1. Introduction

In this paper, four fundamental mysteries regarding consciousness and its relationship with the physical world are identified. Various classical philosophical and scientific solutions to these mysteries are described. Subsuming the first four mysteries, a fifth deeper mystery is proposed, providing a new theoretical scheme of inquiry--“ecological reciprocalism”--for understanding the relationship of consciousness and the physical world. Some of the essential features of ecological reciprocalism are described, demonstrating how the self, the physical body and environment, technology, social networks, and awareness of other conscious minds fit into this theoretical framework. The temporal and evolutionary dimensions of consciousness are then described, leading into a discussion of the cosmological directionality of the future evolution of consciousness.

2. The Mysteries of Consciousness

There are (at least) four fundamental mysteries connected to consciousness:

What is consciousness? Is it energy, spirit, an activity or process, a form of illumination, the interiority of all being, an ethereal or refined kind of substance, or something else? This is a perplexing question, since our very essence is consciousness, and yet we can’t seem to grasp what this very essence is (Velmans and Schneider, 2006).

How is consciousness connected with biological and physical beings (like ourselves) who possess it? The existence of consciousness seems to clearly depend upon a supportive physical world, including an active brain and functioning body (Edelman, 2006; Edelman and Tonini, 2002; Koch, 2007), but the puzzle is that the qualities of consciousness seem very different than the qualities of the physical world. For example--to pose a question often referred to as the “hard problem”--how can a physical brain of electro-chemical impulses produce conscious sensations, emotions, and thoughts?

Third, how can there be consciousness of a surrounding and yet physically distal environment that extends beyond the body and brain of the perceiver? If consciousness is somehow located in the brain, how can consciousness reach out and make epistemic contact with a physical world? Perhaps perceptual consciousness is awareness of brain states rather than the external physical world (Frith, 2007). This is the classical philosophical problem of the perception of an external world (Lombardo, 1987).

The fourth mystery--a natural implication of the first three--has to do with what the physical world is. This question might seem strange since not only do we appear intimately conscious of it through perception (the third mystery) but we also have a deep and intricate knowledge of the physical world through the sciences. Yet, it is not clear whether our present understanding of the physical world suggests any understandable way that it could be connected with consciousness. In fact, the two above puzzles regarding how consciousness is connected with the physical world largely derive from perceived incompatibilities between consciousness and the physical world. Perhaps some significant limitation in our understanding of the physical world contributes to these philosophical quagmires, as much as our lack of understanding of the nature of consciousness (Feigl, 1967).

3. The solutions to consciousness and the physical world

Answers to these mysteries invariably involve general ontologies of the nature of reality. It is a deep and profound point about the mysteries of consciousness that answers seem to require the need to address the nature of reality as a whole; the nature of consciousness has cosmological significance.

Idealism posits that the universe is, in its entirety, a mental reality or manifestation of consciousness. Since our conceptual understanding (including all of the theories of science and the very idea of an independently existing physical world) and the phenomenological manifestation of the physical world within perception arise within consciousness, one can argue that the physical world as experienced and understood depends upon (or is a manifestation of) consciousness (Berkeley, 1713; Kant, 1781).

Materialism posits that the universe is entirely physical. Since consciousness depends upon (at the very least) active states of the physical brain, perhaps consciousness is nothing but states of the brain, or of the body as a totality. There is no separate ontological realm of consciousness (Churchland, 1986; Dennett, 1991; Ryle, 1949).

Monistic theories, such as materialism and idealism, explain the two mysteries of how consciousness is related to the physical world by attempting to derive one ontological realm from the other, in fact, to reject as an independent reality either consciousness or physical matter. Either consciousness doesn’t “really” exist as something separate from the physical world (the materialist thesis), or physical matter doesn’t “really” exist as something separate from consciousness (the idealist thesis).

Neutral monism posits that the mental (consciousness included) and the physical are two manifestations of the same underlying reality (Spinoza, 1677). Perhaps, as in the identity theory of consciousness and brain, what we have are two different perspectives, interior and exterior respectively, on the same reality (Feigl, 1967).

Dualism posits that there are two types of being, physical matter and consciousness. Dualism, which doesn’t reduce one realm to the other, may or may not posit interactivity between the realms; conscious states and brain states may parallel each other, or brain states may “cause” conscious states, and conscious states, such as intentions and desires, may “cause” physical actions of the body. But dualism does not provide a convincing explanation for how the two realms could interact since it is assumed that the two realms are qualitatively different. For example, how can electro-chemical activity in a brain generate a conscious thought or feeling (Chalmers, 1996), or how can a conscious intention move a muscle?

Evolutionism posits that physical reality is primordial and both mind and consciousness progressively emerge across time out of this physical substrate (Morowitz, 2002; Kauffman, 2008); as the physical world evolved in complexity, consciousness emerged. Perhaps physical reality was even “primed” at the start (as in the “strong anthropic principle”) for this evolutionary emergence (Tipler, 1994). But evolutionism can sound dualistic and magical, since consciousness appears to pop into existence within a physical world at some point in time. Alternatively, one could argue that consciousness has always been there within the physical world, and as the physical world has evolved in complexity, consciousness and mind concurrently have evolved in complexity as well.

4. Ecological Reciprocalism

Two fundamental--and what would seem contradictory--theses are contained in the above solutions: First, consciousness depends on a physical support system. Second, the phenomenal manifestation and meaning of the physical world depends upon consciousness. Both these theses seem true. But how is this possible? How can each depend on the other? And doesn’t this reciprocity of consciousness and the physical world contradict our deep intuitive sense that the physical world exists independent of conscious minds that know it? Yet, I will take this conundrum as my starting point. Ecological reciprocalism posits that the physical universe and consciousness are interdependent realities, and it is this reciprocity that is the fundamental ontological truth and mystery.

Ecological reciprocalism goes beyond simple interactivity between the physical and conscious realms (this is the position of interactive dualism). It is not simply that consciousness and the physical world causally affect each other. Rather, each realm literally requires the other for its existence. Further, instead of supposing that the puzzles described above can be solved by explaining how one of the two realms can be derived from the other, as in monistic solutions, the deepest puzzle is explaining how the two realms are inextricably interdependent. Monistic solutions deny (or explain away) the existence of one of the two realms; ecological reciprocalism does not. Hence, reality is neither a reductionistic monism nor an incompatible dualism of two independent separate realms, but a reciprocity of consciousness and the physical world. In essence, ecological reciprocalism reformulates the mind-body and consciousness-physical matter problems (Lombardo, 1987, 2009).

The two puzzles regarding the nature of consciousness and the nature of the physical world can be subsumed within this reciprocal framework. Though distinct, these two realms must possess some underlying incompleteness and relational dimension that requires the other. One can’t answer the questions of what is consciousness and what is the physical world independent of each other. In adopting this ontological position, I am rejecting the view that “substance” (or whatever primordial concepts we use to identify the ground or essence of being) is an independent reality; that is, the primary ontological realities of the cosmos are not individually self-sufficient.

I propose a symmetry or balance of the initial four puzzles: What is consciousness? What is the physical world? How does consciousness depend upon the physical world? And how does the physical world depend on consciousness? The fundamental puzzle, subsuming these four would be: What is it about consciousness and the physical world such that they are interdependent with each other? One can conceptualize this ontological interdependency in terms of the Taoist Yin-Yang. There are two realities--Yin and Yang--that are distinct yet interdependent with each other; neither can exist without the other. The Tao, which is symbolized as the sine wave defining the interface of Yin and Yang, represents the underlying reality of the interdependency of Yin and Yang. Consciousness and the physical world form such a reciprocal Yin-Yang.

5. The reciprocities of consciousness and the physical universe

The thesis of ecological reciprocalism can be made more precise: Consciousness is always embodied, relative to a point of view, surrounded and locally situated within the physical universe, and the meaningful manifestation of the physical universe is always an integrated and selective differentiation relative to an embodied consciousness.

Beginning with consciousness, at the most basic level there is perceptual awareness of (what appears to be) an ambient, structured, and dynamic physical world surrounding and spreading outward from a proprioceived localized body. The body is experienced at the center of this ambient surround and consciousness is experienced as situated and manifested within this body. Further, consciousness is felt (though tactual, kinesthetic, and articular awareness) throughout the body. Consciousness also accompanies, to varying degrees, purposeful actions of the body within the surrounding environment; Synthesizing these points, the basic configuration of consciousness is of an embodied and active conscious being within an ambient environment.

Through movement and changes in bodily position the appearance of the perceived physical world changes. Phenomenologically what is revealed are physically situated perspectives of the surrounding physical environment. Hence, perceptual consciousness of the world is relative to a point of view (the position of the body) within the world. Reciprocally, the position and configuration of the body is proprioceived relative to the perceived layout of the environment (Lombardo, 1987). Conscious purposeful actions are guided and informed by this reciprocal awareness of the configuration of the body relative to the surround. Hence, bodily behavior and perceptual-proprioceptual awareness form a fundamental reciprocal loop of interdependency.

The self may in fact be grounded in this proprioceptual awareness of the body and sense of distinctive point of view. The self is likely based on the conscious sense of identity, configured, distinguished, and localized within a physical and social environment. Therefore the self is experienced as both the agency possessing consciousness and an object of consciousness (Baars, 1997).

Aside from perceptual-proprioceptual consciousness and conscious action, at least some conscious beings experience emotional states, conscious desires, sequences of conscious thoughts, and sensory-like imagery and memories. All these additional conscious states are experienced as localized within and frequently volitionally created by the embodied conscious being. Thoughts and emotions are experienced as situated within an embodied consciousness, itself within the perceived ambient physical world, rather than in some second separate ontological realm or space. Also, when one conscious being encounters another conscious being within the perceived environment, consciousness clearly seems to be manifested and expressed through the body of the other conscious being; the consciousness of the other, through attention, purposeful behavior, emotional expressions, and efforts to connect and communicate, shows itself. The consciousness of the other is not entirely private and hidden away.

Through the physical sciences, invariably guided by abstract thought and facilitated through technologies that heighten sensory and behavioral capacities, it has been discovered that there are many scales and dimensions of structure within the physical world beyond what is revealed directly through perception. Psychophysiological research has repeatedly demonstrated that perceptual systems are highly selective, only reacting to certain forms, scales, and patterns of energy. The experienced perceptual world is highly selective. Science has also explored the intricate bodily systems (including the nervous system) that seem necessary for the realization of consciousness and its complex structure and dynamics; these biological systems, through elaborate integrative and differentiating processes, constrain and configure the make-up of consciousness and the selective apprehension of the world (Koch, 2007). Further, as a general principle, perceptual awareness is selectively attuned to those environmental features that are meaningful, apprehending the relational properties or environmental “affordances” relevant to the ways of life and purposeful behaviors of a conscious being (Gibson, 1979).

In the broadest sense, even our scientific explorations into the physical world, which expand and deepen our understanding of reality, are realized through embodied consciousness, selective abstract thinking, and selective technologies that augment our capacities. Following Smolin (1997), physical reality can only be consciously apprehended from within an ambient universe from a point of view (or a series or collection of points of view). There may not be such a thing as a detached, absolute, or non-relative realization of consciousness--consciousness may be manifested from a point of view within an ambient universe. And complementarily, there may not be such a thing as a non-relative, non-selective revelation of the physical world.

Science has also discovered that the physical universe, at all levels of magnitude or scale, structures the forms of physical energy within it, and these patterns of structured energy permeate through it. Hence, physical realities produce specific structured energetic effects within the universe providing information about their existence and make-up, affording the possibility of being known. Further, it is possible that at each and every location within the universe there is a structured energetic array deterministically specific to the location and the relational configuration of its surround (Gibson, 1979). (Gibson, 1966; Gibson, 1979; Lombardo, 1987). The fundamental perceptual-proprioceptual experience of center-surround is informed and grounded in stimulus information specific to the physical configuration of an embodied and localized conscious being within a world.

But because energy converging to any local area is structured at multiple levels of magnitude and complexity, across all forms and variable ranges of energy, containing an indeterminately rich and immense set of differences and patterned relationships, often in mixtures and interference patterns with each other, the function of a highly selective embodied conscious being is to differentiate and integrate out of this indeterminately rich plenum a distinctive conscious apprehension of itself in relationship with a physical environment.

Conversely, the physical world can only manifest itself relative to a selective, localized, and integrated perspective; this active and relational process of selecting, differentiating, and integrating may be the nature and fundamental function of consciousness. Still, the actual existential content of perceptual consciousness is a particular relational manifestation of the physical world, rather than some constructed representation hidden away in either the brain or mind.

And though locally grounded in a biological system, the embodiment and relational reach of consciousness is not fixed. The central nervous system forms the physical nexus of coordinated activity within a conscious being, but instrumentalities (such as tools and technologies) can be attached or functionally coupled with the biological body, extending its functional integration and reach, both perceptually and behaviorally (Joseph 2000). Consciousness (and embedded psychological processes such as purposeful behaviors, perceptions, and even thinking) is realized and experienced throughout both the conscious body and functionally integrated instrumentalities (Clark, 2003; Clark, 2008: Noe, 2009; Shapiro, 2011).

6. The Cosmological Evolution of Consciousness

There is a temporal dimension and directionality to consciousness. Conscious beings are aware of duration, relative stability, and patterns of change; of becoming and passing away; and of an experiential direction to time. The conscious now--which is inherently transformative and not instantaneous--may be anchored at the level of perception, and contextualized within consciousness of the past (memories) and conscious anticipation of the future, all three phenomenologically blurring together at the “edges” (Johnson and Sherman, 1990; Lombardo, 2006a, 2007).

Consciousness includes what could be described as a sequential directional flow (Fraser, 1978; Fraser, 1987; Carroll, 2010). Though conscious states pulsate through an ongoing series of relatively distinct, highly selective and integrated apprehensions (Baars, 1997), conscious time is always opening into the future or looking backwards into the past. Our conscious anticipatory thoughts and emotions, our desires or motives, and purposeful behaviors are directed toward the future (Lombardo, 2006a) and are often based on the past. Perhaps the primary function of our cognitive-cerebral processes is anticipation and guidance of the future (Frith, 2007; Hawkin, 2004).

It has been frequently argued that the function of the conscious mind is to create order within a chaotic physical world (Lombardo, 1987). But the physical universe, as noted above, also possesses an unimaginably immense amount of order that must be differentiated out by a conscious being. In fact, the direction of evolution appear to be toward both increasing order and complexity (Prigogine and Stengers, 1984; Morowitz, 2002). Building upon the evolved complexities of physical systems, the evolution of future-focused conscious minds selectively and purposefully creates even more order and complexity within the physical universe (Gell-Mann, 1994; Kurzweil, 1999; Kurzweil, 2005).

Since populations of conscious minds organize into coordinative agencies, the physical embodiment and reach of consciousness spreads outward into greater expanses and more complex networks. With the ongoing evolution of technologies that amplify capacities to perceive and manipulate the surrounding environment, the conscious reach of minds evolves and expands. Many argue that technologically facilitated social networking is leading to the emergence of a “global consciousness” that potentially could expand into a “cosmic consciousness” (Lombardo, 2006b; Stock, 1993; Tipler, 1994). Consciousness will more pervasively and coherently drive the evolution of its own cosmic embodiment. In this evolutionary process, consciousness, through advancing theoretical abstractions and enhanced technologies, will progressively differentiate and integrate more of the cosmos.

7. Summary and Conclusion

The universe affords the possibility of being known but it is indeterminately rich in information. Grounded in localized and embodied center-surround relationships, consciousness arises as perspectival and ecological. Conscious beings extract and integrate meaningful perspectives or manifestations of the cosmos in relationship to themselves. Consciousness is relational with respect to the cosmos because it is selective and integrated apprehensions and purposeful manipulations of the universe; and the universe is relational with respect to consciousness because it reveals itself as differentiated and unique perspectives and opportunities of action to consciousness. Consciousness is temporal and future-directed and evolves through increasing mental complexity and the ongoing functional integration of social networks and embodied instrumentalities. In essence, the universe is evolving an embodied conscious mentality that progressively differentiates and integrates and brings under its volitional control more of its primordial substratum.