Antisomatosionalists

Antisomatosionalists are a philosophical group that denies the existence of somatosensation, the broad category of sensory experience that includes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception. This position is highly unconventional, as the subjective experience of these sensations is fundamental to most people's understanding of reality and their interaction with the world.

The core tenet of antisomatosionalism is that what we perceive as bodily sensations are not direct inputs from a physical body but rather complex interpretative constructs of the brain. Proponents might argue that the brain generates these experiences based on a variety of internal and external cues, but that there is no direct, irreducible physical "feeling" associated with a body in the way commonly understood. They might posit that our perception of pain, for example, is not a signal of tissue damage but a learned response or a programmed output designed for survival, and that the subjective quale of "pain" itself does not correspond to any specific physical substrate in the body.

Critics of antisomatosionalism often point to the undeniable subjective experience of these sensations as evidence against the doctrine. They may also highlight the biological and neurological basis for somatosensation, citing the existence of specialized sensory receptors and neural pathways that transmit information from the body to the brain. The practical implications of accepting antisomatosionalism are profound, potentially affecting fields such as medicine, psychology, and ethics, particularly concerning concepts of physical well-being and suffering. Despite its challenges, the antisomatosionalist stance invites deeper contemplation of the nature of consciousness and the relationship between mind and body.