Ever heard of split-brain and the resulting dual consciousness? It seems that cutting the “ties” that connect the two brain hemispheres causes at least some degree of two separate left and right brain consciousnesses. There is also some research that shows it isn’t complete separateness in at least some cases, but even then there are still at least degrees of separateness. So even the self-consciousness that we take for granted may have degrees of disconnectedness.
I wonder if maybe there are degrees of connectedness, and therefore disconnectedness, in otherwise “normal” people. We know that there are always small differences in anatomy in other parts of the body, and we know that different people have their brains wired at least somewhat differently. So maybe there are also differences that exist in our brain hemisphere wiring that make some more connected or “whole” and some more disconnected or “split”. Surely its possible.
Could this possibly explain aphantasia? Could the hemisphere that remembers images or recalls other sensory memories simply not be able to share it with the other hemisphere? A lot of us aphants also seem to be highly specialized in other non-visual ways, like math or logic or music or words. Could that be another side-affect of one hemisphere being able to dominate more easily? I’ve seen at least some mention of this with autistic savants, so maybe its possible.
Finally, why am I thinking about this at all? I am usually very single minded (pun intended), but there are rare moments in which I catch glimpses of something else. Like another consciousness, or at least degree of consciousness, that is simultaneously present. In retrospect, I always feel like my thoughts are many and active, but out of my reach until I try to grab one. And most of the time I fail to even catch it, but when I do then I lose all the other thoughts.
The Spiritual Atheist 