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Originally Posted by Paul C. Anagnostopoulos  What is consciousness if not the "top layer," the awareness, the phenomenal experience? If we get to count as consciousness some brain functions of which we are not aware, the word becomes useless. |
Well for example I have heard Nicholas Humphrey argue that animals are not conscious (I think he has retracted that idea since) and operate rather like we do when we drive to work - in other words we perform a complex task without even thinking about it. Separating consciousness from routine activities like that seems a rather slippery argument. Sure your mind may be primarily focussed on something else, but it keeps track of the road situation as well. Probably the real difference is that it does not store details of the routine traffic situation for later recall.
David