Emily Cataneo in Undark Magazine:
The human body is a master at regulating itself. For example, if your blood pressure rises precipitously, it will cause your arterial wall to stretch. Receptors in your body will sense this change and signal your brain, returning your blood pressure to the appropriate level.
So many of these processes happen behind the curtain, our body keeping itself alive without our knowledge. But what happens if we tip out of equilibrium, to the extent that automatic processes can no longer cut it? That’s where consciousness comes in. Consciousness allows organisms “to discover their own existence and the existence of a surrounding universe,” according to celebrated neuroscientist Antonio Damasio in “Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousness” — and, crucially, to take action when their bodies tip dangerously out of homeostasis, the self-regulating process by which organisms keep their internal systems balanced.
More here.
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