Consciousness

'The perception of what passes in a man's own mind' - John Locke.

Due to Descartes, in the 19th Century consciousness was thought to be a separate substance from physical material. Now neurophysiological mechanisms are studied within the brain that questions this assumption. With such as electro encephalographs, that measures brainwave, there is a far more physicalist interpretation of consciousness. These brain waves are electrical activity that signify levels of consciousness. Brain waves are found to be slower and with more amplitude during sleep (low level of consciousness). These waves are related to a part of the brain stem called the reticular formation. The cortex is believed to have a more specialist function of integrating patterns of sensory experience and organising motor patterns.

Intentionality is a part of Phenomenology. This copes with the Immanent-Transcendent problem.What is within consciousness and what extends beyond it? An experienced , represented and remembered object (a tree) is inside consciousness (immanent). Wheras the real object is outside consciousness (transcendent). Intentional analysis is the analysis of the contribution of meaning.