousness may be a fundamental property of matter - similar to space, time or energy. According to this idea, every form of matter possesses some degree of consciousness, and human consciousness is a particularly complex form of this universal property.

While panpsychism is often viewed with skepticism in scientific circles, there are well-known scientists such as physicist Roger Penrose who speculate that consciousness may be linked to quantum mechanics. However, these theories have so far lacked strong empirical support and contradict classical neuroscientific approaches.

6. Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness

Another exciting area of research is the question of whether consciousness can be created artificially. Scientists and engineers have made enormous progress in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) , and machines can now solve highly complex tasks that were previously only possible for humans. But can a machine develop true consciousness?

Most researchers agree that while current AI systems perform impressively, they do not have "consciousness" in the human sense. AI can process data and even learn on its own, but it does not have subjective experience. The difference is that machines do not have an inner world filled with feelings, self-reflection, or personal perception.

However, some scientists believe it may be possible to one day create a form of machine consciousness. This raises the question of whether consciousness is really just a matter of complexity - that is, whether it could emerge in a machine by reaching a certain threshold of processing power and interconnectedness.

7. Near-death experiences

The accounts of people who have a bird's eye view of their surroundings during a near-death experience (NDE) and describe what doctors and nurses did during their resuscitation represent one of the greatest challenges to the scientific explanation of near-death experiences. These accounts seem particularly remarkable because they often contain detailed descriptions of events that the affected people theoretically could not have perceived - for example, because their eyes were closed or because they were in a state medically referred to as "clinically dead".

8. Bird’s eye view: What do people say?

People who have had a near-death experience often report that they "left" their bodies and observed what was happening in the room from above. They often describe precise details of the resuscitation process, the movements of the doctors or equipment that was used from a detached, disembodied position. In some cases, these people even reported being able to repeat snippets of conversations between the doctors or describe certain objects that they would not have been able to see from their bed or lying position.

These experiences seem extremely real to those affected, and many report them with great clarity. Such accounts often lead them and others to believe that consciousness can actually leave the body and perceive information in a supernatural way.

9. Neurobiological explanations: An illusion of the brain?

Despite the unusual nature of these experiences, there are neurobiological explanations that could provide a plausible basis for the phenomenon.

• Memories and perceptual gaps : One explanation is that in extreme stress situations the brain "fills in" incomplete sensory impressions and perceptions. The brain is known for filling in gaps in perception through memories and imagination. In a state of extreme stress, such as that which occurs during resuscitation or a near-death experience, the brain may fall back on familiar patterns - such as previous observations of hospitals, doctors or resuscitation procedures, which it then retrospectively links to the subjective experience. This would mean that what the affected person perceives as a "bird's eye view" is a kind of distorted memory or reconstruction based on what was seen earlier.

• Residual awareness : Some neuroscientists suggest that even in a highly reduced state of awareness - for example, in the period just before or immediately after cardiac arrest - the brain may still be able to perceive and process sensory information such as sound or movement, even if not consciously. This information could later emerge in memory and be interpreted as an "out-of-body experience."

• Temporary misprocessing of body perception : The brain is responsible for giving us a coherent image of our body and its position in space. Under certain circumstances, particularly in times of severe stress or lack of oxygen, this system can malfunction, creating a feeling as if one is leaving the body or being observed from outside. This is called an " out-of-body experience " (OBE) and has been artificially induced in experiments on healthy people by stimulating certain regions of the brain. The temporal lobe and the parietal cortex , which are responsible for spatial perception and body sensation, could malfunction at such moments, giving the impression of seeing one's own body from outside.

10. Research results and documented cases

Some controlled studies have attempted to systematically investigate the phenomenon of out-of-body perception in near-death experiences. For example, special visual stimuli or objects that would only be visible from a bird's eye view have been placed in operating rooms and intensive care units. The idea behind this was to test whether people who have had near-death experiences would be able to recognize or describe these stimuli. However, to date, such experiments have not provided clear evidence to confirm that people can actually perceive things that they should not see due to their physical position or condition.

A well-known example is the AWARE (Awareness during Resuscitation) study , in which patients suffering a cardiac arrest were asked about memories or perceptions during resuscitation. Of the more than 2,000 patients studied, some remembered details of their resuscitation, but there was no evidence that anyone could perceive the hidden visual stimuli in the room.

11. The crux: Is there anything left unclear?

The central difficulty (the crux) in this discussion is that even the best neurobiological theories cannot fully explain every near-death experience. The level of detail in the reports and the subjective beliefs of those affected pose particular challenges for scientists.

Some of the reports seem so precise that it is hard to believe they were created by illusions or memories. Add to that the intense emotional experiences that many people associate with near-death experiences - they often describe deep feelings of peace, love or enlightenment that are difficult to explain in purely biological terms.

While most neuroscientists believe that consciousness is firmly linked to brain activity, the area of near-death experiences remains a frontier of knowledge that leaves many unanswered questions. There is still no definitive scientific explanation that fully explains all aspects of near-death experiences - especially those described from a bird's eye view. At the same time, there is also no conclusive evidence that consciousness can actually leave the body.

12. Conclusion

Near-death experiences and reports of out-of-body sensations raise fundamental questions about the nature of consciousness and its connection to the brain. Our consciousness, which is designed to continuously gather experience, has no reference for non-existence. This peculiarity of consciousness makes it difficult to imagine the state of death - a state in which there is no perception and no "self" anymore.

Neurobiological models offer plausible explanations for many aspects of near-death experiences, particularly by suggesting that the brain can process and distort memories, sensations and ideas under extreme stress. Yet reports continue to emerge from sufferers who recount seemingly accurate details of their resuscitations - a phenomenon that tests the limits of our understanding of the connection between consciousness and the brain.

The crux of the matter remains that consciousness itself is the center of this mystery. It exists exclusively in states of "being" and can neither experience nor fully comprehend its own non-existence. This fact continues to challenge scientific models of consciousness because it is still unclear how consciousness actually works and whether it can be completely traced back to brain activity.

In addition to the complexity of consciousness, there is the question of our unique existence. There are approximately 8 billion people on Earth, each with a unique combination of experiences, thoughts and identity. This uniqueness is a fascinating aspect of our existence. Each person is unique in their own way, and this specific combination of consciousness and identity will never be the same again. The consciousness of each individual is a unique phenomenon that not only highlights the limits of our understanding of life and death, but also emphasizes the irreplaceability of each individual. This realization underscores the scope and complexity of our human existence and the enduring mystery of consciousness.