Re: Mind's Eye Re: Mysticism

Consciousness is an attribute of life and vanishes on death.

On Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 9:04 AM, archytas <nwterry@gmail.com> wrote:
Thousands of experiments confirm the hypothesis that neurochemical processes produce subjective experiences. The fact that neuroscientists are not in agreement over which physicalist theory best accounts for mind does not mean that the hypothesis that consciousness creates matter holds equal standing. In defense, Chopra sent me a 2008 paper published in Mind and Matter by University of California, Irvine, cognitive scientist Donald D. Hoffman: Conscious Realism and the Mind-Body Problem. Conscious realism asserts that the objective world, i.e., the world whose existence does not depend on the perceptions of a particular observer, consists entirely of conscious agents. Consciousness is fundamental to the cosmos and gives rise to particles and fields. It is not a latecomer in the evolutionary history of the universe, arising from complex interactions of unconscious matter and fields, Hoffman writes. Consciousness is first; matter and fields depend on it for their very existence.

Where is the evidence for consciousness being fundamental to the cosmos? Here Hoffman turns to how human observers construct the visual shapes, colors, textures and motions of objects. Our senses do not construct an approximation of physical reality in our brain, he argues, but instead operate more like a graphical user interface system that bears little to no resemblance to what actually goes on inside the computer. In Hoffman's view, our senses operate to construct reality, not to reconstruct it. Further, it does not require the hypothesis of independently existing physical objects.

Of course, there's lots missing in Hoffman's view and the standard view is RP's. No one denies that consciousness is a hard problem. But before we reify consciousness to the level of an independent agency capable of creating its own reality, let's give the hypotheses we do have for how brains create mind more time. Because we know for a fact that measurable consciousness dies when the brain dies, until proved otherwise, the default hypothesis must be that brains cause consciousness. I am, therefore I think.  Humans can seem so trivial to me I can think real consciousness doesn't bother with us! 

On Tuesday, December 23, 2014 3:21:44 AM UTC, archytas wrote:
We can ask whether this brain creates or receives RP.  I'm on the brain mechanism end of consciousness, but everything can be seen as an address in space-time and in relation to the rest of the 'map'.  There's an attempt at this here: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~ejchaisson/reprints/rise_of_info.pdf

Consciousness can be removed by a non-fatal blow to the head as well as death - though it may return in the former.  One wonders, in conservation law terms, what it changes to, where it goes ... the hard drive comes back when you switch it on again and address it unless fried.  If we could transfer brains like hearts and livers  ... or mind to non-brain substrate and discover 'Fred' was still 'Fred' - would we consider consciousness different then?  

On Tuesday, December 23, 2014 1:56:20 AM UTC, RP Singh wrote:
For consciousness a sense is necessary and that can be called an elementary sort of brain.

On Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 5:50 AM, archytas <nwterry@gmail.com> wrote:
There are organising processes long before brains in evolution RP - these might be conscious.  I'm 90% sure brains produce mind and the process is mechanistic and copyable.  Hard to say at the moment how close scientists are to substrate independent mind and uploading human mind to such.  One can imagine a society in which life builds itself - I suspect reflecting back from this much we regard as human would look very mechanistic rather than mystic.  Imagine a society with no childbirth - what would gender be, sex, family, economics, politics and other prize elements of libidinal literature?


On Monday, December 22, 2014 2:44:44 AM UTC, RP Singh wrote:
Consciousness is in the brain , which is an integral part of the body. When we are brain- dead there is no consciousness. AS for the universal Consciousness there is no such thing , rather there is the universal unconsciousness , a state from which everything evolves

On Sun, Dec 21, 2014 at 11:38 PM, Molly <mollyb363@gmail.com> wrote:

"In the field of consciousness research—and also in physics and astronomy—we are breaking past the cause-and-effect, mechanistic way of interpreting things. In the biological sciences, there is a vitalism coming in that goes much further toward positing a common universal consciousness of which our brain is simply an organ. Consciousness does not come from the brain. The brain is an organ of consciousness. It focuses consciousness and pulls it in and directs it through a time and space field. But the antecedent of that is the universal consciousness of which we are all just a part."

Joseph Campbell in Mythic World's, Modern Words, p. 286


On Sunday, December 21, 2014 12:46:21 PM UTC-5, archytas wrote:
I should say that my relationship with Hautes Etudes Commericiales was not good.  The place was founded by Napoleon.  Key learning on the short course is:

Who is the individual
How to engage?
How to resist?
How to rearrange?
Why management matters

One wonders how our smartest need to be taught this as adults, often 24 plus at HEC, and how schools produce us in the mystical state of not knowing our arses from our elbows.

On Sunday, December 21, 2014 5:33:19 PM UTC, archytas wrote:
Agreed Molly - I can only critique your model out of respect for it not demanding gullible followership.  This film - a rather juvenile one - inspired by Chris Hedge's 'Death of the Liberal Class' does hint at some of the structural problems - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH6UynI5m7Y - it is Facilitaresque in some ways.  Tony might inject more humour in the bleakness and maybe more striking images.

There remains the issue of mass forgetting and propaganda in the current moment.  The CEO of Apple has found it easy enough to come out as gay, but seems to have no conception of his oppression of others in the black heart pursuit of profit.  How has he come to that point?  How is the dirty-hands claque applauding current vile CEO behaviour created and what role does this play in scrutiny of the moment?  Does the construction of the moment bear any relation of the construction of other moments?  Does self matter at all if it is so malleable by 'outside structuration' - as often seems the case, say, in the prevention and destruction of worker solidarity by sensitivity-trained CEOs.  Hitler granted German unions a May Day holiday and parade, then closed them down forever the day after.  The 'great self' working by beggaring all neighbours to weakness is surely not our quest.

https://www.coursera.org/course/orgology  =  We are in constant relationship with many organizations. Our world is submitted to regular changes as organizations evolve, come and go. Understanding your memberships and attachments to organizations will help you act on your world. You'll learn how to evaluate the influence of organizations around you and how to transform your relationships to reach a stronger coherence.

I know I would feel better in a course Molly was organising - but this is partly because I would not be the same person in such a group as the one with an itchy trigger finger in respect of politicians and the overseers of Chinese labour making i-Phones. 

On Sunday, December 21, 2014 4:10:54 PM UTC, Molly wrote:
I am not sure that we need to rely so much on our historical autobiography as current noetic make-up. In as much as everything we have ever experienced leads us to this moment, maybe, but it is recognition in this moment that lends our view. I also see no need to exclude other from self, as it is through relatedness comes understanding of both in an inclusive, not exclusive model.

On Saturday, December 20, 2014 8:31:23 PM UTC-5, archytas wrote:
As humans, we are intrigued by who we are and how we differ from other creatures of evolution. Among the capacities thought to be uniquely human are autonoetic consciousness,
the aspect of self-awareness that allows us to imagine our own experiences in different places at other times, and theory of mind (ToM), which allows us to infer other people's current
mental states. The idea that ToM is closely related to, and that it may depend on, episodic memory and autonoetic consciousness seems perfectly natural: that in order to imagine and make sense of other people's thoughts, feelings, intentions, and actions, we must rely on our autobiographical recollections. The ability to consciously recollect past personal happenings has been shown to be necessary for imagining coherent and detailed personal happenings in the future. Both episodic memory and ToM emerge close in time in ontogenetic development. The neural substrate on which the two abilities rely is in many ways strikingly similar.

This might just accord with Molly's notions of self-development - that one needs to get self right before making sense of or enjoying the world and understanding others and how we might choose to live.  Idealism can turn in on itself, with the world seen as cynical and frustrating the ideals - mysticism looking like thousands of years of flowery failure by people with time to think it up in personal situations of exploitation of sweat off others' backs.  The grim Mike Leigh film 'Naked' makes such points.

One might say that actually living and working alongside others is better than making it all up mystically from self could be a better start than introspection amongst other chattering class types.  In respect of the first paragraph above, I found a dire shortage of people who did have accurate autobiography to work from.  My own is particularly suspect.


On Sunday, December 21, 2014 12:33:27 AM UTC, archytas wrote:
Amsterdam politicians have been apt to talk of levelling the red lights and replacing them with a red carpet to the museums and theatre.  I liked the piano barge.  In another form of mysticism one can see what lies beneath.  Der Wallen is a place to see trafficking and exploitation, then throw up.  I did a coffee shop instead - walking red light districts is like unpaid overtime to me.  Took the technicolour yawner on a tram to see some flower fields.  Beauty is fine until you think of it as 'not ugly', thus making ugliness and disability some kind of sin.

Personally, I love mindful mindlessness as the basis of being able to do nothing.  Tried it on this laptop the other day before effecting a cure with the soldering iron.  Mysticism can be good, but also mystification.  Angels and devils again.

On Saturday, December 20, 2014 10:27:49 PM UTC, Allan Heretic wrote:
The museums of Amsterdam are great, somethings are good with much that is os question. I do not like wandering around their either. You are right it is in the eye if the beholder. Greatfully it is out of bicycling range Leiden is 10 km one way Den Haag (Den Hague) 10 km a different direction the difference between the two is Lieden is a city where as Den Haag is i oversize town and does not qualify as a city by dutch law.
Everything is a matter of perspective.

~~
لا القتل والاغتصاب واستعباد أو إيذاء الآخرين
Do not murder, rape, enslave or harm others

-----Original Message-----
From: archytas <nwterry@gmail.com>
To: minds-eye@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 23:03
Subject: Mind's Eye Re: Mysticism

A guy I didn't like walked through Amsterdam's red light district with me years ago.  He threw up over the nearest canal bridge.  I rather liked his mystic summary of the place.  Reality, one suspects, is not in the eye of the beholder.

On Saturday, December 20, 2014 9:10:24 PM UTC, Allan Heretic wrote:
To quote

"mysticism is the art of union with Reality."


"The old story of Eyes and No-Eyes is really the story of the mystical and unmystical types. "No-Eyes" has fixed his attention on the fact that he is obliged to take a walk. For him the chief factor of existence is his own movement along the road; a movement which he intends to accomplish as efficiently and comfortably as he can. He asks not to know what may
be on either side of the hedges. He ignores the caress of the wind until it threatens to remove his hat. He trudges along, steadily,
diligently; avoiding the muddy pools, but oblivious of the light which they reflect.
 "Eyes" takes the walk too: and for him it is a perpetual revelation of beauty and wonder. The sunlight inebriates him, the winds delight him, the very effort of the journey is a joy. Magic presences throng the roadside, or cry salutations to him
from the hidden fields. The rich world through which he moves lies in the fore-ground of his consciousness; and it gives up new secrets to him at every step. "No-Eyes," when told of his adventures adventures, usually refuses to believe that both have gone by the same road. He fancies that his companion has been floating about in the air, or beset by agreeable hallucinations. We shall never
persuade him to the contrary unless we persuade him to look for himself."

~~
لا القتل والاغتصاب واستعباد أو إيذاء الآخرين
Do not murder, rape, enslave or harm others

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