Category: Consciousness

Joy is a condition of cognizance, a condition of being, and is resolved exclusively by our will to show it, experience it, appreciate it, and offer it. Satisfaction is inherent; it is an internal measurement, one of the unobtrusive dimensions of presence, one of the foundations of our being. Essentially in light of the fact that it is the thing that makes us being the place and what we are, doing what we do. In the event that we are what we are, it is on the grounds that we are glad to be it, do it, etc. Else, we would accomplish something different. The fact of the matter is to decide our dimension of satisfaction, our bliss remainder, and the individual and individual joy remainder relies upon the amount we can disengage from outside specialists, from the things we anticipate and on which we put the entire of our consideration. The bliss remainder is contrarily corresponding to the remainder of connection. Our bliss remainder is dictated by our ability for opportunity, how we are going to free ourselves and separate from things and outside specialists. There are two sorts of bliss, the molded and unequivocal ones.

Adapted satisfaction relies upon something outside us, for example, toys, endowments, individuals, circumstances, cash. Being molded implies that when we have the object of want, we are upbeat and happy, the world is our own and our confidence is at the stars. Whenever, in any case, for some reason, the object of want is expelled or by one way or another vanishes, quickly our confidence falls, we come back to being miserable, testy and unfortunate. This sort of relative bliss is liable to the highs and lows of the obvious external world and isn’t in our capacity. We can not decide it past a specific point of confinement, and we can not keep it past a specific breaking point. Indeed, such joy makes us slaves; captives of the item, individual, circumstance; captives of whatever is the reason and wellspring of our bliss. Such bliss is obviously attractive – it is surely superior to no satisfaction – yet at the same time in a relative manner. In the meantime, keeping the mindfulness this is certainly not an enduring satisfaction is principal; it’s anything but an enduring joy and, most importantly, not in our grasp.

Unlimited bliss is an inherent condition of being, a dimension of cognizance that does not require anything and nobody to subsist; it is grounded in itself. Truth be told, we don’t require anything and nobody to be glad and nothing and nobody can remove it since it has no reason, no inspiration, and no connection. Unlimited bliss emanates from inside us, since it is a quality of our DNA, the quality of joy. This quality, when actuated, fulfills us generally. On the off chance that we are unsettled, it is essentially in light of the fact that our quality of satisfaction is torpid, and thusly should be resuscitated, or broken down by the heaviness of unending unlikely wants, in which case there is no momentary expectation. The start catch of our quality of satisfaction is directly before our eyes and is as of now on; we simply need to quit focusing on our fantasies and watch, rather, who is viewing everything there is.

Growing up, I believed the common conception of what consciousness pertains to what is done with your thoughts and your mind depending on your body to analyze what is occurring in the world. However, when taking an in-depth examination of this specific topic, there is an immense amount of information and components to it. Consciousness is a familiar concept to many people, yet it is mysterious. It poses a baffling problem of the mind and it raises many questions regarding its true definition and how it correlates to everything else we know today. I have a few definitions that could fit into what consciousness is.

First, conscious means to be awake. When an individual is in a coma, asleep, or anesthetized, he or she is in an unconscious state. Everyone else who respond to his or her environment is conscious or awake. Therefore, any animal such as a cat, a giraffe, or a dog experiences consciousness while it is not sleeping.

Second, consciousness can mean thinking the way a person thinks. This involves mental activities such as talking, listening to music, feeling emotions, doing mathematics, and experiencing anything sensuous. It can be individually different.

Synesthesia, a condition which one sensory involuntarily or automatically leads to another unstimulated sensory. For example, the letter A or the number 3 may elicit a certain color that most likely will not change. A research study conducted by Ramachandran and Hubbard (2001) used an embedded figures test, in which they require participants to detect shapes within a display of the numbers 2 and 5. Synesthetic individuals could automatically and immediately identify what the shape is. From this study, I can conclude that the trigger color experience is automatic, and the concurrent color is consistent over a period. When this whole process occurs, I think there is an intermingling of senses that activates or triggers a part of the brain to react the way it does.

Finally, the third definition involves being aware of yourself and of your own thoughts. A good way to get to do this is by closing your eyes in a quiet room and stop thinking about anything in particular. When you do this, what do you think about? Are your thoughts distracted by pressing thoughts such as a big exam, a secret, or the feeling of loneliness? Perhaps you step out of your body to become more aware of yourself. All the things that did not reach your awareness before creeping up in your mind and so many other things. One major point that stuck out to me during the lecture in class is that the more you suppress your thoughts for a long period, the harder it will be to not obsess over doing exactly what you attempted to not think about or do. For example, my mom once bought a beautiful and delicious cake for my birthday. I so badly wanted to taste the cake, but I knew she would be upset if I did. The more I thought about not tasting the cake, the less control I began to have over the thought. In the end, I gave up and dabbed my finger across the icing and it was delicious. In the end, I should have found a distraction to keep me from thinking about doing exactly what I knew would get me into trouble.

Introduction:

Acute traumatic, nontraumatic brain injuries, degenerative and metabolic brain disorders, and severe congenital malformations of the nervous system all lead to the state of unconsciousness. An individual who is medically induced or traumatically induced is in a deep state of prolonged unawareness and cannot be forcefully awakened. This may be due to the lack of oxygen and blood flow surrounding the brain, traumatic causes such as critical injuries (major car accidents), dysfunction in nerve cells, brain infections encephalitis inflammation) such as brain fluid, swelling and bleeding all contribute in an abnormal brain. Scientists, professors and neurology specialists have studies different causes and complications to discover advanced technology to help recover, rehabilitate and measure the consciousness within a suffering and unconscious brain. Vegetative, persistent vegetative and minimally conscious states are all factors of the aftercare that takes place when the brain naturally emerges out of a comatose state. During a comatose state of mind, cells start to degenerate and the communication pathways that allow electrical and chemical signals to pass along via neurotransmitters become blocked, interrupting the capacity of activity. Conditions such as dementia, along with the risk of falling into a comatose state are possible. A suffering brain, accompanied by a stroke or heart attack before or after emerging out of a comatose state can be the prime cause of a dying brain.

Causes of a state of unconsciousness:

A coma is a deep state of profound unconsciousness, similar to deep sleep, however, no amount of external stimuli (such as sounds or sensations) can promote the brain to become aware and responsive of any surroundings. A wide range of intracranial and extracranial causes result in a state of unconscious.

Intracranial pressure is the increased pressure around the human brain, by cause of cerebrospinal fluid, (the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord) inflammation or bleeding within the brain itself (Carey, 2017). Bleeding naturally within the brain is due to a brain haemorrhage in or around the brain. This is initiated by a bursting artery in the brain, causing localized bleeding surrounding tissues, killing brain cells (Medlineplus.gov, 2019). Bleeding can occur within, in-between brain membranes or between the skull, covering it at full extent. Edema (swelling) happens when a small blood vessel leaks fluid into nearby tissues. If edema occurs within the brain it will cause problematical disputes, also restricting the supply of blood to the brain (WebMD, 2019).

An extracranial cause is the event of brain hypoxia, which is responsible for the lack of oxygen or blood flow to the brain. The human brain becomes deprived of oxygen due to drowning, suffocating, cardiac arrest and strokes. Hypoxic brain injuries occur when the brain receives less oxygen than it needs (requires a minimum of 20% of the human body’s oxygen) (Leonard and Nancy Hammond, 2018). It is evident that between 30 -180 seconds of oxygen deprivation, the human brain and body will fall into a state of unconsciousness. It takes one minute for brain cells to die, losing their function. If the body does not fall into a comatose state or is not medically induced, survival becomes nearly impossible. (Villines, 2016) Regardless of surviving and emerging from a coma, long term effects such as dementia is a major risk factor due to the death of brain cells. (Whiteman, 2017)

Overall, coma occurs when there is a serious problem with the brain’s arousal system (the reticular activating system), or with its communications between other brain areas (such as the cerebral hemispheres) and the brain’s activity becomes impaired.

In some cases, a person can descend into a persistent vegetative state, where the brain has lost its higher functions (including consciousness, self-awareness and personality) but retains involuntary functions such as breathing and swallowing, heart rate and blood pressure.

How is consciousness measured within an unconscious brain?

Scientists have uncovered new technology that determines consciousness while unconscious by analysing brain activity. Neuroimaging tools such as EGG, MEG and fMRI and transcranial magnetic stimulation provide information on the activity happening within a brain while under comatose conditions and vegetative patients.

· fMRI (magnetic resonance, functional)

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging developed to detect the changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occurs in response to neural activity. When certain areas of the brain are more active, more oxygen is consumed increasing the demand for blood flow to the active areas. It has become a standard tool for radiology as it provides high-resolution images, contrasting between different tissues of the brain. (Fmri.ucsd.edu, n.d.)The cylindrical tube of an MRI scanner creates strong magnetic fields around individuals and sends pulses of radio waves. Measuring the blood flow of a human brain also measures brain cells that are found to exert influence on multiple regions of the body. (Devlin, 2018)

This is a standard procedure as detecting blood flow and oxygen within the brain is vital for human survival. Not enough blood flow and oxygen surrounded by the brain also causes brain ischemia, along with the high risk of falling into a comatose state.

· MEG (magnetoencephalography)

Magnetoencephalography is a non-invasive, technique that is used to investigate brain activity while unconscious as it allows the measurement of ongoing brain activity on a millisecond by millisecond basis and demonstrates wherein the brain activity is and is not being produced. Throughout the brain, individual neurons have electrochemical properties that result in the flow of electrically charged ions through a cell. These electrochemical fields are generated y the net flow of this slow ionic current flow. MEG technologies provide information regarding the timing of neuronal activity as well as information about brain activity. (Washington.edu, 2012). This technique is connected to the brain and is done by scanning to produce magnetic source imaging to pinpoint the sources of activity.

· EGG (electroencephalogram)

Normal, functioning, brain wave frequency occur a rate of 30 waves per second, 0.5Hz–4Hz during deep dreaming sleep and 14Hz-30Hz while awake and alert. While a human brain is unconscious, these waves lengths are unsure of, however, electroencephalogram is used to measure and illustrate bursts of abnormal discharges in the form of spike and sharp wave patterns. This procedure is completely painless as electrodes are connected to the scalp. (Vic.gov.au, 2012)

Post unconsciousness:

· vegetative state VS persistent vegetative state

Consciousness refers to self-awareness and being environmentally aware. However, brain injury, cause a wide range of disturbances of consciousness. Due to traumatic brain injury, the change of severe consciousness causes a vegetative state, also known as the unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, which refers to the preserved vegetative nervous functioning, implicating, individuals who suffer this syndrome variably preserve sleep-wake cycles, respiration, digestion or thermoregulation due to traumatic brain injury. (keen, 2017)

This occurs when the cerebrum (the part of the brain that controls thought and behaviour) no longer function, although the brain stem still actively function. A vegetative state develops as a consequence of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in which the entire brain is involved. Brain swelling, due to brain injury also is a common cause of this global ischemia. Patients in a vegetative state can open their eyes although cannot speak or participate in things that require thought or conscious intention. These occurrences tend to last up to one month until emerging out of a vegetative state. Persons with brain injury transition through the period of unconsciousness and subsequent recovery methods at slower or faster rates, depending on the severity of the injury. (Maiese, 2019)

A persistent vegetative state is also considered a clinical condition of complete unawareness of the self and environment, accompanied by sleep-wake cycles with either complete or partial preservation of hypothalamic and brain-stem function. Individuals who did not emerge out of the vegetative state, suffer the persistent vegetative state who show no evidence of sustained, reproducible, purposeful or voluntary behavioural responses to visual, auditory, tactile or noxious stimuli. Expression and language comprehension is absent and problematic issues within the digestive system are at greater risk such as bowel and bladder incontinence. The lack of cranial-nerve and spinal reflexes also are a factor of vegetativeness due to the state of unconsciousness. As a result of this, individuals who remain in a persistent vegetative state for three months or more do not regain functional skills. These states differ from a comatose state as periods of sleeping and waking are identified, as sleep while medically or naturally induced cannot be roused in any way. Great improvement of these disturbances is less liking due to the lack of oxygen delivered to the brain. (Bender et al., 2015)

Neurotransmitters and their importance:

Neurotransmitters are defined as chemical messages that maintain the cognitive function of all organs and balance signals between nerve cells. Primarily, neurotransmitters function in the Central Nervous System are the brains, chemical messengers, facilitating communication among the body’s gland, organs and muscles. Neurotransmitters and receptors of the brain work in conjunction with one another to influence and regulate a wide range of processes such as mental performance, emotions, pain response and energy levels (hammoud and berry, 2019). For a human brain to endure its viability, active neurotransmitters need to be regulated. Necessary functions such as heart rate, breathing, sleep cycles, digestion, mood, muscle movement and concentration rely on the signals from nerve cells; neurotransmitters transmit signals from nerve cells to target cells. Hypotheses such as “interventions in disorders of consciousness after brain damage are increasingly appearing in medical literature” this links disorders of consciousness to the diminution of oxygen, dependent on neurotransmitters like, the amino acid axis such as glutamate (responsible for sending signals between nerve cells frequent learning and memory) and the monoamine axis such as dopamine (made by the human body which is responsible for concentration, motivation, attention and regulating body movements). After traumatic brain damage, an immediate response inside the brain composes a stream of glutamate. This particular neurotransmitter is stimulating and GABA inhibitory; as a consequence of the neuron’s action potential decreasing. Once this inhibitory response becomes activated, it dominates and the brain becomes suppressed, leading to a loss of consciousness, reducing oxygen (Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, n.d.).

Conclusion:

To conclude, it was sophistically researched that aspects such as swelling, bleeding and suffocation within the human brain are the initial causes of a state of unconsciousness in amalgamation with traumatic injuries and medically induced procedures, due to emergencies. It was discovered that these elements seize the brain to lose function, being mentally, physically and emotionally damaged as the brains intellect, power and dominance experiences scarce disturbances. In addition to this, while an individual is unaware of all surroundings it is not impossible to foretell future consciousness and present activity within the brain, as scientists have developed techniques such as magnetoencephalography, which is a piece of methodological machinery that investigates neurons especially, at an exceptionally advanced level. This makes it achievable to study and analyse the brainwaves, the current function of neurotransmitters and the supply of blood and oxygen flow the brain is surrounded by. Therefore, elucidating the impression that brain damage as such, is impacted by the traumatising disturbances an individual experiences and transformation of neurology.

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Since the birth of modern computing, the question has occupied people’s minds: is it possible to build a machine that could replace humans in some way? The test developed by Alan Turing was an attempt to provide a solid empirical basis for answering this question. If the machine successfully passes this test, it can be considered that the artificial intellect possesses true consciousness.

The essence of the test is that a group of people communicate with an unknown being. The conversation will be limited to the text channel only, such as the keyboard and screen, so the result will not depend on the machine’s ability to convert words into speech. If the evaluator cannot reliably distinguish between a machine and a person, the machine is said to have passed the test. The test results do not depend on the machine’s ability to give correct answers to questions but only on how closely the answers resemble those of a human.

There are many interpretations of the Turing test, but there are three main ones, two proposed by Turing himself, and the third option, according to Saul Trager’s terminology, is the standard interpretation.The first program to pass the standard (text) Turing test will be awarded a silver medal and a reward. The first program to pass this test using text, visual and audio confirmation will be awarded a gold medal and a prize of $100,000.

The Turing test requires that the machine be able to perform all human behaviors, regardless of whether they are intelligent. It even tests behaviors that might not be considered intelligent at all, such as susceptibility to insults and frequency of typos. If a machine can mimic the various manifestations of consciousness, then humanity will have no way of proving that the signs of intelligence shown in the test are false. Insufficient study of the brain and biochemical sources of the mind makes it impossible to distinguish human intelligence and consciousness from artificial intelligence. For the same reason, it is not possible to prove why an individual human being is not a supermodern machine. Thus, signs of intelligence and intelligence exhibited by a machine when it successfully passes the Turing test may indicate the presence of consciousness.

In considering the likelihood of successfully passing this test, the question arises of the existence of philosophical zombies. These are fictional creatures used to elucidate problems related to consciousness and the relationship of consciousness to the physical world. Many scholars believe that they are at least imaginable, and some consider them possible. Nevertheless, the view that the concept is untenable has been gaining in popularity recently. Since zombies, barring various assumptions, behave exactly like normal humans, they will claim to have been conscious. Taking the position of physicalism, it was necessary either to assume that anyone, including oneself, could be a zombie or that no one could be a zombie. Consequently, this philosophical concept contains a fundamental contradiction.

Thus, knowledge of philosophy, biology, and bioethics is insufficient to prove that a machine that passes the Turing test is an unconscious being or a philosophical zombie. Arguments that artificial objects can only imitate consciousness and thought activity is not tenable. This is due to the fact that both humans and machines claiming to possess the capacity for true thinking cannot be convicted of lying.

Strategies to Building Teams’ Rapports

Not everybody participates in online societies, age, and way of life, usually dishearten individuals from indulging in online societies. Before starting an online society, it may be more efficient to build webpages that create attraction to precise benefits. Online societies with unblemished subjects and stress-free access have a habit of being more actual. Intertwined content debates are very vital in order to improve primary communication by discretion assurances. Effective online societies tend to be competent to function adequately. Secluded debate groups and material sharing can repeatedly enhance the complexity achievement of online societies.

The advantage of online sessions is that when steered correctly, they permit additional time for thinking and giving responses. Consultations in online atmospheres can also deliver a record of commotion and expectancy. In order to build diversity mindfulness, students should be permitted to share their individual past; their know-how may have an emotional impact on other learners, or else their sections may be causes of motivation to other scholars (Bucher & Bucher, 2010 p. 218).

Strategies of diversity awareness

Pupils can share articles of their ethnic background and inquire about them to momentarily define the character or importance of these articles in their existence. This is non-intimidating and no confrontations with students or lectures (Bucher & Bucher, 2010, p. 40). Online discussions are healthier since no humiliations when sharing know-how, and one can share faithfully what they ruminate or sense concerning each other or situations. In addition, it is fun and motivating to keep talking and learning online.

Discernable social dissimilarities are noticeable and eye-catching, hence debating these dissimilarities can frequently improve scholars’ concentration on social alterations, and distract their thoughtfulness from the shared aims. Recurrent efforts to support the dialogue of diversity may unconsciously stimulate disunity amid groups (Parrillo, 2011).

The premeditated goals of appreciating human alterations while taking up humankind are conversation groups involved of scholars with dissimilar individualities is to build in consideration time for scholars to contemplate about both the proportions of diversity and designs of harmony that arose in the course of the group development (Bucher & Bucher, 2010 p. 46).

Diversity is about recognizing dissimilarities among each other, accepting these dissimilarities, and not been discriminative and humanizing this dissimilarity to stimulate erudition and individual progress, in undergoing diversity with others we acquire more than in facing correspondence or acquaintance (Bucher & Bucher, 2010 p. 218).

Impact of Diversity

The techniques in the book by Bucher are applicable in this type of discussion since the same procedures that occur in class take place online, the only major difference is the eye contact with each other. The topmost motives why students raise the value of online professions is to provide accommodations for their programs and obligations (Howard, 2009 p. 153). In addition to the profit of rising accessibility, scholars who probably perform weak or who would otherwise be incapable to be present at an outdated tutorial room may be more expected to embellishment in the online account.

An online society is an essential social group that is existent online and whose associates permit its survival over taking part in association usage. An online communal can be of an information organization where any person can share perspective, such as an official statement system or one where only a limited number of populaces can initiate supports, such as Weblogs. Online societies have also developed an additional form of messaging amid people who are acquainted with each other mainly in real lifetime. Many means are used in communal software distinctly or in mixture, comprising text built chat places and mediums that use the ability to speak, or filmed text. Major socio-practical modification may have caused the propagation of such Internet founded social systems.

In regards to online communal, the designers’ key concentration is to generate the expertise that abide by the welfares, and the societal and basic requirements, of the online communal. The online societies main objective is to work as a shared ground for persons who share the identical welfares as one another or have diverse personalities and differences. Some people are not self-assured when connecting head-on with other people and the online joint offers a home for these persons to train in methods that will assist them convert to more self confident in their communication abilities. Populaces who are reluctant or unconfident when it arises to head on messaging are capable of using these groups to be conversant with other citizens without having to openly display their introversion or uncertainties. Individuals are capable of talking with persons who share their identical experiences just in a dissimilar method of messaging.

Communication offers a chance for people of diverse ethos to acquire from each other. It is essential to form abilities that improve communication. Be exposed, truthful, respectful, indulgent, and most of all ready to pay attention and acquire. Paying attention and observational abilities are necessary. Permitting people to be acquainted with the fact that you are concerned in what they have to say is critical to constructing trust. Communication approaches have to include the thoughtfulness of your listeners. This means not only using the linguistic and vernacular of the individuals you are attending, but also it means using communication conveyers that are demonstrated to have substantial worth, and use by your projected audiences.

References

Bucher, D. R., & Bucher, L. P. (2010). Diversity Consciousness: Opening Our Minds to People, Cultures and Opportunities. United States: Prentice Hall.

Howard, B. S. (2009). The Benefits of Face-to-Face Interaction in the. The Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 54-274.

Parrillo, D. V. (2011). Strangers to These Shores: Race and Ethic Relations in the United States Census Update. United States: Prentice Hall.

Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk, written in 1903, is an undoubtedly powerful work representing a series of essays and concerning the topic of the people of color in the twentieth century. In this series, Du Bois introduces the notions of “double consciousness” and “a veil,” interpreting them as phenomena regarding the life of Afro-American folks in the United States. The author’s concepts are the touchstones of black people’s presence within and out of the community. They are about the life behind the veil that results in double consciousness, which presupposes evaluating oneself through the perception of others. Though these concepts were introduced long ago and greatly affected not only the blacks, the theme of double consciousness is still persecuting Afro-Americans around the globe.

Du Bois strived to present the previously mentioned ideas and concepts fully, therefore reflected them in a collection of situations and experiences a black man was exposed to during the reconstruction period. The author described the life within “the veil” and how people of color faced discrimination due to skin color. Du Bois mentioned the process of marginalization of Negroes, leading to misunderstandings and even wars.

However, before Emancipation, Negroes did not lose hope that slavery would be abolished, and violence, along with injustice, would become infamous phenomena. When slavery was over, but the rest remained changeless and not subjected to any alterations. Then Du Bois told about his teaching background in a rural community when the industrialization occurred, and the population became obsessed with wealth and materialization.

Later the author describes the South part of the United States where African-Americans were endeavoring to establish their healthy lives; however, the invisible color-line was still an impediment. Moreover, Du Bois mentioned some black people who fought for their folks through education and religion but were defeated by racism. It is necessary to mention that every chapter starts with the lines from the musical passages, which means the music can be powerful and meaningful despite appearance, race, and gender. The last chapter is dedicated to the spirituals that represent an art form of the African-American layer and connect whole generations.

Du Bois introduced double-consciousness, explaining it as a sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others and measuring one’s soul through to outlook of pity and contempt (1997, 38). The concept remains recurrent throughout the text and refers to having several identities interrelatedly conflicting due to the racialized oppression. A black person trying to accept both characters may lose and reject real himself because of the confusion in his mind.

It is evident that this concept addresses some acute issues, therefore resonates even now, as double-consciousness leads to internal conflict among black people. Contemporary society presupposes pots-racial relationships; however, some would disagree because there are still many colored people trying to reconcile with being both: black and American. However, even if they confess both, the society is likely to react negatively as people are used to standards and patterns. The problem is that social media dictates us day by day that black people are rappers or criminals; therefore white Americans see such models as the only way of their evolution. This aspect is the reason why our perception of Afro-Americans is destructed.

The issue of duality is also addressed through the color-line, expressing the idea that Negroes were inferior in comparison to white people and claiming that black people were excluded from society. A historically known fact that the black race was devalued and oppressed created hardships for black folks to live peacefully. This line did not allow the people of color to access institutions, churches, and other opportunities available to the white population. Thus, they tried to create their own institutions to acquire a feeling of belonging but still were alienated.

Even though this color-line is symbolic and invisible, it continues to differentiate groups of people living within the same community on the level of understanding differences. Wright suggested that each community owns a set of standards, and if a person does not fit one of them, they will be perceived differently and sometimes alienated (2018, 71). This facet is particularly crucial because it deals with the domination and excellency of the white race over the black one. However, these borders are constantly disappearing now, even though it is hard for white people to admit that blacks should have the same rights, privileges, and so on.

Considering the abovementioned things, I believe it is relevant to state that the application of the concept of double-consciousness in contemporary society is not overcome yet. Many black people are still condemned due to the attitude of white people towards their origin and common prejudices, which make it difficult to steer clear of racism. Struggling to accept one’s several identities is truly an issue because modern world prescribed standards that people are supposed to stick to. Du Bois himself urges to leave the confines of racism to dispose of the psychological challenge called “double-consciousness.”

Reference List

Du Bois, W. E. B., Blight David W., and Robert Gooding-Williams. 1997. The Sousl of Black Folk. Boston: Bedford Books.

Wright, Kevin L. 2018. ”The Relevance of Double Consciousness among Black Males in College.” The Vermont Connection, vol. 39 no. 12: 69-76.

In the complex society we live in today, more and more people find the need to interfere with their emotions and mental states for a number of reasons. Most likely, the person takes a substance that alters his consciousness and thereby interfering with the mood, thought processes, their perceptions and behavior.. The paper is based on a 1995 film “Basketball Diaries” which follows the life of Jim Carroll, a talented high school basketball player whose life is free-falling into the pit of Heroin addiction. A combination of frustrations ranging from his sick friend, being thrown out of the team and dropping from school sees him end up in the streets of New York. There he deals drugs, robs stores, betrays friends and play tricks all in a bid to feed his heroine addiction. Jim started doing drugs at a tender age and after sometime it became an addiction. As a result of his usage of drugs, Jim displays signs of drowsiness and his mouth is dry most of the time. His addiction problem causes him to enter a dependant stage where before playing basketball he must take a dose of heroin. His mental functioning capabilities are displayed as not being able to think straight and make clear judgments as evidenced by his declining skills in playing basketball. This is a result of crowded thoughts from the use of drugs as indicated by Jeffery (2007).When in the team, Jim comes out as aggressive and rushes during the matches which cause constant collusion with others.

The film “Basketball diaries” is set in high school environment in the city of New York where Jim and his friends are in the school’s basketball team are arguably the best team in the city. Jim and his friends are hooked to heroin while a friend of theirs is hospitalized with leukemia. The situation is worsened when their basketball coach runs into Jim and his colleagues in the court doing drugs, a predicament that sees them thrown out of the team and out of school and they end up in the streets. There Jim struggles with his heroin addiction and also experiments with sex. Reggie, a former heroin addict who has since reformed, bumps into Jim’s life in the height of his frustrations and makes guides him in attempt to fight his heroine addiction.

In the film and the society Jim is living in, the use of heroine is a common thing with the youths. The order of the day in the streets is either making money by peddling heroine or buying the drug to be considered ‘cool’ among peers. Socializing among the youths in the society Jim lives in revolves around abusing heroin as shown by the way Jim and his friends meet and the only thing that keeps them busy and brings a feeling of commonness among them is engaging in the abuse of heroin. Nikki (2008) in her book says that night clubs which are normally places where people meet to have fun and which according to Jim and his peers, visiting them is the ultimate show of the height of enjoyment, are marred with massive use of heroine thereby signifying the degree accorded the drugs as a source of fun. Rich people on the streets are also the drug lords. A combination of these factors contributes to the eventual addiction to heroine among Jim and his basketball colleagues.

Growing up in a school which has a strong linkage to the catholic doctrines, Jim and his colleagues feel that strict life keeping them from enjoying the ‘sweet’ things in life and with some freedom. For a combination of reasons and motivators, Jim and his friends start experimenting with several drugs including alcohol before finally being hooked to heroin. One of the reason for experimenting with the drugs points at sheer curiosity that the friends had when growing up as also was the case with Julie (2005). This curiosity motivates Jim and company to start experiment with several drugs in a bid to get a feel of the much hyped effect of abusing drugs. They start with sniffing glue and soon get the courage to try alcohol. The curiosity doesn’t stop there and they soon start doing heroin. The sudden feeling of relaxation and euphoric rush, which is coupled by crowded thoughts which are manifested as suppressed awareness of personal problems, serves as an encouragement and further fuels their curiosity as they proceed to intravenous administration of the drug.

Another viable reason that leads Jim into abuse of heroin is in the way peers feel the urge to venture into the mainstream culture. As statistics show, one out of every four individuals aged 14-23 in America, experiments with an illicit drug at some point in the age bracket. This is further fueled by the fact that the culture tends to display those doing drugs as ‘cool’. Jim follows this idea of wanting to enter the class of the ‘cool’ peers by abusing heroin. Once in, he gets the feeling and continues to abuse the drug until he becomes dependent. As a further means of fitting in the mainstream culture, Jim and company start to steal in the schools they play basketball with.

Growing up in the middle of Brooklyn, Jim was exposed to a lot of societal malice. One other reason that fueled the abuse of heroin by Jim and his friends, and probably the most obvious one, is the availability of the drugs. Despite the available laws banning the usage and selling of heroin, the streets are a beehive of activities with the business of selling drugs. The fact that the drugs are readily available could have impacted in a big way in the eventual continued abuse of the drug by Jim.

As Jim’s heroin addiction and the resulting actions of violence precipitated by the use of the drug deepens its roots, his mum tirelessly struggles to get his son from the problem even when he ends up on the streets. This shows how the society despises the issue of drug abuse. This however does not refute the fact that they have tolerated the persistent problem owing to the continued sale and use of the drugs in the open. This however does not go for every one. There are those, like Jim, who look at the use of the drug as a means of deriving excitement and to fit in a certain desired culture of individuals. The drug lords are among the richest in the business world. This is an indicator that more and more people continue to purchase drugs despite the high prices attached to the purchase.

The law in America bans use and abuse of heroin. But there is still continued massive abuse of the drug as indicated by the society Jim lives in. Stern laws and measures have been clearly spelt out concerning the dealing and use of such drugs. However, the necessary mechanism to follow up the problem is very much wanting. More and more young people continue to abuse the drug and not many arrests are made been on those peddling the drugs. This in a way shows that there is a reluctant will to end drug abuse, probably necessitated by political influences on the matter and the high profile of the drug lords who control the supply of the drugs (Humberto 2000).

Jim didn’t realize the intensity of his addiction problem until the use of heroin gets him kicked out of the basketball team and even from school. It begins to dawn on hi that the problem had reached alarming stages when he found himself on the streets of New York robbing stores and stealing from people violently in order to get money to sustain his heroin addiction. With the growing frustrations and the persistent pressure from his mother to denounce the practice, Jim decides to try and reverse the situation after he meets Reggie, a former heroin addict, who assists him in trying to quit drugs. Jim takes the first step by steering clear off his negatively influential friends before proceeding to seek medical help from a practitioner. The doctor identifies his situation as have reached the mental and physical dependence stage and therefore suddenly quitting the drug would lead to withdrawal syndrome which have devastating effects including depression, anxiety, insomnia, severe body aches among other unpleasant dangers. Jim is advised to embark on a gradual reduction of the dosage with the first step involving changing the method of administration from injection to, which has risks of overdose, to safer means like nasal (snorting). After treating the withdrawal effects for six months, Jim was the subjected to medical treatment known as Methadone Programs. He was also advised to join an organization of individuals fighting heroin addiction. Here the members share their stories and chat the way forward in fighting the dependence on drugs.

It is only normal that we are bound to experience individuals who suffer this problem and we are obligated to assist them get on their positive footing. My first assistance to such an individual would be positive encouragement to help him/her overcome the frustrations that come with the addiction and help them realize and accept that they have a problem. The next step would be to propose to them to immediately seek treatment from qualified a practitioner. A follow up to the efforts of seeking medical healing would be to offer emotional support while having in mind the difficulties in quitting heroin addiction and that not all individuals are successful in their attempt. The other step would be showing a lot of continued and sincere understanding of what they are going through, for instance the withdrawal syndrome, understanding that heroin user’s cat thinks straight among others. As a show of respect to them I’d treat them as before to avoid suspicion that they are receiving unnecessary attention (Andrew 2004).

Drug and substance abuse is not a new phenomenon in the society we live in today. It has been there for ages with a number drugs and substances being abused the most abused being alcohol. The society elicits mixed reactions concerning the abuse of drugs with the church and other organizations shunning the behavior while on the hand, the youths are fed with information that seems to point out that the abuse of drugs helps you fit in the ‘cool’ class of individuals. The information is relayed through the music they listen to, the abuse of drugs by famous personalities whom they look up to and the media including the internet. While the dangers of abusing drugs are clear to many, there is still wide spread use of illegal drugs. This points a finger to the authorities who ought to step up the fight against drugs by first eliminating the root sources of these drugs and prosecuting the offenders.

Reference

Jeffery, S.N. (2007). Essentials of Psychology: Concepts and Applications. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Nikki, S. (2008). The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star. New York: VH1.

Julie, O. (2005). Heroin: A True Story of Drug Addiction, Hope, and Triumph. Glendale, AZ: Maverick House.

Humberto, F. (2000). The Little Book of Heroin. Berkeley, CA: Ronin Pub.

Andrew, M.D. (2004). The Natural Mind: A Revolutionary Approach to the Drug Problem. Corpus Christi, TX: Mariner Books.

Introduction

George Simmel was a German sociologist who did works on individuality and culture, in explaining the sociology of urban areas. His work on the relationship between city life and the mind of different individuals was not a success then, as he gave city life a negative picture. He further creates a picture that the effect of the metropolis on the mind is irreversible, though he does not picture it as totally negative on the individual or their mind. (Lin & Melle, 2005)

According to Simmel one of the deep-reaching problems of modern life begins from the attempts of a person to maintain the freedom and individuality of his being that is in opposition to the superior powers of city life. An example of these characteristics of modern life that bring about new forms of consciousness includes external cultures, politics, religion, division of labor, and the dependence on others for survival. A good example of this aspect of Simmel’s argument is the compulsion of individuals living in cities to embrace and adapt to other cultures that include dressing and language among others. (Simmel, 1976)

Other aspects that limit the freedom of the individual include living and working with different people who hold different political and religious values. On the aspect of the division of labor an individual is placed within a given point in a production or work institution and they specialize in the given area. The fact that they have to take their duty without any choice so as to get the whole system working smoothly limits their levels of choice and freedom. An example of this is the complementary work of a doctor and a nurse, wherein this case none can take or fail to need the services of the other (Lin & Melle, 2005)

The effect of specialization on the individual

The distinctive aspect of contradiction between the individual and the new way of life builds up around the work activities. The contradiction results from the attempts to have the individual adapting to the social and technological conditions surrounding the work sphere of life, and the attempts to level the different groups of people within the city. The other source of consciousness is the attempts to make each individual different through specialization in work and thus making them useful to the maximum possible level. The effect of specialization on the individual is that it limits the creativity of individuals and turns their work into somehow mechanized operations as can be seen in the current society. (Simmel, 1976)

The other cause for the new consciousness is the attempts to check the individual and help use their abilities in the best way possible. This is done by having the individual drop their individualistic pursuits and act as a constituent element of the society, which is contrary to human nature. A good example in this area is the administration of justice where an individual in meeting their own needs and demands may end up compromising the rights of other individuals. (Lin & Melle, 2005)

He further goes a step higher to attribute the new consciousness to the escalation of nervous stimuli that come as a result of the rapid nonstop variation of the inner and outer stimuli. He explains this cause by arguing that humans are differentiating beings by the use of their cognitive mind that is stimulated by a series of dissimilar impressions. He further argues that lasting impressions bring about less of new consciousness than does the short-lived ones, and he attributes the metropolis environment to such unexpected, irregular fast-changing impressions. He goes further to attribute these conditions to the numerous social, work-related, and economic surroundings that give rise to the highly conscious sensory basis of the psychic self. As a result, the development of emotional relations is hampered and the individual becomes more discriminative. A good example of this is the aggressiveness that develops in drivers operating in areas that experience traffic congestion. (Simmel, 1976)

The other aspect of the metropolis that results in new forms of consciousness is the money economy where economic exchange forms a core part of life, and the environment of exchange dominates the intellect of individuals. This goes further to affect the way an individual relates with others and the surroundings and is displayed through elements of hardness and basing of social relations on monetary quantities. The other aspect within the money economy field is the fact that individuals produce goods for others, forming the market and with who they don’t have any personal contact. This further leads to unmerciful ness in production thus bringing about compromise in quality, quantity, and the safety of the products that go into the market. A good example in this area is the production of goods that are below the required quality standard, so as to maximize economic gain. (Lin & Melle, 2005)

The other aspect that has led to new forms of consciousness is that the contemporary individual’s brain has become extra calculative. This can be seen in the attempt of giving solutions to all aspects of life in numerical determinations and formulations. This is brought about by the collection of many people who hold varied interests and to have them met, they integrate into a very complex whole guided by time, deadlines, and penalties for not meeting the requirements. This can be explained by the operation of work and other activities that have to be done within given times so as to meet the time demands of the activities and individuals. (Simmel, 1976)

Another aspect that is related to the money economy and that results in the new consciousness is the attachment of quality, differences, the core of different things, specific value, comparability, and individuality to monetary standards. Another aspect of city life that results in the new consciousness is the fact that each and every individual does not have any personal acquaintance with the others and therefore the dealings are seen to be generally reserve. In contemporary society, all agreements, plans, and dealings have to be sealed formally in form of contracts and by specialized individuals like Lawyers. (Lin & Melle, 2005)

Simmel further points out that the boundaries of the city are ever-expanding and therefore this creating more opportunities for wealth creation, and ever-increasing progression. This aspect further brings about new forms of consciousness in intellectual, personal, and economic relations within the cities. (Lin & Melle, 2005)

Having discussed the aspects of city life that bring about the new forms of consciousness, we will have to develop and analyze a contemporary case that will help explain the different aspects of city life. In current city life, foreign cultures form a major part of everyday life and they are imposed on the people already living in the urban areas in the forms of new dressing modes, fashion, and new religious beliefs. These aspects of city life thus compel the urban dwellers to adopt them or live with people who uphold them, therefore, demand for diversified thinking. (Simmel, 1976)

The division of work and specialization in cities can be seen in the way things operate in modern cities, first, every individual specializes in a given part of the same production process that complements those of others. This can be clearly seen in processing industries, where if the individual workers handling the packaging of the processed goods do not work the whole production process stops until they resume. This in turn turns the free working that individuals desire into automated operations. The other aspects that form a major part of contemporary society and that contribute to new consciousness include the money exchange system and the ever-changing urban vision, that result from the large number of activities both economic and social that are in progress. The other aspects of modern life that contribute to the new forms of thinking were discussed earlier though not deep into details. (Simmel, 1976)

On the other hand, the ancient city life that had the characteristics of a small town had totally different values due to the ever-present threat to its existence from enemies within and outside the group. It is also characteristic of strict unity between the military and political conditions of the group, where each individual has their activities monitored. However, this results in the suppression of the weaker members by the powerful ones. He further attributes the pre-metropolis society to small-mindedness and prejudices (Simmel, 1976)

Conclusion

Simmel’s metropolis ideas can to a large extent be argued to be manipulative rather than existential. However, it can be generally argued that the aspects the idea takes, far much help in attaining a balance where the individuals’ needs and those of society can be catered for. However, it still has negative effects especially on the social relations of the different members of the society.

Reference list

Simmel, G. (1976). The Metropolis and Mental life. The sociology of George Simmel.Newyork: Free press.

Lin, J., & Melle, C. Ed (2005). The urban sociology reader. London: Routledge.

The explanation gap, according to Levine, is that no theory of the physical realization of consciousness in the brain that uses only natural science terms can eliminate the feeling that something remains unexplained. Suppose it is scientifically proven that pain is a C-fiber excitation and its attendant processes in all relevant areas of the brain. Nevertheless, there is more to the concept of pain that people use than the idea of the causal role it plays. There is also its qualitative character, what it is like to feel pain. After discovering C-fiber arousal, what remains unexplained is why pain feels the way it does. Accordingly, psychophysical identity statements differ from other theoretical statements because people’s subjective experiences accompany them. Consciousness is something that cannot be abstracted and observed from the outside; besides, it is largely unknowable, which cannot be said about water and its properties.

Joseph Levine coined the term explanatory gap in 1983 to refer to the same problem as the hard problem of consciousness. The latter arises because phenomenal consciousness does not apply to standard functional explanations. For example, those methods that are used quite successfully in psychology to study various types of mental activity become inapplicable. According to the scholar’s view, this is why materialistic theories of consciousness cannot explain the existence of qualia. Problems in understanding the nature of psychophysical identity statements cannot be solved by specifying laws and mechanisms and calculating probabilities. A situation arises where no satisfactory scientific explanation of the phenomenon under study exists. Even if one thoroughly studies brain processes and the laws of physics and creates all the necessary physical conditions for the emergence of consciousness, there is no certainty that it will appear. This is why these kinds of statements leave a significant gap in the explanation.

It is one thing to be fully accepted in the society and another to struggle hard in order to gain cognizance due to one’s racial background. It is this feeling of alienation that prompted Du Bois, a sociologist to come up with the concept of ‘double consciousness’.

Being a Black-American himself, Du Bois attempted to comprehend and explore the psycho-social divisions that subsists in the American society through the double consciousness theory. It was evident that the African Americans attempted to fit in the social circles of the society that they lived in, and one that treated them with self pity and contempt.

Du Bois argues that this feeling of alienation from the social interaction leads to the division of one’s identity hence making it hard to achieve an unified identity (Karenga 501). This essay will therefore explore the concept of double consciousness and further establish its role in the contemporary society.

Du Bois describes the concept of double consciousness as a ‘two-ness’ in which the individual identifies himself as both an American and a negro. This feeling of double consciousness hence leads to psycho-social anxiety where the individual is forced to come to terms with the two social worlds entwined in one dark body.

The concept of ‘two-ness’ therefore means that the individual has two souls, think in two different manners and bear double warring ideals, all in one. The concept of double consciousness can further be described as having three manifestations. The first one is the power that the white stereotypes have on black people, including their thoughts and lives.

Secondly, the racial discrimination that alienates the black negroes from the mainstream of the society and finally, the internal divergence between being both an American and African at the same time. This raises the individual’s awareness of how others perceive him hence changing one’s identity to gain acceptance in the social interaction.

This leads to the individual’s self image being badly damaged due to the treatment accorded to him by the white people. The African-American hence perceives himself as an outcast in the social standing and struggles to gain acceptance hence shaping his future experience and culture.

Du Bois therefore presents the concept of double consciousness with various instances. In each instance, the negroes struggle to be accepted and overcome the barriers created by the white culture. Du Bois presents the struggle as an attempt to scrap the hideous crime of racism.

The concept of double consciousness can be explained in various ways, all of which portray the devastating effect that comes as a result of compromised identity. This ranges from the excruciating worry that an African-American parents experience when raising their children in a white society to the unsuccessful policies of segregation and the emergence of slums in various American cities.

The theoretical model of double consciousness highlights the concept of racism that is said to emphasize the feeling of double consciousness. This is due to the fact that most people become aware of what others think about them as a result of their racial background leading to a low self-esteem.

It is for this reason that Du Bois argues that racism attempts to divide people resulting to the African-Americans feeling prejudiced and stereotyped.

The overall implication of double consciousness is wrong as it breaches and violates the fundamental rights bestowed upon every citizen. Though many philosophers would like to argue that we currently live in a society that is free from racial segregation, the concept of double consciousness is still pertinent to the modern society.

This is because the contemporary society still presents several inequalities premised upon the racial background of an individual hence making it hard for the African-Americans to reunite their identities.

A good example is by the media portraying the blacks only as athletes, rappers or even criminals hence giving an impression to the white community that the blacks have no other social advancement. The blacks on the other hand perceive this limited paths as their only road to success in the competitive world.

This is just one of the many illustration that shapes the perception that the whites have on black people. It is also evident that most of the senior positions in the contemporary society are held by white executives with the blacks playing the role of handymen in most instances.

However, as Du Bois argues, it is possible to solve the dilemma posed by double consciousness. This can be achieved by separating the notion that there is a bio-genetically factor that determines the character of the person.

This helps the blacks to fit in the white society and enjoy all the rights and benefits accorded to the whites and yet still preserve their rich African cultures. The media should for instance stop selling images portraying the blacks as being irrelevant to the society and instead bring out the best in them.

By electing the first African-American president of United States serves as a stepping stone by the society to fully accept the blacks as being innately humans.

In conclusion, the concept of double consciousness plays a very important role in the society. Not only does it present the dilemma faced by the affected persons but also their struggle to be accepted and become what indeed they are not.

This hinders the society from putting into use the unique talents despite the racial backgrounds of the individuals in order to achieve a superior sense of personhood for all citizens.

Bibliography

Karenga, Maulana. Introduction to Black Studies, Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press, 2002. Print.