Daniel Dennett: The magic of consciousness

In his book, Sweet Dreams: Philosophical Obstacles to a Science of Consciousness, philosopher and cognitive scientist, Daniel Dennett, explains how consciousness is like magic, but not in the way that you probably think it is:

"It seems to many people that consciousness is a mystery, the most wonderful magic show imaginable, an unending series of special effects that defy explanation. I think that they are mistaken, that consciousness is a physical, biological phenomenon–like metabolism or reproduction or self-repair–that is exquisitely ingenious in its operation, but not miraculous or even, in the end, mysterious. Part of the problem of explaining consciousness is that there are powerful forces acting to make us think it is more marvelous than it actually is. In this it is like stage magic, a set of phenomena that exploit our gullibility, and even our desire to be fooled, bamboozled, awestruck.  The task of explaining stage magic is in some regards a thankless task; the person who tells people how an effect is achieved is often resented, considered a spoilsport, a party-pooper.  I often get the impression that my attempts to explain consciousness provoke similar resistence. Isn’t it nicer if we all are allowed to wallow in the magical mysteriousness of it all? Or even this: If you actually manage to explain consciousness, they say, you will diminish us all, turn us into mere protein robots, mere things.  

Such is the prevailing wind into which I must launch my work, but sometimes the difficulty of the task inspires strategies that exploit the very imagery that I wish in the end to combat. The comparison between consciousness and stage magic is particularly apt, for the romantic and gullible among us have much the same yearning regarding stage magic that they have regarding consciousness. Lee Siegel draws our attention to the fundamental twist in his excellent book, Net of Magic: Wonders and Deceptions in India:

“I’m writing a book on magic,” I explain, and I’m asked, “Real magic?” By real magic people mean miracles, thaumaturgical acts, and supernatural powers.  “No,” I answer: “Conjuring tricks, not real magic.”  Real magic, in other words, refers to the magic that is not real, while the magic that is real, that can actually be done, is not real magic."