AWARENESS (Self)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 228 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented, General information |
The capacity to clearly perceive oneself as a separate entity
As noted by F. Capra, self-awareness, as far as we know, is manifest only in higher animals and fully unfolds in the human mind“(1997, p. 287)
He adds: “As humans we are not only aware of our environment , we are also aware of ourselves and our inner world. In other words, we are aware that we are aware. We not only know; we also know that we know. It is this special faculty of self-awareness that I refer to when I use the term ”consciousness “(Ibid)
It can also easily be observed that the degree of self-awareness varies widely among human individuals, from about non-existant to acute consciousness in the case of mystics, “illuminated” or “awakened”(in the Buddhist sense)
Capra also observes that “In the Santiago theory , self-awareness is viewed as being tied closely to language and the understanding of language (as) approached through a careful analysis of communication ”…and “Communication , according to Maturana, is not a transmission of information , but rather a coordination Template:Ency textitorganisms Template:Ency textitstructural coupling \textit.{ Such mutual coordination of behavior is the key characteristic of}communication Template:Ency textitorganisms \textit,{ with or without}nervous system \textit,{ and it becomes more and more subtle and elaborate with}nervous system Template:Ency textitcomplexity \textit”{(Ibid)}
See also
Brain (Triune)