New Perspectives on Human Consciousness as the Brain Activation State (BAS)

Abstract

The exploration of the origin and essence of human consciousness has a long history, and although various disciplines—such as philosophy, medicine, sociology, biology, and psychology—have offered different explanations, none has gained widespread recognition to date. This lack of consensus stems primarily from the complexity of consciousness itself, combined with significant disciplinary differences in perspective, which together prevent researchers from fully, reasonably, and comprehensively grasping its essence. Consequently, consciousness remains an enduringly ambiguous subject, making deeper investigation necessary. Based on a systematic analysis, summarization, and synthesis of knowledge across multiple fields, this paper draws the following conclusions: the origin of consciousness lies in natural materials; its essence is material information; and it possesses the attributes of congenitality, materiality, complexity, systematicity, dynamics, differentiation, subjectivity, and selfhood.