The Face in the Mirror: the Search for the Origins of Consciousness

Science News, Oct 4, 2003

JULIAN PAUL KEENAN, WITH GORDON G. GALLUP JR. AND DEAN FALK

We often find humor in watching a dog or cat chase its reflection in a mirror or pond. Unlike people, animals don't posses the self-awareness necessary to understand that a mirror image isn't another animal. Using this premise as a launching pad, the authors consider how we know who we are, Thirty years ago, psychologist Gallup conducted mirror tests that proved that only higher-order primates have the capacity for self-awareness. Recently, neurologist Keenan used brain scans to elaborate on Gallup's findings. Keenan's results suggest that the right hemisphere of the brain, where mirror-image recognition takes place, may be more critical to higher-order consciousness than has been generally recognized. Keenan and Gallup team with anthropologist Falk to elaborate on these findings. They take readers through the stages of human-consciousness development by describing the latest studies of self-awareness in people and other primates, Self-related emotions--deception, humor, embarrassment, and jealousy--are discussed in terms of their evolutionary roles. Finally, the authors analyze case studies of people who have lost their capacity to recognize their mirror images. Ecco, 2003, 278 p., b&w photos/illus., hardcover, $24.95.