Your Brain Hallucinates Your Conscious Reality | Anil Seth | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Just over a year ago,

一年多前，

for the third time in my life, I ceased to exist.

我於人生中第三次不復存在。

I was having a small operation, and my brain was filling with anesthetic.

當時我正接受一個小手術， 而我的腦中充滿了麻醉藥劑。

I remember a sense of detachment and falling apart

我還記得當時感覺抽離、崩潰、

and a coldness.

和冰冷。

And then I was back, drowsy and disoriented,

隨後我恢復意識，昏沉又迷惘，

but definitely there.

但我絕對在那裡。

Now, when you wake from a deep sleep,

當你從深睡中醒來，

you might feel confused about the time or anxious about oversleeping,

你可能對時間感到困惑， 或是對睡過頭感到焦慮，

but there's always a basic sense of time having passed,

但基本上都會意識到時間流逝、

of a continuity between then and now.

以及彼時與此時之間的連續性。

Coming round from anesthesia is very different.

麻醉過後恢復意識則截然不同。

I could have been under for five minutes, five hours,

也許我失去意識五分鐘、五小時、

five years or even 50 years.

五年、甚至五十年。

I simply wasn't there.

我就是不在那裡，

It was total oblivion.

完全處於無意識的狀態。

Anesthesia -- it's a modern kind of magic.

麻醉是種現代的魔法。

It turns people into objects,

它把人變成物品，

and then, we hope, back again into people.

接著，但願由物品再變回人。

And in this process

這個過程中

is one of the greatest remaining mysteries in science and philosophy.

有著科學與哲學中 未解的最大謎題之一。

How does consciousness happen?

意識是如何發生的?

Somehow, within each of our brains,

在我們每個人的腦中

the combined activity of many billions of neurons,

有數十億個神經元聯手動作，

each one a tiny biological machine,

而每個神經元都是個小小生物機器，

is generating a conscious experience.

它們聯合產出意識經驗。

And not just any conscious experience --

不僅僅是任何意識經驗，

your conscious experience right here and right now.

而是你在此時此地的意識經驗。

How does this happen?

這是如何發生的？

Answering this question is so important

回答這個問題極為重要，

because consciousness for each of us is all there is.

因為意識是我們每個人的一切，

Without it there's no world,

沒有意識，就沒有世界，

there's no self,

沒有自我，

there's nothing at all.

什麼都沒有。

And when we suffer, we suffer consciously

當我們受苦時，是有意識地受苦，

whether it's through mental illness or pain.

不管原因是心理疾病或是疼痛。

And if we can experience joy and suffering,

且如果我們能體驗喜悅及苦難，

what about other animals?

其他的動物呢？

Might they be conscious, too?

牠們也有意識嗎？

Do they also have a sense of self?

也能感受到自我嗎？

And as computers get faster and smarter,

隨著電腦越來越快、越聰明，

maybe there will come a point, maybe not too far away,

也許將來某個時候，也許不用太久，

when my iPhone develops a sense of its own existence.

我的 iPhone 就會發展出 對自身存在的感知。

I actually think the prospects for a conscious AI are pretty remote.

其實我認為，讓人工智慧 具有意識的願景很遙遠。

And I think this because my research is telling me

因為我的研究告訴我，

that consciousness has less to do with pure intelligence

意識與單純智慧不太相關，

and more to do with our nature as living and breathing organisms.

而與我們是活著、會呼吸的有機體 這個天性比較有關。

Consciousness and intelligence are very different things.

意識與智慧是非常不同的。

You don't have to be smart to suffer, but you probably do have to be alive.

即使不聰明也會受苦， 但大概得要活著才會受苦。

In the story I'm going to tell you,

在我即將要告訴各位的故事中，

our conscious experiences of the world around us,

我們對於周遭世界、

及我們身在其中的意識經驗，

and of ourselves within it,

are kinds of controlled hallucinations

是種被控制的幻覺，

that happen with, through and because of our living bodies.

因為我們活著及透過身體發生幻覺。

Now, you might have heard that we know nothing

或許你聽過，

我們對於頭腦和身體 如何形成意識一無所知。

about how the brain and body give rise to consciousness.

Some people even say it's beyond the reach of science altogether.

甚至有些人說 這已超出科學能及的範圍。

But in fact,

但事實上，

the last 25 years have seen an explosion of scientific work in this area.

過去 25 年中這領域 出現了大量的科學研究。

If you come to my lab at the University of Sussex,

如果你來到我位於 薩塞克斯大學的實驗室，

you'll find scientists from all different disciplines

會看到來自各學門的科學家，

and sometimes even philosophers.

甚至有時會有哲學家。

All of us together trying to understand how consciousness happens

我們所有人聯手 試圖了解意識是如何發生的，

and what happens when it goes wrong.

以及如果出了錯會發生什麼事。

And the strategy is very simple.

策略十分簡單。

I'd like you to think about consciousness

我想請各位

用我們思考人生的方式來思考意識。

in the way that we've come to think about life.

At one time, people thought the property of being alive

人們曾以為

無法用物理和化學 來解釋活著的特性，

could not be explained by physics and chemistry --

that life had to be more than just mechanism.

認為生命必然不只是機制。

But people no longer think that.

但現在人們不再那麼想了。

As biologists got on with the job

生物學家

繼續用物理和化學來解釋 生命系統的特性──

of explaining the properties of living systems

in terms of physics and chemistry --

things like metabolism, reproduction, homeostasis --

像是心陳代謝、繁殖、體內平衡──

the basic mystery of what life is started to fade away,

關於生命的基本謎題已漸漸消逝，

and people didn't propose any more magical solutions,

人們不再提出魔術般的解答，

like a force of life or an élan vital.

像是生命之力或生命衝力。

So as with life, so with consciousness.

所以，意識就跟生命的狀況很像。

Once we start explaining its properties

一旦我們開始解釋意識的特性，

in terms of things happening inside brains and bodies,

用的是頭腦和身體中發生的狀況，

the apparently insoluble mystery of what consciousness is

「意識到底是什麼」 這個明顯的無解謎題

should start to fade away.

應該就會漸漸消逝了。

At least that's the plan.

至少計畫是這樣的。

So let's get started.

所以，我們開始吧。

What are the properties of consciousness?

意識的特性是什麼？

What should a science of consciousness try to explain?

意識科學應該試圖解釋什麼？

Well, for today I'd just like to think of consciousness in two different ways.

今天我想要用兩種方式來思考意識，

There are experiences of the world around us,

有關我們周遭世界的經驗，

full of sights, sounds and smells,

充滿了景象、聲音、味道，

there's multisensory, panoramic, 3D, fully immersive inner movie.

像是多種感官、全景式、

3D、完全身歷其境的內在電影。

And then there's conscious self.

另外還有自我意識。

The specific experience of being you or being me.

身為你或是身為我的特定經驗。

The lead character in this inner movie,

也就是這部內在電影的主角，

and probably the aspect of consciousness we all cling to most tightly.

可能也是各個意識面向中 我們最緊抓不放的一面。

Let's start with experiences of the world around us,

先從對我們周遭世界的經驗開始，

and with the important idea of the brain as a prediction engine.

先來談談一個重要想法： 頭腦是預測引擎。

Imagine being a brain.

想像你是個頭腦。

You're locked inside a bony skull,

你被關在頭骨中，

trying to figure what's out there in the world.

試圖知道外面世界有什麼。

There's no lights inside the skull. There's no sound either.

頭骨內沒有光，也沒有聲音。

All you've got to go on is streams of electrical impulses

你只有電脈衝，

which are only indirectly related to things in the world,

它們和世界中的事物只間接相關，

whatever they may be.

不論是什麼。

So perception -- figuring out what's there --

所以，感知──理解外面有什麼──

has to be a process of informed guesswork

一定是種根據資訊的猜測過程，

in which the brain combines these sensory signals

過程中頭腦結合這些感官訊號，

with its prior expectations or beliefs about the way the world is

連同先前對於世界的期待或信念，

to form its best guess of what caused those signals.

來猜測最佳的訊號成因。

The brain doesn't hear sound or see light.

頭腦聽不見聲音也看不見光線。

What we perceive is its best guess of what's out there in the world.

我們所感知到的

是頭腦對於外在世界的最佳猜測。

Let me give you a couple of examples of all this.

讓我為各位舉幾個例子。

You might have seen this illusion before,

你們以前可能看過這個幻覺，

but I'd like you to think about it in a new way.

但我想請你們以新的方式思考。

If you look at those two patches, A and B,

看著這兩塊方格，A 與 B，

they should look to you to be very different shades of gray, right?

看起來灰色的深淺應該不同，對嗎？

But they are in fact exactly the same shade.

但事實上，它們的灰階相同。

And I can illustrate this.

我可以用圖解。

If I put up a second version of the image here

若我放上這張圖的第二個版本，

and join the two patches with a gray-colored bar,

用灰色直條連結兩塊方格，

you can see there's no difference.

就能看出沒有差別。

It's exactly the same shade of gray.

它們是同樣的灰色。

And if you still don't believe me,

如果你們仍不相信我，

I'll bring the bar across and join them up.

我把直條移過來連接它們。

It's a single colored block of gray, there's no difference at all.

是單一的灰色，完全沒有差別。

This isn't any kind of magic trick.

這不是魔術把戲。

It's the same shade of gray,

是同樣深淺的灰色，

but take it away again, and it looks different.

但拿走直條，看起來又不同了。

So what's happening here

這裡發生的是頭腦用它先前

is that the brain is using its prior expectations

深植在視覺中樞的強烈信念，

built deeply into the circuits of the visual cortex

that a cast shadow dims the appearance of a surface,

認為陰影會使表面亮度黯淡下來，

so that we see B as lighter than it really is.

所以我們以為 B 的灰色 比實際上的淺。

Here's one more example,

還有一個例子

which shows just how quickly the brain can use new predictions

能展示頭腦多麼快速地用新的預測

to change what we consciously experience.

來改變我們的意識經驗。

Have a listen to this.

聽聽這個。

(Distorted voice)

（失真的聲音）

Sounded strange, right?

聽起來很怪，對吧？

Have a listen again and see if you can get anything.

再聽一次，看你們能否聽出什麼。

(Distorted voice)

（失真的聲音）

Still strange.

仍然很怪。

Now listen to this.

現在聽聽這個。

(Recording) Anil Seth: I think Brexit is a really terrible idea.

（錄音）亞尼賽斯：我認為 英國脫歐是個很糟的點子。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Which I do.

我的確這樣認為。

So you heard some words there, right?

你們聽見了一些字吧？

Now listen to the first sound again. I'm just going to replay it.

現在重聽第一段聲音。重播。

(Distorted voice)

（失真的聲音）

Yeah? So you can now hear words there.

如何？現在你們可以聽出一些字了。

Once more for luck.

再試一次運氣。

(Distorted voice)

（失真的聲音）

OK, so what's going on here?

好，發生了什麼事？

The remarkable thing is the sensory information coming into the brain

不可思議的

是進入頭腦的感官資訊一點也沒變，

hasn't changed at all.

All that's changed is your brain's best guess

改變的只是你的頭腦

對於感受到的資訊所做出的最佳推測，

of the causes of that sensory information.

And that changes what you consciously hear.

也就改變了你意識下聽到了什麼。

All this puts the brain basis of perception

這一切讓頭腦的感知基礎

in a bit of a different light.

變得有點不同。

Instead of perception depending largely on signals coming into the brain

感知並非大部分依賴於

外在世界進入頭腦的訊號，

from the outside world,

it depends as much, if not more,

而是同等、或是更多依賴於

on perceptual predictions flowing in the opposite direction.

方向完全相反的感知預測。

We don't just passively perceive the world,

我們不只被動地感知這個世界，

we actively generate it.

也主動地使這個世界成像。

The world we experience comes as much, if not more,

我們所經驗的世界

由內而外和由外而內等量，

from the inside out

as from the outside in.

或者更多來自由內而外。

Let me give you one more example of perception

讓我再舉個例子

as this active, constructive process.

說明感知是個主動建構的過程。

Here we've combined immersive virtual reality with image processing

在這裡我們結合身歷其境的 虛擬實境和影像處理，

to simulate the effects of overly strong perceptual predictions

來模擬過度強大的感知預測

on experience.

對經驗會有什麼影響。

In this panoramic video, we've transformed the world --

在這支全景影片中， 我們轉化這個世界──

which is in this case Sussex campus --

這裡是薩塞克斯校園──

into a psychedelic playground.

為幻覺遊樂場。

We've processed the footage using an algorithm based on Google's Deep Dream

影片被用 Google 的 Deep Dream 演算法處理過，

to simulate the effects of overly strong perceptual predictions.

來模擬過度強大的感知預測。

In this case, to see dogs.

這例子是看狗。

And you can see this is a very strange thing.

你們可以看見這有多奇怪。

When perceptual predictions are too strong,

當感知預測太強大時，

as they are here,

就像這裡這樣，

the result looks very much like the kinds of hallucinations

結果看起來很像是幻覺，

像是人們在意識狀態改變

people might report in altered states,

or perhaps even in psychosis.

或甚至精神錯亂時看到的幻覺。

Now, think about this for a minute.

花點時間思考這一點。

If hallucination is a kind of uncontrolled perception,

如果幻覺是種無法控制的感知，

then perception right here and right now is also a kind of hallucination,

那麼此時此地的感知也是某種幻覺，

but a controlled hallucination

只是它是被控制的幻覺，

in which the brain's predictions are being reined in

頭腦的預測

被感受自外在世界的資訊所統御。

by sensory information from the world.

In fact, we're all hallucinating all the time,

事實上，我們隨時都在產生幻覺，

including right now.

包括現在。

It's just that when we agree about our hallucinations,

只是當我們對幻覺的看法一致時

we call that reality.

就稱之為現實。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now I'm going to tell you that your experience of being a self,

現在我要告訴各位， 你們身為自我的經驗，

the specific experience of being you,

身為「你」的特定經驗，

is also a controlled hallucination generated by the brain.

也是頭腦所產生的一種控制幻覺。

This seems a very strange idea, right?

這似乎是個很奇怪的想法，是吧？

Yes, visual illusions might deceive my eyes,

的確，視覺假象 或許欺騙了我們的眼睛，

but how could I be deceived about what it means to be me?

但我怎可能會被自我的意義騙了呢？

For most of us,

對大多數人而言，

the experience of being a person

身為一個人的經驗

is so familiar, so unified and so continuous

是很熟悉、很一致、很連續的，

that it's difficult not to take it for granted.

所以很難不把它視為理所當然。

But we shouldn't take it for granted.

但我們不該視它為理所當然。

There are in fact many different ways we experience being a self.

事實上，有許多方式可以 讓我們體驗身為自己。

There's the experience of having a body

一種是擁有身體和是個身體的體驗；

and of being a body.

There are experiences of perceiving the world

還有從第一人稱的角度

from a first person point of view.

來感知世界的體驗；

There are experiences of intending to do things

有打定主意要做某事，

and of being the cause of things that happen in the world.

要成為世上事物肇因的體驗；

And there are experiences

有身為連續且獨特個體的體驗，

of being a continuous and distinctive person over time,

隨著時間建立 豐富的記憶與社會互動。

built from a rich set of memories and social interactions.

Many experiments show,

許多經驗顯示，

and psychiatrists and neurologists know very well,

且精神病學家與 神經病學家都很清楚，

that these different ways in which we experience being a self

我們體驗身為自己的各種不同方式

can all come apart.

都有可能會崩壞。

What this means is the basic background experience

這意味著，「統合的自我」 這種基本背景經驗，

of being a unified self is a rather fragile construction of the brain.

是由頭腦建立起的脆弱產物。

Another experience, which just like all others,

另一個經驗， 就和所有其他經驗一樣，

requires explanation.

需要解釋。

So let's return to the bodily self.

讓我們先回到身體的自我。

How does the brain generate the experience of being a body

頭腦如何產生

是個身體以及擁有身體的經驗？

and of having a body?

Well, just the same principles apply.

適用同樣的原則。

The brain makes its best guess

頭腦如何做出最佳推測，

about what is and what is not part of its body.

哪些是身體的一部份、而哪些不是。

And there's a beautiful experiment in neuroscience to illustrate this.

神經科學中有個很棒的實驗 可以用來說明這一點。

And unlike most neuroscience experiments,

和大部份神經科學實驗不同，

this is one you can do at home.

這個實驗你可以自己在家做。

All you need is one of these.

你只需要這個，

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And a couple of paintbrushes.

和幾支畫筆。

In the rubber hand illusion,

在橡膠手幻覺裡，

a person's real hand is hidden from view,

這人看不見被遮住的一隻真手，

and that fake rubber hand is placed in front of them.

橡膠假手被置於面前，

Then both hands are simultaneously stroked with a paintbrush

接下來兩隻手同時被畫筆刷摩挲，

while the person stares at the fake hand.

當時這人凝視著假手。

Now, for most people, after a while,

大多數人在短時間後

this leads to the very uncanny sensation

會產生一種很怪異的感受，

that the fake hand is in fact part of their body.

會覺得假手其實 是他們身體的一部份。

And the idea is that the congruence between seeing touch and feeling touch

原理是，你同時看見與感覺

on an object that looks like hand and is roughly where a hand should be,

那個看起來像手、又位於 手該擺放位置的東西被觸摸，

is enough evidence for the brain to make its best guess

這種一致性足以 讓頭腦做出最佳猜測，

that the fake hand is in fact part of the body.

認為假手其實是身體的一部份。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So you can measure all kinds of clever things.

你可以測量各種聰明的東西。

You can measure skin conductance and startle responses,

你可以測量膚電傳導、驚嚇反應，

but there's no need.

但沒必要。

It's clear the guy in blue has assimilated the fake hand.

很清楚可見，藍衣男子 已經把假手給同化了。

This means that even experiences of what our body is

這意味著，即使是對於 我們自身身體的經驗，

is a kind of best guessing --

也僅是一種最佳猜測，

a kind of controlled hallucination by the brain.

一種頭腦控制的幻覺。

There's one more thing.

還有一件事。

We don't just experience our bodies as objects in the world from the outside,

我們不只從外在體驗 身體是世界裡的一樣物品，

we also experience them from within.

也從內在去體驗它。

We all experience the sense of being a body from the inside.

我們都曾由內體驗身體的感覺。

And sensory signals coming from the inside of the body

來自身體內部的感官訊號

are continually telling the brain about the state of the internal organs,

持續告訴頭腦內部器官的狀態如何、

how the heart is doing, what the blood pressure is like,

心臟目前如何、血壓是怎樣的、

lots of things.

還有很多別的。

This kind of perception, which we call interoception,

這種感知，我們稱為「內感受」，

is rather overlooked.

往往被忽視，

But it's critically important

但非常重要，

because perception and regulation of the internal state of the body --

因為身體內部狀態的感知和調節

well, that's what keeps us alive.

是我們能活著的原因。

Here's another version of the rubber hand illusion.

這是橡膠手錯覺的另一個版本。

This is from our lab at Sussex.

在我們薩塞克斯的實驗室。

And here, people see a virtual reality version of their hand,

在這裡，人們看見 自己虛擬實境版本的手，

which flashes red and back

閃著紅色、黑色，

either in time or out of time with their heartbeat.

與心跳同拍或不同拍。

And when it's flashing in time with their heartbeat,

當閃現與心跳同拍時，

people have a stronger sense that it's in fact part of their body.

人們誤認虛擬手 是身體一部份的感覺更強烈。

So experiences of having a body are deeply grounded

所以，擁有身體的體驗

深植在我們身體內在的感知。

in perceiving our bodies from within.

There's one last thing I want to draw your attention to,

我要各位注意的最後一件事：

which is that experiences of the body from the inside are very different

從內在體驗身體

from experiences of the world around us.

和從周遭世界體驗大不相同。

When I look around me, the world seems full of objects --

當我看周遭，世界似乎滿是物品，

tables, chairs, rubber hands,

有桌子、椅子、橡膠手、

people, you lot --

人們、你們所有人；

even my own body in the world,

即使是我的身體，

I can perceive it as an object from the outside.

我也能從外在世界感受到它。

But my experiences of the body from within,

但我從內在對於身體的經驗

they're not like that at all.

完全不是那樣的。

I don't perceive my kidneys here,

我感受不到腎臟在這裡、

my liver here,

肝在這裡、

my spleen ...

脾臟……

I don't know where my spleen is,

我不知道我的脾臟在哪，

but it's somewhere.

但在某處。

I don't perceive my insides as objects.

我並不把內在器官感知為物品。

In fact, I don't experience them much at all unless they go wrong.

事實上，我幾乎感受不到它們， 除非它們出了問題。

And this is important, I think.

我認為這點很重要。

Perception of the internal state of the body

對身體內在狀態的感知

isn't about figuring out what's there,

並不在於知道體內有什麼，

it's about control and regulation --

而在於控制與調節，

keeping the physiological variables within the tight bounds

讓內在生理變數

維持在與生存相符合的 嚴密界限範圍內。

that are compatible with survival.

When the brain uses predictions to figure out what's there,

當頭腦用預測來揣摩那兒有什麼時，

we perceive objects as the causes of sensations.

我們視物品的感知為知覺的成因。

When the brain uses predictions to control and regulate things,

當頭腦用預測來控制和調節事物時，

we experience how well or how badly that control is going.

我們則是經驗到控制得多好或多糟。

So our most basic experiences of being a self,

因此我們身為自己、

of being an embodied organism,

或身為有形有機體的最基本經驗，

are deeply grounded in the biological mechanisms that keep us alive.

深植於讓我們存活的生物機制上。

And when we follow this idea all the way through,

當我們順著這個想法一路想下去，

we can start to see that all of our conscious experiences,

就會開始了解我們所有的意識經驗，

since they all depend on the same mechanisms of predictive perception,

因為都仰賴著同樣的預測感知機制，

all stem from this basic drive to stay alive.

全都源於同樣要活下去的本能需求。

We experience the world and ourselves

我們體驗外在世界和我們自身，

with, through and because of our living bodies.

靠的是我們活著的身體。

Let me bring things together step-by-step.

讓我一步步總匯。

What we consciously see depends

我們有意識看見到的

on the brain's best guess of what's out there.

是頭腦對於那裡有什麼的最佳猜測。

Our experienced world comes from the inside out,

我們也從內而外體驗世界，

not just the outside in.

不僅從外而內。

The rubber hand illusion shows that this applies to our experiences

橡膠手的假象顯示出這個理論

可用來判斷什麼是、 以及什麼不是我們的身體。

of what is and what is not our body.

And these self-related predictions depend critically on sensory signals

這些與自我相關的預測

極為仰賴來自身體 內在深處的感官訊號。

coming from deep inside the body.

And finally,

最後，

experiences of being an embodied self are more about control and regulation

身為有形體的自我體驗， 和控制調節比較有關，

than figuring out what's there.

而非去揣測那裡有什麼。

So our experiences of the world around us and ourselves within it --

所以我們對周遭世界、 以及我們身於其中的經驗，

well, they're kinds of controlled hallucinations

都是某種控制的幻覺，

that have been shaped over millions of years of evolution

是經過數百萬年的演化所形成的，

to keep us alive in worlds full of danger and opportunity.

為了讓我們存活在這 充滿危險與機會的世界上。

We predict ourselves into existence.

我們預測，故我們存在。

Now, I leave you with three implications of all this.

我要留給大家三項意涵。

First, just as we can misperceive the world,

第一，如同我們可能錯誤感知世界，

we can misperceive ourselves

我們也可能錯誤感知自我，

when the mechanisms of prediction go wrong.

如果預測機制出錯的話。

Understanding this opens many new opportunities in psychiatry and neurology,

了解這一點

開啟了許多精神病學 和神經學的新契機，

because we can finally get at the mechanisms

因為我們終於能夠處理機制，

rather than just treating the symptoms

而不只是治療症狀，

in conditions like depression and schizophrenia.

處理憂鬱、精神分裂 這類疾病的機制。

Second:

第二：

what it means to be me cannot be reduced to or uploaded to

「身為我」的意義無法被縮減

或上傳成為運作機器人的軟體程式，

a software program running on a robot,

however smart or sophisticated.

不論它多聰明或多複雜。

We are biological, flesh-and-blood animals

我們是活生生、有血有肉的動物，

whose conscious experiences are shaped at all levels

我們的意識經驗

透由讓我們活著的 層層生物機制而成形。

by the biological mechanisms that keep us alive.

Just making computers smarter is not going to make them sentient.

單單讓電腦變得更聰明 無法使它們成為有情。

Finally,

最後，

our own individual inner universe,

我們自身個別的內在宇宙，

our way of being conscious,

我們具有意識的方式，

is just one possible way of being conscious.

只是眾多具有意識的可能方式之一。

And even human consciousness generally --

甚至人類意識一般來說

it's just a tiny region in a vast space of possible consciousnesses.

只佔廣大的可能意識空間中 非常小的一塊。

Our individual self and worlds are unique to each of us,

我們個別的自我和世界 是我們各自獨有的，

but they're all grounded in biological mechanisms

但它們都根源於

許多其他生物也具有的生物機制。

shared with many other living creatures.

Now, these are fundamental changes

這些是我們如何 了解自身的根本改變。

in how we understand ourselves,

but I think they should be celebrated,

但我認為它們應該要被讚頌，

because as so often in science, from Copernicus --

因為在科學上，

哥白尼說過

we're not at the center of the universe --

我們並非宇宙的中心，

to Darwin --

達爾文說過

we're related to all other creatures --

我們與所有其他生物都相關聯，

to the present day.

一直到現今。

With a greater sense of understanding

有了更多的了解，

comes a greater sense of wonder,

就會有更多的好奇心，

and a greater realization

以及更多的領悟，

that we are part of and not apart from the rest of nature.

領悟到我們是自然的一部份， 並非排除在自然之外。

And ...

並且，

when the end of consciousness comes,

當意識的終點到來時，

there's nothing to be afraid of.

就什麼都不用害怕了。

Nothing at all.

什麼都不用怕。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）