Many people believe that consciousness occurs within the brain, but could this really be true? Today there is good news and bad news about this seemingly impenetrable mystery.

The good news is that philosophers and scientists have identified some of the key features that make consciousness extraordinary. The bad news is that these clever conceptual breakthroughs have led to further conundrums. It has been maddeningly difficult to reconcile some recent insights about consciousness with the way science thinks about the physical universe, and this has stirred up the old mind-body debate. How...