I was reading the endnotes of Peter Watts' Blindsight (yes, yes, I know, but I have to know how it ends or I rush through the story, and I have to read the endnotes first because I won't stop in the middle of a story to go read the endnotes and when I finish I usually an exhausted by that particular story)

And they were difficult and scientific and fascinating.

In the endnotes he does a quick perusal of theories of consciousness. His presentation of the topic seems to suggest that because consciousness is slow and time-consuming compared to reactions and steps taken by our unconscious, (consider lightening fast calculations of savantes)that our self-awareness actually might be one inhibiting to our survival as individuals and species.

I don't know if I agree with that, but his next step is something I've come to believe based on anecdotal evidence from my own life and after reading Blink.

Peter Watts writes:

"It turns out the unconscious mind is better at making complex decisions than is the conscious mind. The conscious mind just can't handle the variables, apparently. Quoted one of the researchers "At some point in our evolution, we started to make decisions consciously, and we're not very good at it."

No duh. I worked for a forensic psychologist for a year. She did court-ordered evaluations for couples who were disputing custody. Let's just say it wasn't a very hope-inducing perspective on humanity, especially as over half of her evaluations were ordered because of suspected abuse.

Now let me add that Watts also told the whole Alexander the Great and the Gordion knot story to illustrate how Alexander was brilliant because he seemed to know when he should make instant, unconscious decisions (like on the battlefield) and when to have a more conscious deliberation.

Which got me to thinking that I often "deliberate" over decisions for a long time, worrying, making lists of pros and cons in my head, and discussing them with friends and family.....and then go with my gut instinct anyway.

So maybe there is something to this whole unconscious decision thing anyway.

I'm really looking forward to Watts' book. The whole thing is an essay on consciousness. The main characters are a Jurassic-Park style revived vampire, a man with half a brain, a multiple personality woman whose personalities have been somehow biologically separated in her brain, among others.

As I just finished a dissapointingly banal and oversexed vampire/werewolf action romance, I am in the mood for something more intellectually meaty.