Rethinking Consciousness: A Scientific Theory of Subjective Experience

by Michael S.A. Graziano

call it substance C. The substance is invisible. It cannot be directly observed. It doesn’t block or reflect light. It’s generated inside Kevin and flows outward. It has a bias toward flowing out of the eyes along straight lines, although it does not necessarily take that path, since it can also sometimes reach out in nonvisual directions. It makes contact with specific objects in the environment. It can be partitioned among objects, but only in a competitive manner, such that as it becomes focused more on one object, it’s relatively withdrawn from others. Like water from a hose, the more Kevin sprays at one object, the less he has to spare for another. Substance C acts a lot like a classical fluid.10 It flows from a source. Its total volume is roughly conserved—in the sense that more of it flowing here means less of it flowing there. It’s also slightly viscous—it changes direction with a certain degree of sluggishness. At the same time that it acts like an invisible, viscous fluid, it also has an energy-like or will-like property in the sense that it empowers the agent. It does not directly galvanize Kevin to act, nor does it determine the specific action. Instead, its presence acts like an energizing field that powers Kevin to make a behavioral choice.