Consciousness and Transcendence

A central but rarely explored mystery of human existence and subjective consciousness was recognized by Blaise Pascal several centuries ago: Why am I me and not you or anyone else? Science can explain why there is (objectively) a person here, but not why that person is (subjectively) me. This relates to the more widely debated mind/body problem, more currently known as the "Hard Problem of Consciousness." Moving on to human culture, including religion and the arts, this book asks whether these are the direct result of Darwinian evolution or, rather, of the nature of human consciousness. Do the mysteries of our consciousness, of our existence, have a role to play?

Loomis Mayer is retired from a book publishing career. He draws and paints portraits, and he is a life-long reader in psychology, philosophy, consciousness studies, and the arts. He lives in Croton-on-Hudson, NY.