People have long pondered what consciousness actually is. Consciousness seems very different from other biological functions—like some sort of nonmaterial essence within our heads. Thoughts and ...

Deepak Chopra says consciousness is like the mythical Hydra — answer one question and two more spring up. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Brain Mapping Foundation ) After decades ...

“Rather than actively shaping experience, the thalamus (if it is considered at all) has typically been relegated to a role in gating contents into consciousness,” the team explains in its paper.

People have always searched for life’s meaning and purpose. “Part of what it is to have a human consciousness is to think about our place in the universe,” said Jody Day, a psychotherapist ...

Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. Consciousness is no exception—it seems nonphysical, but is very much a biological phenomenon.