Features of the functioning of consciousness and the search for possible exits from Plato’s “cave”

For several millennia, Plato’s “cave” has been present in the field of philosophical mind as a figurative description of some of the limitations of consciousness and the problems that may arise if consciousness tries to go beyond these limitations. At the present moment of scientific development in this figurative description, the physiological and psychic natural limitations of a person can be found on an adequate perception of the real world and falling into the branched “caves” of illusions. These limitations form for many people, including scientists, the walls of a “cave” which close the review of the real world. At the physiological level, these walls are the limitation of the sensitivity in the distinction of the physical inhomogeneities by our senses. The “western” civilization proposes to strengthen the distinction by invention and improvement of microscopes, telescopes and other technical devices. Therefore, the strengthening of distinction can lead to a change in the description of the world view. For instance, the invention of the microscope helped in the distinction of bacteria and viruses, which for a long time were unrecognized by people and could be the source of various diseases. On the other hand, we perceive the world view through the descriptions in the shape of various semiotic schemes. However, excessive reliance on historically established semiotic schemes of description or world views, for instance, the scheme of motion of space objects by Ptolemy, seriously complicated the transition to a more adequate Copernicus scheme. Nowadays, similar problems still exist. Summarizing, it can be noted that in the research of consciousness, it is desirable to consider and combine into a general system both descriptions of human physiology and the presence in their intellectual activity of various semiotic systems and schemes. This approach can make the search for the way out of Plato’s “cave”, which still exists in our consciousness although we are trying to expand its boundaries, more efficient. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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