<p>The primary issue is defining what you mean by "conciousness". Even from reading your attempts to do so in your question, one can see that this is quite difficult: does it mean self-awareness? intelligence? a "soul"? </p>

<p>It is impossible to determine a "chemical reaction for consciousness", because there is no agreed upon definition of "consciousness" and how to measure it, or for most of the other terms used to define it such as "self-awareness" or "intelligence". It's impossible to study the chemistry of something when you can't even define what it is.</p>

<p>We generally can't break down complex psychological processes into simple chemical equations anyway. Psychology is an interplay between bio-chemical/physical processes, shared environmental factors, unique individual life history, social/cultural dynamics, etc. Any form of "conciousness" evolves as a collective result of all of these, and is not something that lends itself to simple formal representations.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T19:11:31.993Z
2019-03-02T19:38:24.427Z
2019-03-02T19:38:24.427Z
J. Taylor
<p>Something very bizarre is consciousness, it is our ability to virtually feel things such as emotions and ability to control our thoughts and physical movement.</p>

<p>We can also imagine a non-conscious being who does everything as a result of an equation just like modern computers or plants, which exist but it doesn't know that it exists.</p>

<p>Religious people might believe that a supernatural object called SOUL might reside in the body! which allows it to feel from the brain.</p>

<p>or perhaps the SOUL is consciousness itself, if we have to define consciousness by some physical entity does it not mean that, our consciousness is fake, everything I will do in my life is the result of the cosmic equation that made everything possible?</p>

<p>If consciousness is a firing of some neurons in a loop, which is nothing but atoms, how do we feel alive........</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T20:04:14.903Z
This question conflates many different constructs, including phenomenology, free will, self-awareness, duality, etc.  A single one of these would be plenty to cover in a single question.  Please narrow it down.
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T22:01:56.240Z
Naah I won't do whatever you want! I will ask on Quora, it was a philosophical question just wanted experts view on this matter. I do not know what sort of mindset you moderators come from, who patiently observes every rule. Majority of the human species don't think this way.
Dark SIlence
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-03T11:41:53.557Z
To get an experts view, you need to frame the question in a scientific format. Science would not work if there would be no such requirements. Everything would be ambiguous and reasoning would be a constant back and fort of opinionated related thoughts.
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-03T15:45:45.500Z
There’s no exact chemical reaction that gives rise to consciousness. Different brain regions may have somewhat different chemical reactions, but no unique chemical reactions have been found to be associated with consciousness. However, studies in cognitive neuroscience have found the exact neural circuit that gives rise to consciousness, and it’s the working, or the signaling – to be exact, of this neural circuit that dose this. Anything that affects the signaling of this neural circuit (trauma, pharmacologic agents, electrical/magnetic stimulation, etc.) affects consciousness.
user287279
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-03T15:47:07.230Z
More details at [What are current neuronal explanations and models of 'consciousness'?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/987/what-are-current-neuronal-explanations-and-models-of-consciousness), [Is consciousness a sub product of the brain or is there a duality?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/10072/is-consciousness-a-sub-product-of-the-brain-or-is-there-a-duality), [Can science account for consciousness?](https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/59270/can-science-account-for-consciousness/59275#59275). Or search “consciousness” here or at Philosophy Forum.
user287279
<neuroscience><cognitive-neuroscience>
What is the exact chemical reaction that gives consciousness?
Dark SIlence
# What is the exact chemical reaction that gives consciousness?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-03-02)

Something very bizarre is consciousness, it is our ability to virtually feel things such as emotions and ability to control our thoughts and physical movement.

We can also imagine a non-conscious being who does everything as a result of an equation just like modern computers or plants, which exist but it doesn't know that it exists.

Religious people might believe that a supernatural object called SOUL might reside in the body! which allows it to feel from the brain.

or perhaps the SOUL is consciousness itself, if we have to define consciousness by some physical entity does it not mean that, our consciousness is fake, everything I will do in my life is the result of the cosmic equation that made everything possible?

If consciousness is a firing of some neurons in a loop, which is nothing but atoms, how do we feel alive........

**Tags:** neuroscience, cognitive-neuroscience

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This question conflates many different constructs, including phenomenology, free will, self-awareness, duality, etc.  A single one of these would be plenty to cover in a single question.  Please narrow it down.  
> **username_0**: Naah I won't do whatever you want! I will ask on Quora, it was a philosophical question just wanted experts view on this matter. I do not know what sort of mindset you moderators come from, who patiently observes every rule. Majority of the human species don't think this way.  
> **username_2**: To get an experts view, you need to frame the question in a scientific format. Science would not work if there would be no such requirements. Everything would be ambiguous and reasoning would be a constant back and fort of opinionated related thoughts.  
> **username_3**: There’s no exact chemical reaction that gives rise to consciousness. Different brain regions may have somewhat different chemical reactions, but no unique chemical reactions have been found to be associated with consciousness. However, studies in cognitive neuroscience have found the exact neural circuit that gives rise to consciousness, and it’s the working, or the signaling – to be exact, of this neural circuit that dose this. Anything that affects the signaling of this neural circuit (trauma, pharmacologic agents, electrical/magnetic stimulation, etc.) affects consciousness.  
> **username_3**: More details at [What are current neuronal explanations and models of 'consciousness'?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/987/what-are-current-neuronal-explanations-and-models-of-consciousness), [Is consciousness a sub product of the brain or is there a duality?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/10072/is-consciousness-a-sub-product-of-the-brain-or-is-there-a-duality), [Can science account for consciousness?](https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/59270/can-science-account-for-consciousness/59275#59275). Or search “consciousness” here or at Philosophy Forum.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-03-02. Score: 1

The primary issue is defining what you mean by "conciousness". Even from reading your attempts to do so in your question, one can see that this is quite difficult: does it mean self-awareness? intelligence? a "soul"?

It is impossible to determine a "chemical reaction for consciousness", because there is no agreed upon definition of "consciousness" and how to measure it, or for most of the other terms used to define it such as "self-awareness" or "intelligence". It's impossible to study the chemistry of something when you can't even define what it is.

We generally can't break down complex psychological processes into simple chemical equations anyway. Psychology is an interplay between bio-chemical/physical processes, shared environmental factors, unique individual life history, social/cultural dynamics, etc. Any form of "conciousness" evolves as a collective result of all of these, and is not something that lends itself to simple formal representations.


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