Alastair Waterman Redefines Consciousness in Groundbreaking Book, The Sense of Meaning

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, September 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- What if consciousness began 500 million years ago as a survival instinct? Renowned philosopher and scientist Alastair Waterman explores this provocative question in his newly released book, The Sense of Meaning: From Ancient Instincts to Artificial Minds. Blending evolutionary biology, neuroscience, philosophy, and artificial intelligence, Waterman argues that consciousness emerged as a "sense of meaning" to enhance adaptive learning in early vertebrates.

The book introduces groundbreaking concepts, including the

learning hypothesis, a model of adaptive irritability, phenomenological neuroplasticity (dynamic brain rewiring), and the innovative Sense of Meaning Test (SMT) to evaluate consciousness in both biological and artificial systems. “This book redefines consciousness as a bridge between our evolutionary past and the future of AI. I believe the hard problem of consciousness consists of five aspects—physical, biological, psychological, social, and cultural—and this book addresses the first two,” says Waterman.

Currently #1 in Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Consciousness & Thought, The Sense of Meaning is available for £2.99 (Kindle), as well as in paperback and hardcover.

Zenodo DOI: https://zenodo.org/records/17023881

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sense-Meaning-Ancient-Instincts-Artificial-ebook/dp/B0FJ2MQNBS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0