" Studies of people whose cerebral cortices are damaged in the way Schiavo's is show that their eyes will respond to stimuli such as movement or a human face, but there is no way for them to be conscious of what they are seeing. "
What about the video showing her purposefully following the balloon moving from side to side, moving not just her eyes but her whole head?? It seems like a conscious act to me.
"What about the video showing her purposefully following the balloon moving from side to side, moving not just her eyes but her whole head?? It seems like a conscious act to me."
Good point! And the video of her moving her head to get away from what I assume was a cotton swab with something nasty-tasting on it. She was aware of discomfort and trying to get away from it. That is also a conscious act!