Consciousness

Consciousness

Everyone spends so much time discussing the "how was it done?" questions that no one seems curious about the fact that we are able to ask such questions at all. Is it just evolutionary inertia that results in our being able to consider such things? Is consciousness an end result of evolution or is it evidence of design? I have no hard answers for this question, just opinions. The fact that I have opinions makes me think that in some sense we are more than the sum of our parts, more than eight dollars worth of chemicals that got lucky at some point in the distant past. Is this a subject worth discussing?

Re: Consciousness

So does that mean that every living thing on earth will evolve to the point where the are conscious and able to ask these kind of questions, or is it just for us humans?

Re: Consciousness

You are limiting yourself by making the autocentric assumption that, presently, your species are the sole keeper's of consciousness in this world. Fire is not a thing that can be held in the hand, for it spreads to fill the spaces where it may find life.

Re: Consciousness

Well there's a couple other animals I believe are "self aware" if that's even the same thing. Dolphins and maybe even dogs? But that's probably stretching it... Or not LOL. Can you tell me more about this kind of thing?

Re: Consciousness

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"TheHeggy\")</div>

While dogs and dolphins may display personality and, simply by vitue of being alive are aware of themselves, I doubt it's on the same order as human self-awareness. I doubt that dogs and dolphins think about their thinking, introspect and develop neuroses, though abused animals might mimic neurotic behavior from conditioning.

Re: Consciousness

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"shane\")</div>

I think Shane has got something here. Consciousness may have many levels, I think it's short-sighted to say that only Man has self-awareness. I think everything alive may have at least a little self-awareness. It would solve the "problem" of where our consciousness comes from.

Harte

Re: Consciousness

And that is the million dollar question. How can we tell if other "living beings" are aware?

How can we tell what a dog or dolphin is thinking? How can we tell what anything or anyone is thinking? And if we could how much would our world change?

Re: Consciousness

People might think twice about eating meat LOL

Re: Consciousness

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"TheHeggy\")</div>

Don't see why. Meat don't think twice about eating me.
Harte

Re: Consciousness

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"Harte\")</div>

Agreed. Once man has found the ability to comunicate(that scientists can trust) with Dolphins, (they are getting close) Whales, Dogs, Cats, Horses and Parrots I would wager much will change in the interaction department. Too bad Dr. Dolittle retired.

Re: Consciousness

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"StarLord\")</div>

Star, this is called promissory materialism, a device used with some success by the evolution disputants. Someday, when we have more evidence, the fuzzy edges of our pet theory will all come into focus and make perfect sense. While work may continue and someday Zira and Cornelius may come across an astronaut named Taylor, as it stands right now, we can't know for certain that animals operate on anything more than instinct. Besides, cats wouldn't waste their time speaking to humans. To them, WE are the lower life forms.

Re: Consciousness

Too true in the cat department, However that's why God created Treats. I have learned that animals only defense againts humans is that thy have a rudimentary telepathy. To experiment, think in pictures at your pet and see what happens. I have had some very interesting results.

Re: Consciousness

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"TheHeggy\")</div>

There isn't an end with evolution. Evolution hasn't a goal!!!

Evolution happens because of natural selection:

link with information : http://www.evolutionhappens.net/

Re: Consciousness

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"I love stars\")</div>

<span style=\'font-family:Times New Roman\'>~D

Re: Consciousness

This sounds a lot like the Law of One now that I'm re-reading it almost 6 years later

Perhaps viewing the individual spark of consciousness within as "Soul", it might offer a significantly enlarged space to work from and with. We do not "have a Soul" we are Soul. All living expressions of being are connected because each share the exact same thing and source. From the very basic expression of being, rock or mineral to way past the state of human consciousness, the only difference is how long one has been on the path.

Consciousness goes hand in hand with the ability to conceive objectively. It's an intragal part of the creative process for without it, Consciousness can not grow. Conception creates the space for the concept to exist be it false or true, which later experience determines it's usefulness and validity in one's own world and path.

To be self aware doesn't mean that you are able to self-develop Star.

Chimps are conscious as they have awareness of both themselves and their place in the order of things. Wolves are the same by any definition of awareness. Whales? Who could guess at that one. Consciousness doesn't have to grow, but it does have to 'be' in order to be conscious. So, is consciousness the same as awareness and is it simply a state of being, or does it require tangental development above and beyond the need for survival?

Conciousness to me means being aware of things to whatever capacity. If a being is sensing something then it is close to being conscious but would require memory AND awareness to be conscious of something. If there is no memory it can at least be argued that an organism is concsious at the time of sensing something, like those plants that can follow the sun.

That's a very good question. Sort of like getting a Union Job catch 22, you have to be in the Union in order to get a Union Job and you have to have a Union Job in order to get into the Union...

Consciousness and Awareness go hand in hand, but which of them allow you to see past the obvious and formulate the proper QUESTION that leads you to the next step of Higher Consciousness which allows you more Awareness of the reality that surrounds you thereby allowing you to formulate more questions...

Psych.101. Sorta Zen, both are seperate but interelated/interconnected. Good question though.