I know sensory neurons that respond to light and physical sensations (pressure, temperature) exist throughout our body, giving us information about our surroundings.
For instance, when I push the tip of my finger onto the table. I feel the coolness of the table as well as the smooth and hard texture of the wood.
The pressure and temperature create action potentials in the sensory neurons at the tip of my finger. This action potential triggers the next in the cascade of neuronal firings that reach the somatosensory cortex the brain.
Now, this is where the crux of the question lies. Forgive me if it's a little unclear.
When one thinks of where oneself resides, one thinks they reside behind their eyes. Our consciousness and mind reside behind our eyes and in our brain. So when that signal from the tip of our finger reaches the somatosensory cortex in our brain, how does the action potential then recreate the experience of "hard", "cool", and "smooth" in the final neurons in the brain?
How do the chemical and physical changes in the affected neurons of the cortex equate to real, "felt" sensations in our consciousness?
