epiphenomena
Epiphenomena are phenomena that occur as byproducts of a primary process but do not themselves influence that process. In the philosophy of mind, epiphenomenalism is the view that mental states—such as feelings, thoughts, and desires—are byproducts of brain activity and do not causally affect physical brain states or behavior. Under this view, all behavior is governed by physical processes in the brain, while subjective experience simply accompanies these processes without steering them.
Epiphenomenalism is one stance in the larger mind–body discussion, seeking to preserve a causal closure of
Critics argue that epiphenomenalism faces significant challenges, notably how mental states could consistently correlate with brain
Beyond philosophy, the term epiphenomenon is used in science to describe a secondary, incidental effect that