The neural basis for the self, as I see it, resides with the continuous reactivation of at least two sets of representations. One set concerns representations of key events in an individual's autobiography, on the basis of which a notion of identity can be reconstructed repeatedly, by partial activation in topologically organized sensory maps.. In brief, the endless reactivation of updated images about our identity (a combination of memories of the past and of the planned future) constitutes a sizable part of the state of self as I understand it. The second set of representations underlying the neural self consists of the primordial representations of an individual's body. . Of necessity, this encompasses background body states and emotional states. The collective representation of the body constitute the basis for a "concept" of self, much as a collection of representations of shape, size, color, texture, and taste can constitute the basis for the concept of orange. Anonymous
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The self is both a subjective and an objective entity. It is the self as we know it, and it is the self as we think we know it. This implies that we can consciously experience what we call the “self” without experiencing anything else. The self is an entity that is constantly changing and evolving, and yet at the same time remains very much the same.

To be aware of this change and evolution would create a conflict: on the one hand, you are aware of yourself as being different from other people on Earth. On the other hand you are aware of yourself as being yourself without any change or evolution that alter your identity over time. This notion seems to contradict our common sense understanding that changes in our lives alter our identities.

Source: Descartes Error: Emotion, Reason And The Human Brain

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