Can consciousness exist without a brain?

"As a neurosurgeon, I was taught that the brain creates consciousness," said Dr. Eben Alexander, who wrote in detail about his experiences with consciousness while in a deep coma.

Many doctors and biomedical students may have been taught the same about consciousness. However, scientists are still debating whether that theory holds true.

Imagine a child observing an elephant for the first time. Light reflects off the animal and enters the child's eyes. Retinal photoreceptors in the back of the eyes convert this light into electrical signals, which travel through the optic nerve to the brain's cortex. This forms vision or visual consciousness.

How do these electrical signals miraculously transform into a vivid mental image? How do they turn into the child's thoughts, followed by an emotional reaction — "Wow, the elephant is so big!"

The question of how the brain generates subjective perceptions, including images, feelings, and experiences, was coined by Australian cognitive scientist David Chalmers in 1995 as the "hard problem."

As it turns out, having a brain may not be a prerequisite for consciousness....<<<Read More>>>...