Sensios

Sensios are hypothetical entities proposed in some philosophical discussions, particularly within the philosophy of mind and consciousness studies. The term itself is a neologism, derived from "sensation." Sensios are conceptualized as the fundamental building blocks or minimal units of subjective experience. They are not necessarily physical entities like neurons or brain states, but rather the qualitative aspects of those states, often referred to as "qualia."

The idea behind sensios is to address what is sometimes called the "hard problem of consciousness," which is the difficulty of explaining how and why physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective, qualitative experiences. Proponents of sensios suggest that if we can identify these basic units of experience, we might be able to understand how they combine and interact to form more complex conscious states.

Sensios are often characterized by their intrinsic properties, meaning their nature is understood from the "inside" of the experience itself, rather than from an objective, external perspective. For example, the redness of red, the sound of a musical note, or the feeling of pain would be considered distinct sensios. The exact ontological status of sensios remains a subject of debate. Some see them as emergent properties of complex physical systems, while others might consider them more fundamental aspects of reality. The term and concept are not widely accepted or mainstream within neuroscience but serve as a conceptual tool for philosophers exploring the nature of consciousness.