sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
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On Dec 27, 4:19 pm, "thinker" notreal.com> wrote:
>> "thinker"
notreal.com> wrote in message
>>news:GbWdnXrHJae4a-_anZ2dnUVZ_umlnZ2d@comcast.com...>
>
>>>> "thinker"
notreal.com> wrote in message
>>>>news:Y7SdnSvBOI3twu_anZ2dnUVZ_viunZ2d@comcast.com...>
>
>>>>>> "thinker"
notreal.com> wrote in message
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>>>>>>>
sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
>>>>>>>news:611996ee-eeb8-40d8-aba3-81806e0079df@i29g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>>>>>>> On Dec 25, 8:40 am, "thinker" notreal.com> wrote:>>>>>>>> In her paper, "A neuroscientific approach to consciousness"
>>>>>>>> (Progress in
>>>>>>>> Brain Research, vol 150, 2005), Susan Greenfield argues that the
>>>>>>>> amount of
>>>>>>>> consciousness is potentially quantifiable (since consciousness is
>>>>>>>> variable)
>>>>>>>> by the measuring the size of assemblies of neurons in the brain
>>>>>>>> correlated
>>>>>>>> with consciousness. Greenfield doesn't claim that such
>>>>>>>> quantification of
>>>>>>>> consciousness explains its phenonmenal aspects (so-called "what it
>>>>>>>> feels
>>>>>>>> like").
>
>>>>>>>> I like Greenfield's idea of assemblies of neurons and, against
>>>>>>>> Daniel
>>>>>>>> Dennet, think that not only is there a "theater" in the brain, but
>>>>>>>> multiple
>>>>>>>> interacting theaters of neuron clusters monitoring each other that
>>>>>>>> will
>>>>>>>> eventually explain the subjectivity of experience and why it feels
>>>>>>>> like
>>>>>>>> mental activities cannot be like the physical stuff of the world
>>>>>>>> (common
>>>>>>>> sense dualism). In short, consciousness is a physiological process
>>>>>>>> found in
>>>>>>>> the biological world and might even eventually be artificially
>>>>>>>> created.
>
>>>>>>>> Whaddya think?
>
>
>>>>>>> Interesting. Thanks for the reference, but your conclusions are
>>>>>>> non-
>>>>>>> sequiturs. Again, you are only describing the form of consciousness
>>>>>>> that is highly attenuated to begin with, namely the Stream of
>>>>>>> Consciousness. That does not come from matter, but from the self-
>>>>>>> existent Cosmic Conciousness. However, the fact that the Stream of
>>>>>>> Consciousness can be further attenuated by neurological facts is
>>>>>>> extremely interesting, as is the idea of the mechanism that binds
>>>>>>> it
>>>>>>> to the brain. In other words, it sounds right that a stream of
>>>>>>> neural
>>>>>>> correlates should be found in the brain to match the metaphysical
>>>>>>> stream that is the Stream of Consciousness.
>
>>>>>>> How do you think neurological factors attenuate cosmic
>>>>>>> consciosness?
>
>>>>>> They dont. No more than the conduit attenuates the current..
>
>>>>>> BOfL
>
>>>>> This leads back to the problem: if there is cosmic consciousness, why
>>>>> the brain and not some other organ for accessing it? What is it about
>>>>> the brain? And exactly what is the brain tapping into?
>>>> Leads back to the problem, but not to the solution. You have to look
>>>> at
>>>> it from a different perspective.
>
>>>> The brain is "being tapped into", not the converse.
>
>>>> The role of a single computer within the internet is the best
>>>> illustration.
>>>> You can break each computer down to all its components , but it is the
>>>> individual operator who activates the connectiveness.
>
>>>> Man (as a group or 'cosmic' consciousness) is always trying to re
>>>> invent
>>>> himself. The internet is the best example to date.
>
>>>> BOfL
>
>>> But someone can operate his computer just fine without having the
>>> internet "tap into" it.
>
>> As he can 'operate his brain' in isolation. I think they are called
>> acetics ;-)
>
>>> No one, on the other hand, can function without being conscious at
>>> least
>>> part of the time. Also,
>>> why should the brain be "tapped into" and not the stomach or the lungs?
>
>> There is a hierarchical system at work.
>
>> Example. I'm conscious of my fear of a situation, to the extent it
>> dominates my thoughts.We can now actually see synapses re wiring take
>> place in such circumstances. (Mystics didnt need to, but there is
>> alwaqys
>> catchup going on:-).
>
>> Different componants of the body then respond accordingly.
>
>> Think of the adrenalin rush that takes place when one is in a situation
>> whereby the brain has been pre programmed to respond in intense fear.
>
>> BOfL
>
> And that leads to the next question: why the hierarchy? What is it about
> the brain, if it isn't its anatomy and physiology, that makes it the organ
> that "taps into"?
imho, any object taps into the cosmic consciousness and creates a
stream of consciousness to the degree that it disturbs consciousness.
the more complex the disturbance, the stronger the individuation of
the stream of consciousness becomes. objects therefore interact with
consciousness resulting in a disturbance of consciousness that creates
habit patterns in consciousness, including the individuation of a
particular stream of consciousness.
***Of which, many people are not conscious.
BOfL
