Antonio Damasio

Consciousness requires a protoself.

Feelings are for the sake of the body.

The narrative self is a story we tell ourselves.

Spinoza's conatus is the drive to persist.

Mind is an invention of the brain for the body.

Rationality emerges from emotional foundations.

Consciousness is the theater where feelings play.

The body keeps the score of our lives.

Images in the brain are the stuff of thought.

Emotions are not irrational; they are biological wisdom.

The feeling self is the essence of being human.

Homeostatic feelings maintain life's balance.

The self is a dynamic process, not a thing.

In an interview: 'Emotions are the key to understanding consciousness.'

From a speech: 'The brain feels before it thinks.'

Personal reflection: 'Life's meaning lies in the feelings we cherish.'

On neuroscience: 'The body is the origin of the mind.'

Witty remark: 'Descartes got it backward; I think, therefore I feel.'

Key passage: 'All emotions are, in essence, physical changes.'

From correspondence: 'Consciousness is feeling made mental.'