Divided minds and the nature of persons

Abstract

Evidence from split-brain patients demonstrates the existence of two independent, simultaneous streams of consciousness within a single human being. These empirical findings challenge the Ego Theory, which posits that the unity of consciousness is explained by a persisting, indivisible subject or Ego. In split-brain cases, the division of consciousness suggests that no such singular entity unifies experience. Instead, the Bundle Theory provides a more robust explanation: a person consists not of a separately existing subject, but of a series of mental states and events unified by causal relations. This view, mirroring Buddhist concepts of “no-self,” suggests that personal identity is a conventional description rather than a deep metaphysical fact. Hypothetical cases involving teletransportation and brain division further illustrate that survival is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon. Because there is no underlying Ego, identity is not what matters for survival; rather, psychological continuity and the causal connections between mental states are the primary features of existence. Split-brain phenomena serve as evidence that the unity of consciousness is a matter of co-consciousness between states rather than the ownership of experiences by a singular, persistent subject. – AI-generated abstract.