Heinz Heinzmann

Qualia

Introduction

Now we have finally arrived at the question that contains the real secret of the mind: the question about the reason for the fundamental transformation of a network of information into a world of sensations.

How does information turn into sensation? In which way does the machine turn into a sentient being? What is the difference between the two?

For everything that has been said so far about mind, it was sufficient to regard mental activity as information processing. The autonomy and dominance of the mind, as well as the existence of free will, could be substantiated in this way.

But now, when we ask how a sequence of neuronal patterns can be a stream of experiences, an answer based only on this assumption can no longer suffice. As long as one acts on the assumption that mental processes are nothing but information processing, one remains captured in the area of information processing. It does not change anything, if one networks representations, or forms representations of representations – i.e. higher levels of information processing –, or lets information act back on itself: no matter what function is applied to information – the result will always be just information and nothing else. In this view, no metamorphosis can occur; the information "red" does not turn into the sensation red, the information "pressure" does not turn into the sensation pain.

Therefore applies:

The assumption that mind is information processing, is necessary and sufficient for the derivation of the freedom of will. But for the substantiation of the qualia, it is only necessary and not sufficient.

However this means at the same time:

The assumption, that mind is nothing but information processing, is wrong.

First it must be clarified why qualia are not contained in any description. Thereafter we will focus on the question, why a physical and physiological state turns into a quale.

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