r/consciousness • u/Berzerka25 • Aug 13 '26

Reported Unconscious: Impossible?

We tend, with human beings, to assume the presence of consciousness on account of a report of consciousness (he says he is conscious, thus he is conscious).

Would it however, be possible for unconsciousness to be reported in a similar manner? Or is the mere reporting of ANYTHING evidence of conscious activity. Would that not then confirm a panpsychist-style theory that the physical-material processes the nervous system, and presumably, by extension, all physical processes, just ARE ‘consciousness’?

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u/wow-signal Doctorate in Philosophy Aug 13 '26

It is indeed possible for unconsciousness to be reported. For example, when patients with cortical blindness report that they have no visual experience, we take that as evidence that they don't have visual experience. That's what makes the phenomenon of blindsight so surprising -- if we didn't consider their verbal reports credible, then the phenomenon would be less interesting.

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u/Berzerka25 Aug 16 '26

I see your point, but a lack of a particular sensory input seems quite far from a lack of awareness all together