Scientists Investigating When Consciousness Begins in the Fetal Period

In the scientific world, a situation similar to the major shift that occurred when it was understood that the universe does not consist only of visible entities is currently taking place in the understanding of consciousness. Just as space scientists discover invisible matter, biologists and neuroscientists also seek answers in laboratories to questions once considered philosophical. One of the most fundamental questions is when an individual becomes truly conscious for the first time. This question is not about the heart starting to beat or the physical formation of the brain, but when the subjective experience with the capacity to feel and perceive emerges.

Until recent years, the answer to this question was largely linked to the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the brain responsible for complex functions such as language and reasoning. However, a new study led by scientists from Oviedo University in Spain and published in the journal 'Brain Structure and Function' challenges this view. The study suggests that primitive consciousness may emerge before the cortex is fully developed and may instead be associated with evolutionarily older brain structures. According to this new model, a different form of consciousness is possible even before the cerebral cortex begins operating at full capacity.

It is thought that the emergence of consciousness is not like flipping a switch suddenly, but rather that various subjective experiences appear gradually as the nervous system matures. Although most current theories locate consciousness in the cortex, the fact that connections between the thalamus and cortex are not completed until the later stages of pregnancy makes this explanation difficult. Researchers point to the presence of some signs of consciousness even in patients with cortical damage and the complex behaviors of animals with less developed cortices than humans as evidence for this perspective.

The focus of the study is on subcortical structures such as the periaqueductal gray matter and the reticular activating system, which are deeper regions of the brain connected to the thalamus and hypothalamus. These regions can produce a very primitive form of consciousness even before the cortex reaches functional maturity. This level of consciousness is described as a very basic experience, limited to bodily sensations and immediate stimuli rather than that of an adult.

According to the results of the research, it is estimated that this primitive consciousness likely emerges during a process between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. In this time frame, the fetus develops habituation to recurring stimuli, heart rate regulation improves, and myelination accelerates in the brainstem. These developments are of critical importance not only for human development but also for understanding neonatology and fetal pain. By emphasizing that consciousness may depend on an early combination of wakefulness and emotionality rather than the cortex, the study changes the answer to the question of 'when the mind is born'.