On the psychology of primary and secondary consciousness: Part 1

Abstract

A theoretical approach to account for the psychological natures and functions of primary and secondary consciousness is elaborated. Based upon historical, evolutionary and functional considerations, it is suggested that perhaps the fundamental evolved function of human (and animal) primary consciousness is the enhancement of survival within the surrounding environmental world of nature by control over endogenous, nonverbal primary knowledge that arises from ensembles and cell assemblies of interacting neurons. And, that in human evolution, perhaps the fundamental evolved function of secondary consciousness (in addition to its hierarchical ability to readout and control the contents of primary consciousness) is enhancement of survival within the social world of nurture by executive control over acquired exogenous, language-based secondary knowledge originating from ensembles of socially interacting brains. Distinctions are drawn between the primary and secondary levels of consciousness of the fundamental processes in psychology (sensation, perception, motivation, emotion, cognition and personality-self-individuation). Distinctions are also drawn between some of the primary and secondary levels of consciousness manifested by some of the basic constituents of psychology (such as, language, thought, memory, the specious present, reaction time, etc.).