some folks believe that matter creates consciousness.
so at what point does matter create consciousness? how does something go from being no conscious matter to conscious matter?
how do you create something from nothing?
Human consciousness is connected to the human brain having two centers of consciousness; inner self and ego. Animals have only a single center of consciousness; inner self. The inner self is older and is the center of the DNA based firmware of the brain we call natural instinct. The ego is much newer and evolved as a secondary center, about the time civilization starts to appear. An analogy would be like a super computer that spawns its own secondary terminal for outside input.
The secondary center or the ego within humans, allows us to become self aware. This is easier to see when dealing with a neurosis. For example, in a neurosis the patient may wish to overcome a phobia such as the fear of flying. No matter how hard they try, they will freeze and have to leave the plane. The patient is first taught to become aware of this inner inhibition, that seems to reinforce a behavior, that is currently beyond their will and desire. It is through seeing this secondary dynamics in yourself, in the objectivity of the second or third person, that self awareness begins to form. I think therefore I am is about self observation in the third person. This life skill allows us to notice consciousness in other creatures; third person. Will versus determinism is dividing line between the ego and inner self; choice versus compulsion.
Before the ego, there was only the inner self. There was no need for self awareness, since one existed only in the first person, living life through your own eyes and natural instinct; paradise without a care. There was no will and choice to separate us from our inner self instincts. One could not see oneself in the second or third person to have a choice. Once the ego secondary appears, there were now two possible paths for the phenomena of consciousness; will versus instinct. Almost all religions deal with ways to allow the ego and inner self to be on the same natural page. Religion is about the IT of the brain and consciousness.
How consciousness, in general, comes about from matter is connected to how neurons are designed. Neurons expend nearly 90% of their metabolic energy pumping and exchanging ions. The goal of all this energy and work output is to push the neuron's membrane up a free energy hill, to the top, and then over. The pumping and exchanging of ions segregates and concentrates different ions on each side of the membrane. The ions go from spontaneous randomness; solution, into segregated order, by means of energy and enzymes.
The second law of thermodynamics; entropy, states that the entropy of the universe has to increase. This is the spontaneous path that increase complexity. Left to their own devices; spontaneous path, all the ions would like to blend. However, the neuron is using a lot of energy to segregate the ions thereby lowering the natural complexity.
The neuron expends a lot of energy trying to reverse the second law, at its membrane, through the ions. This is possible but requires a lot of energy. When the free energy reaches the top of the neuron energy hill; the point of lowest ionic entropy and complexity, the ions begin to slide down the energy hill, on the other side; neuron fires. At the tipping point, at the top of the hill, the 2nd law takes over again, and increases the entropy of the ions, trying to blend the ions into a state of maximum complexity. The impact of the 2nd law, occurs within a highly wired network of neuron branches and synapses; cerebral matter and the core of the brain, which not only triggers our memory, but also pushes that memory to increase its complexity, via the second law; evolving awareness. We call that consciousness.
What makes life unique is it uses energy; metabolic energy, to lower complexity such as the polymerization of amino acids into protein, which are then packed in very specific ways. We go from complex solutions of amino acids; maximum entropy, and end up with a consistent fixed protein structure. This has an entropic potential built into it, that allows for the 2nd law to act; enzymatic actions. This building of active 2nd law structures has scaled too neurons, which takes the 2nd law into a new area that we call consciousness.
One good visual analogy for entropy and consciousness is a water fountain. All the billons of neuron, are like the parts of a larger pump that pumps the water of the fountain upward against gravity. Once the potential changes; water reaches the top of the fountain and starts to fall, nature take over via gravity; 2nd law analogy. As the water falls to the earth, it cascades down the fountain to lower and lower level collection areas, spilling over and falling even further, until it reaches the bottom pool. Once there, it is pumped back to the top, over and over. Like a fountain it always seems to be same, yet the drops are never exactly the same. This gives us a consistency of being, but with an evolving perspective. You with your evolving wisdom and experience. The ego appeared when a new collection pool formed in the fountain cascade. The inner self had extra potential; water, to use and formed a secondary hub. Will and choice uses up the potential.