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What is consciousness?

W

Worldquest

New Member
arg-fallbackName="Worldquest"/>
Does it really exist?

What is it "made" of?

Is it just a handy word that we use, or does it refer to something real?

Do we even know? Can we know?

Is it of any consequence?
 
arg-fallbackName="RichardMNixon"/>
Worldquest said:
Does it really exist?

What is it "made" of?

Is it just a handy word that we use, or does it refer to something real?

Do we even know? Can we know?

Is it of any consequence?
Click to expand...

As a preface, I really hate metaphysics.

Yes, it exists because I am conscious. Cogito; ergo, sum.

It isn't made of anything, just as love, speed, texture, and comfort aren't made of anything; they're just concepts.
 
arg-fallbackName="tangoen"/>
Tell us what you think worldquest. and also tell me what possible reason would you have for asking such abstract questions?
 
arg-fallbackName="Deleted member 619"/>
It's an emergent function arising from aggregation of neurons and synaptic connectons in concert with and in response to sensory input.
 
arg-fallbackName="Deleted member 619"/>
Worldquest said:
It doesn't say that in the dictionary.
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Dictionaries are not authoritative in this regard. Dictionaries describe usage, not reality. If you really want to find out what something is, a dictionary is not the place you should be looking any more than you should be asking Deepity Chopra about quantum mechanics. You should ask a cognitive scientist. I know a few, incidentally, and they will largely agree with my definition. Indeed, I have mostly formulated my definition with reference to their work, and the work tof others that they have elucidated.

As it happens, this is one of the big questions facing science. What we do know is that mind is an emergent product of the aggregation of neurons and synaptic connections. This is trivial to demonstrate. In fact, you can carry out a little experiment yourself to show this. Simply bend over and run headlong at a wall. See if you think differently afterwards.

Consciousness is a combination of mind and sense. That is all. If you want a more detailed description, then one is n't currently available to science. We do know qualitatively how it works, but it can't be explained in pithy terms.
 
arg-fallbackName="OnkelCannabia"/>
Have you watched Qualia's video on Dualism yet? Might seem to be a bit too simply or redundant at first, but keep watching. It gets really interesting from 3min on.

 
arg-fallbackName="Worldquest"/>
I've just watched it.

How many of you here went to university to study this stuff, or studied it extensively? I haven't, so many of the things that you have already gone through the process of internalising and understanding are things which are new to me. So to those of you who have been trying to help me understand, thank you but be patient because this takes time. I can understand how frustrating it must be when I show a lack of understanding, but that's just the way it goes and I find best to say when I don't understand something rather than pretending to understand it.
 
arg-fallbackName="OnkelCannabia"/>
Worldquest said:
I've just watched it.

How many of you here went to university to study this stuff, or studied it extensively? I haven't, so many of the things that you have already gone through the process of internalising and understanding are things which are new to me. So to those of you who have been trying to help me understand, thank you but be patient because this takes time. I can understand how frustrating it must be when I show a lack of understanding, but that's just the way it goes and I find best to say when I don't understand something rather than pretending to understand it.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, you might wanna make a new topic for this question. Either people won't reply or this will get off-topic fast.
To answer your question. I study "language, culture and translation". It can be helpful on some topics discussed here. Cognitive linguistics touches on some concepts relevant to consciousness. Most importantly though, I focus on language manipulation, which is extremely helpful on pretty much anything related to philosophy and makes it easy to identify logical fallacies.

After I became an atheist I became increasingly intrigued by the universe and studied a lot on my own. Since I was finally free to question anything I want, I spent a long time pondering over epistemological subjects. I'm interested in science in general and have done some private research, but never had a professional education beyond high school. I've learned a lot over the last few years though. I usually just make short drive by posts here, since atm my ADD is going rampant and I find it hard to form a coherent sentence. Getting professional help and medication soon though. I think my IQ has dropped some 20 points in the last few years (not hyperbole!) :(

See, how fast it gets off topic ;)
 
arg-fallbackName="borrofburi"/>
Hmm, this reminds me of this article... hmm this article should get its own thread, probably... Or not... I dunno, here it is, one idea of how consciousness developed (in blog form, so it's easier to understand and digest, get the actual paper if you want the in-depth and more accurate version):
http://www.rifters.com/crawl/?p=791
 
arg-fallbackName="SchrodingersFinch"/>
Worldquest said:
I was literally asking in order to know.
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Me too. The problem is that we don't yet know what consciousness is or how it works.

Asking what is consciousness might be like asking what is life 150 years ago. There is no one thing that distinguishes life from nonlife. There are many different processes: metabolism, homeostasis, reproduction etc. At the cell level it's all just chemistry and physics.
 
arg-fallbackName="butterbattle"/>
Worldquest said:
If consciousness is physical in origin, how does that work?
Click to expand...

Eh, we don't "really" understand the brain well enough yet to lay it out in detail, but we do think the evidence demonstrates that it's just an emergent property of complex physical processes.

To me, it's just an abstraction that describes a really intelligent awareness, usually especially self-awareness. Any animal that can grasp the concept of "I" or recognize itself in the mirror definitely has some level of consciousness.
 
arg-fallbackName="Worldquest"/>
So it's not known what it is, or how it works, but the general concensus is that it must be caused by physical processes?
 
arg-fallbackName="MRaverz"/>
Worldquest said:
So it's not known what it is, or how it works, but the general concensus is that it must be caused by physical processes?
Click to expand...
Personally I think people think too highly of consciousness.

You have senses, senses pick things up. It's essentially just that.

The organs are physical, the stimulus is physical, the impulses are physical. There's nothing more to it.

The idea that you're an individual who is picking up these signals is an illusion, if you didn't pick anything up - you wouldn't experience anything. For example, dreamless sleep. Dreams are just fake signals.

Least, that's the way I see it. I don't know if others would agree.
 
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