Strangers Within Us Help to Shape Who We Are

Key points

We as subjects cannot be aware of ourselves as objects unless we consist of two distinct things.

The brain receives signals from the body to control internal body environment.

These signals are also interpreted as subjective emotions in addition to perceptions of body state.

Since our microbiomes differ from us, their signals have a distinct nature from other body signals.

Our eyes see everything around them, but cannot see themselves. To see themselves, they need a mirror. Scientists often use mirrors to study self-consciousness in animals. They place a mark on the animal’s face, and if the animal recognizes the mark while looking in the mirror, it suggests self-awareness.

We often believe we know ourselves directly and without doubt, unlike how we recognize our external