New research sheds fresh light on mystery of infant consciousness

New research sheds fresh light on mystery of infant consciousness

In the study, entitled ‘Consciousness in the cradle: on the emergence of infant experience’, the researchers argue that by birth the infant’s developing brain is capable of conscious experiences that can make a lasting imprint on their developing sense of self and understanding of their environment.

The team comprised neuroscientists and philosophers from Monash University, in Australia, University of Tübingen, in Germany, University of Minnesota, in the USA, and Trinity College Dublin.

Although each of us was once a baby, infant consciousness remains mysterious, because infants cannot tell us what they think or feel, explains one of the two lead authors of the paper Dr Tim Bayne, Professor of Philosophy at Monash University (Melbourne).

“Nearly everyone who has held a newborn infant has wondered what, if anything, it is like to be a baby. But of course we cannot remember our infancy, and consciousness researchers have disagreed on whether consciousness arises ‘early’ (at birth or shortly after) or ‘late’ ­– by one year of age, or even much later.”

New research sheds fresh light on mystery of infant consciousness

"and consciousness researchers have disagreed on whether consciousness arises ‘early’ (at birth or shortly after)"

Somewhat loaded, wouldn't you agree? Like it is taken as a given that consciousness arises rather than consciousness is present from the get-go.

I wonder if this thread could be tidied up. I had intended to address the actual topic of infant consciousness but it seems this is no longer the place to do so.

I wonder if this thread could be tidied up. I had intended to address the actual topic  of infant consciousness but it seems this is no longer the place to do so.

Yes, apologies. One comment leads to a response and it quickly goes off-track. Feel free to remove any of mine.

Yes, apologies. One comment leads to a response and it quickly goes off-track. Feel free to remove any of mine.

No problem, I didn't feel anything should be deleted, maybe relocated.

[Laird]

No problem, I didn't feel anything should be deleted, maybe relocated.

Done. Relocated to Pseudoskeptism and acceptable versus unacceptable science [split from "infant consciousness"].

We should actually consider revisiting this. There appears to be a lot of confusion about when an embryo is a person, with a lot of religious discussion about life and abortion, to include birth control laws and women's rights.
I recall that one of the reincarnation threads mentioned that a child came back for a second birth after Mom had aborted her on the first try.

Babies begin to develop rudimentary consciousness (basic awareness of themselves and their environment) around the third trimester (24–26 weeks gestation), with more advanced sensory and cognitive consciousness developing between 5 and 12 months after birth.

So, 5 to 6 months into pregnancy, science claims we are rudimentary, which means we sense and react to pain and other sensory input. 
I can remember pretty early events. I had a surgery at 6 months and they were quite cruel to me, claiming children don't remember the pain. I unscrewed the wooden playpen bars at 9 months, which I clearly remember doing. I was already walking at 9 months. So I then crossed a busy highway and went to a corner store where I remembered they had toys.

It would appear that science thinks we are not aware or conscious if we don't react to pain, and that we are not cognitive until 5 to 12 months after birth, which I tend to disagree with. Anyone who has had a child knows that the smiles, the fussing, tantrums, and many other active reflections of personality and consciousness are there from the beginning. One of the girls was already kicking in the womb when anyone was chewing loudly, which she still can't stand, 40+ years later. 

So, I'm not even on the fence with this one. Consciousness and personality, tendencies, likes/dislikes, are already there, usually before birth.

The reincarnation memories would appear to support that people are people before egg fertilization, or at least they plan on becoming people at that point.