# Consciousness begins as the feeling of what happens by Antonio Damasio > "Consciousness begins as the feeling of what happens." > **— Antonio Damasio**, *The Feeling of What Happens (1999), compressed candidate wording* Verification Status: Unverified — exact wording/source has not yet been independently confirmed against a primary source; source clue: The Feeling of What Happens (1999), compressed candidate wording.