Countering philosophical and psychological theories suggesting that consciousness has no function, the post-Darwinian double-aspect theory which Professor Robert Kunzendorf introduces in his first chapter points to the evolutionary functions, of primitive sensation, vivid imagery, and self-consciousness. Kunzendorf’s second chapter presents evidence that the most primitive sensation—pain, the subjective aspect of free nerve endings or nociceptors—has a survival-promoting function. But as the pressure nociceptor mutated into a touch receptor, the heat nociceptor into a temperature receptor, and the chemical nociceptor into a taste receptor, the painful subjective aspects of these three nociceptors evolved respectively into touch, temperature, and taste sensation—three painless subjective aspects that add no survival benefit to their receptor’s physical aspects. Then, building on evidence that retinal receptors embodying visual qualia evolved from primitive eyespots capable of seeing only painful “heat at a distance, ”Kunzendorf’s third chapter introduces data showing that warm-blooded animals’ dreams and visually imagined sensations are the subjective qualities of retinal receptors—which are corticofugally innervated for the developmental purpose of testing cortically hypothesized sensory-motor rules, rules applying to novel situations and possessing greater survival value than stimulus-response associations. Kunzendorf’s fourth and final chapter focuses on self-conscious reality-testing, and presents evidence that it evolved in those mammals and birds whose survival during the prolonged imaging and testing of rules would be put at risk if self-consciousness that one is imaging sensations (rather than perceiving them) were not present. Intended Audience: The intended audience for this monograph includes professors and graduate students in psychology, philosophy, cognitive science, and neuroscience. Praise: "This monograph is an excellent exposition of topics from the point of view of a post-Darwinian. Professor Kunzendorf has tackled the evolution of sensation, imagination, and the concept of self within the broader context of consciousness. To my knowledge, this has never been attempted before, and, as such, this book represents an important contribution to the literature of both philosophy and psychology. Anyone interested in the topic of consciousness should read this well-written, scholarly work." —Benjamin Wallace, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Cleveland State University, Coauthor, Consciousness and Behavior "For anyone intrigued with psychological theories of consciousness, this pioneering new book provides an original evolutionary perspective. Robert Kunzendorf draws on his breadth of scholarship in reviewing and critiquing historic thinkers, from the philosophers Descartes and Leibniz through the psychological introspectionists and psychophysicists to recent neuroscientists and cognitive scientists. He then presents a carefully reasoned case for an evolutionary view of consciousness and imagery, positing the mechanisms by which sensation developed into consciousness and then into self-consciousness in large-brained, slow-maturing animals—including humans. A unique, absorbing work." —Deirdre Leigh Barrett, Ph.D., Author, The Committee of Sleep, Teaches at Harvard Medical School "The newest addition to the outstanding Imagery and Human Development Series from Baywood, On the Evolution of Conscious Sensation, Conscious Imagination, and Consciousness of Self, is an erudite and thought-provoking treatise that will be of special interest to students of psychology, philosophy, cognitive science, and neuroscience. Highly recommended for academic library collections." —Michael J. Carson, The Midwest Book Review About the Author: Robert G. Kunzendorf is a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and past president of the American Association for the Study of Mental Imagery. He is coeditor of the academic journal Imagination, Cognition, and Personality; first author of more than a hundred scientific articles on differing forms of imagination and various aspects of consciousness; coauthor of the book Envisioning the Dream through Art and Science; and editor or coeditor of the books Individual Differences in Conscious Experience, Hypnosis and Imagination, The Psychophysiology of Mental Imagery, and Mental Imagery.
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