The real function of consciousness

Limited active processing capacity

To understand our lack of total control, it is helpful to visualize our consciousness as the CEO of a giant corporation with thousands of employees working simultaneously. This central core is what we identify as our identity or our "self."

However, this executive figure ignores the vast majority of the underlying processes that keep the corporation operational, as they occur without us even realizing it.

Consider a routine activity such as typing rapidly on a computer keyboard.

If we reflect on it, we rarely pay conscious attention to the exact placement of each key or the coordinated movement of our fingers.

We simply formulate the thought we wish to capture and our hands execute the task almost magically.

If we had to consciously direct each nerve impulse to our tendons, eva luate the pressure on each key and coordinate the spelling sequence letter by letter, the task would be overwhelming.

Fortunately, our brain silently handles all this operational complexity without demanding explicit attention.

Delegating complex tasks to the subconscious

The brain's amazing ability to manage expert tasks without conscious supervision was evidenced in a study where experienced people were asked to give detailed verbal instructions on how to park a vehicle to a novice driver.

Despite being skilled drivers, the vast majority caused virtual crashes when attempting to dictate the step-by-step process.

This occurs because, once we internalize a complex skill, we lose awareness of the micro-decisions involved, such as the exact brake pressure required or the specific steering wheel angle.

If we relied exclusively on conscious processing, our execution would be clumsy and inefficient.

This dynamic illustrates that we possess multiple cognitive systems operating in parallel.

It is similar to the functioning of certain advanced artificial intelligences, such as those used in strategic games or video games, where different algorithms analyze the environment, calculate probabilities and suggest actions independently.

Finally, a central module must select the best route based on fuzzy clues sent by these subsystems.

Summary

Consciousness acts as a general supervisor that ignores operational details. The vast majority of our daily actions occur outside of direct mental scrutiny.

Complex and routine tasks are delegated to the subconscious to save energy. If we tried to control every physical or mental movement, we would be completely paralyzed by the effort.

Our brain processes information through independent systems that send diffuse signals. The conscious mind only makes final decisions based on intuitions generated at deep levels.