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Consciousness
The nature of Consciousness defies definition and even invokes a particular
paradox. It may involve thoughts, sensations, perceptions, moods, emotions,
dreams, and an awareness of self, although not necessarily any particular one or
combination of these. Consciousness is a point of view, an I, or what Thomas
Nagel called the existence of "something that it is like" to be something.
Julian Jaynes has emphasized that "Consciousness is not the same as cognition
and should be sharply distinguished from it. ... The most common error ... is to
confuse consciousness with perception." He says, "Mind-space I regard as the
primary feature of consciousness. It is the space which you preoptively are 'introspecting
on' or 'seeing' at this very moment".
Ned Block divides consciousness into phenomenal consciousness (similar
definition to subjective consciousness), which is subjective experience itself (being
something), and access consciousness, which refers to the availability of
information to processing systems in the brain (being conscious of something).
The issue of what consciousness is, and to what extent and in what sense it
exists, is the subject of much research in philosophy of mind, psychology,
neuroscience, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence, and of course
spirituality. Issues of practical concern include how the presence of
consciousness can be assessed in severely ill individuals; to what extent
non-humans are self conscious; at what point in fetal development consciousness
begins; and whether computers can achieve conscious states.
In common parlance, consciousness denotes being awake and responsive to the
environment, in contrast to being asleep or in a coma.
Consciousness in Religion
BUDDHISM
§ 28 a.--Translated from the Milindapańha:
"Bhante Nāgasena, what is consciousness?"
"Your majesty, consciousness is the act of being conscious."
"Give an illustration."
"It is as if, your majesty, the city watchman were to take his seat at the
cross-roads in the middle of the city and were to behold every man who
approached from the eastern quarter, were to behold every man who approached
from the southern quarter, were to behold every man who approached from the
western quarter, were to behold every man who approached from the northern
quarter: in exactly the same way, your majesty, whatever form a man beholds with
the eye, of that he is conscious with the consciousness; whatever sound he hears
with the ear, of that he is conscious with the consciousness; whatever odor he
smells with the nose, of that he is conscious with the consciousness; whatever
taste he tastes with the tongue, of that he is conscious with the consciousness;
whatever tangible thing he touches with the body, of that he is conscious with
the consciousness; whatever idea he is conscious of with the mind, of that he is
conscious with the consciousness. Thus, your majesty, is consciousness the act
of being conscious."
"You are an able man, bhante Nāgasena."
§ 28 c.--Translated from the Visuddhi-Magga (chap. xvii.).
In the proposition, On karma depends consciousness, consciousness is sixfold,
eye-consciousness etc.
Here eye-consciousness is twofold, being either a meritorious or a demeritorious
fruition--likewise ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness,
and body-consciousness. Mind-consciousness is the two minds, namely, the
meritorious fruition-mind as well as the demeritorious fruition-mind, the three
mind-consciousnesses without a cause, the eight fruition-thoughts belonging to
the realm of sensual pleasure and possessing a cause, the five thoughts
belonging to the realm of form, and the four belonging to the realm of
formlessness, making twenty-two divisions. Thus in the six consciousnesses are
included all the thirty-two worldly fruition-consciousnesses. The
consciousnesses, however, which transcend the world are not included as they are
not pertinent in a discussion of rebirth.
The Search for Truth - Epistemology
Epistemology: (how we find truth) We must recognize that knowledge
and truth will always be elusive and subjective. As Rupert
Sheldrake points out, even "natural laws" seem to be evolving. They are not
static and unchanging. A balance of intuition, reason and empirical methods must
be applied in seeking knowledge in any field, though the appropriate balance of
methods will depend on the
field. And these can be used to prove that some viewpoints are more accurate
than others, even if they aren't the "ultimate, final truth".
Today humans are becoming aware that humans "construct" reality, create truth,
rather than discovering it. Reality is not some objective, knowable entity
created by God or natural law. It is an evolving, ever-changing process.
Individuals know reality through their particular
personal/social/political "psychic grid". What is important is for each of us to
decide what psychic grid we choose to work from and how to change it if we
choose. Each of us can create philosophically/emotionally gratifying reality. We
don't have to just go along with what the power structure calls reality.
Metaphysics of Consciousness
Metaphysics: (the nature and purpose of reality) Consciousness is both the
nature and the propose of reality. I choose to call the nature and purpose of
reality "consciousness" because the new sciences show principles like
consciousness operate throughout reality. At the subatomic level I equate the
dynamic, yang force with imagination and will, and the integrating, yin force
with
memory and creativity. There is an inherent drive to evolve, for the propose of
exploring full the potentials of consciousness, and, ultimately, to develop into
fully self-conscious beings like ourselves.
There may well be an ever evolving "morphogenetic field"
of human consciousness. Individual consciousness survive and passes from body to
body over many life times in a process known as "reincarnation".
The concept of consciousness must replace the concept of
god. For if we know that consciousness is the basis of
reality, and if we relate that to the fact that we all have
consciousness, then it is obvious to all that we are the
personification of natural, not "divine" principles of
reality. The word god just confuses people, making them think that there is some
divinity apart from and above from themselves.
Moreover, as experience has shown, the concept of god is
so easily corrupted by authoritarianism as to be worse than useless -- ie.
totally counter-productive. How many people have been persecuted and murdered in
the name of this, that or the other "god"?
People of good will must recognize this and give up the
word god. We are the product of our own conscious evolution for our own
conscious purposes. We created ourselves -- and we did not create ourselves to
live in ignorance of that fact or to make ourselves suffer.
Metapsychology of Consciousness
Metapsychology: (spiritual psychology) We know that the human brain is
divided into
three brains: the original reptilian and mammalian brains controlling automatic
and reflexive survival functions, and, heaped over these, the unique human "neo-cortex"
which contains enormous intellectual and creative potentials.
Humans do not have to be content to be ruled by their
"lower brains," by their most basic needs for survival,
procreation and status. Abraham Maslow points out there is a psychological need
hierarchy. If humans remain stuck on fulfilling the lower needs (safety,
belonging, esteem) and ignore fulfillment of the higher needs (self-actualization,
humanistic values, peak experiences) they become frustrated, obsessive, and
addicted -- to food, drink, sex, power, money.
The need hierarchy and the concept of chakras describe
essentially the same phenomena.
Humans rise up the need
hierarchy or chakras in 3 ways:
1) by being aware that they in fact exist;
2) by
creating a culture which suggests simple, as opposed to extravagant, definition
of what fulfillment of these basic needs are and then creates institutions which
make sure these basic need are fulfilled;
3) by having myths, symbols, and
rituals which reinforce the existence and fulfillment of all human physical,
emotional and spiritual needs.
Cultures worldwide have too little of the knowledge, attitudes and structures
needed to boost us up our need hierarchies. However, through education and
meditation humans can develop their higher brain, move up the need hierarchy,
rise to higher consciousness. They can lose the desire for obsessive material
accumulation, develop a tolerance for individual diversity, experience love and
connectedness with all living things, give up the need to dominate, exploit or
direct them, fulfill their individual potentials and even experience cosmic
consciousness, cosmic ecstasy.
Ethics of Consciousness
Ethics: (What values we should pursue, how should we act towards one and other)
A yin-yang ethical
system may be a system best suited to man's present spiritual development. A
system in which self-actualization (not hedonism) are the yang goals, and utilitarian "what's best for all" the yin goals. I believe our actions towards
one and other must also be very "yin-yang". The yang is the libertarian view
that the individual is free to do as she/he pleases as long as she/he does not
harm others. The yin is non-violence, cooperation and mutual aid. They are both
necessary and totally complementary.
Consciousness and Politics
Politics: We must begin to understand Gandhi's message that all conflicts -
personal and political, individual and group, local, regional and global -
should be resolved through non-violent mediation instead of police and military
violence.
Today's great nation states have been created and maintained by violence.
Without violence they would crumble, to be replaced by networks of non-violent
communities. Individuals must be free to establish or choose their own ethical
system and then join in free, self-governing communities with those who share
those views. However, this "yang" commmunitarianism must be complemented by the
"yin" values of non-violent conflict resolution between communities and mutual
aid to all afflicted humans, whatever their community.
Our means to creating this society should be nonviolent
as the ends we seek. We should be assertive in an unselfishly loving manner as
much as possible,
starting as soon as possible.
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