Professor Susan Greenfield - Why Am I Me?

A nice documentary presenting the basic neuroscience of identity. At least she acknowledges the validity and reality of the subjective nature of consciousness.

Why Am I Me?

Posted On: July 22, 2009

Professor Susan Greenfield tackles the big idea of human consciousness and asks the important question – why am I me? In this documentary, Greenfield takes a look at how the human brain generates consciousness and just what consciousness is.

Putting a scientific finger on what human consciousness is not at all an easy task as Greenfield points out in her own words…

“I think the problem has been why mainstream science is very wary of the study of consciousness is that it is utterly subjective. It is the first person world, as it seems to you. Now science is all about impartial access, third person, clear measurements and here we have something that’s insubstantial and ineffable, some kind of magic and no wonder that is not very practical to scientific method and therefore most scientist would rather be preoccupied with some smaller problem. But as the philosopher John Saul said that’s a bit like saying you’re studying stomach but you’re not interested in digestion.”

Tags: Psychology, brain, consciousness, identity, Professor Susan Greenfield, Why Am I Me?, The big Questions, neuroscience, subjective reality, interiority