Now, scientists think consciousness might be older and more widespread than previously believed.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this story:
- Researchers believe other species could help explain the mysterious origins of our consciousness.
- One new paper argues that consciousness evolved in distinct waves from environmental pressures, like a sort of cognitive diamond.
- Another paper provides evidence that more structures might be capable of producing consciousness than researchers previously thought, which could rewrite everything we know about our minds.
Consciousness has long evaded our understanding. Not only are researchers unable to define what consciousness is—whether it be basic self-awareness or some kind of higher connection with the universe—but they also aren’t exactly sure where it comes from. However, some experts believe turning to other conscious beings may be key to understanding our own minds.
In their respective November 2025 papers, two research groups at the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) in Germany suggest that looking at other species, particularly birds, could redefine the illusive concept and explain where our own consciousness evolved from. Both articles were published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
In the first paper, researchers Albert Newen, PhD, and Carlos Montemayor, PhD, argue that across species, consciousness evolved in distinct waves, each serving a particular function. They present three levels of consciousness: basic arousal, general alertness, and self-reflexivity; each level builds upon the last, like levels of a pyramid. These stages challenge previous theories of consciousness, as they provide a new framework that relies less on the cortex, the outermost layer of your brain, which is commonly associated with consciousness theories. Likewise in the second paper, authors Gianmarco Maldarelli, PhD, and Onur Güntürkün, PhD, present evidence that there may be more structures capable of generating consciousness than previously thought.
In Newen and Montemayor’s evolutionary framework, basic arousal developed first. It’s like nature’s security alarm, warning the body of any dangers that may arise. Hunger, pain, thirst, fear, and pleasure are all sensations that drive this form of consciousness in a way that unconscious reflexes cannot.
Next came general alertness. In this stage of awareness, you can focus on one detail in an ocean of otherwise overwhelming information. This is “what we humans experience as our everyday consciousness, but it is also clearly proven to be realized in many mammals,” including mice, the researchers say in the paper. General alertness allows you to focus on one detail amid a slew of otherwise overwhelming information, giving your brain the tools to judge the outcome of decisions.
For instance, if you’re holding a hot plate, you’re focused on a piece of information—pain in your hand—but have the capacity to weigh two choices: drop it or burn yourself. For a wild animal, this may look like weighing the risk of running into a predator while collecting food in an open area or going hungry. More simply put, general alertness enables organisms to develop complex associations, helping them better navigate their environment.
Finally, for humans and some animals, reflexive self-consciousness evolved. This stage “focuses not on perceiving the environment,” but rather on perceiving oneself and the past, Newen says in a press statement. The researchers explain that, at its core, this level of self awareness “makes it possible for us to better integrate into society and coordinate with others.”
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