RE: Are Particles Conscious? : A short thought exercise!
"A challenge here is what do you mean by consciousness"
Absolutely, it's hard to put a description to it. Which is another reason for my confusion for the distinction between us and the rest of life. If we were going to create any sort of spectrum of consciousness it would be inherently biased. Imagine us humans created a consciousness spectrum and put dolphins, whales and elephants at the top and us mid-way ;)
Our hubris wouldn't allow it! Which is why I'm suggesting if particles are conscious (the basic building blocks of all life) then everything would be imbued with the same level of inherent consciousness. Only our abilities to subjectively experience would differ. As in a subjective experience of being a human vs the experience of being a dolphin vs life as a tree. What if an inherently conscious universe is gaining infinite experience by creating life to have various forms of experience to garner the whole experience that is life. All life is conscious, it's just the ego's that differ...
"As human beings I think we can all agree that there are times when we are more conscious and more free, how does this relate to other life and things?"
I agree! However, this is again our subjective critique of ourselves calling us more or less free at times, more or less aware. I don't know if this changes our inherent level of consciousness. But, maybe it does? Maybe we are able to alter our fundamental level of awareness and affect the level of awareness of the atoms that comprise us at the time (as they are always changing).
"how does this relate to other life and things?"
I have no idea! I look at other life, some seemingly more aware than others. But, that of course is all based on my own subjective and biased opinions of consciousness.
What do you think of calling consciousness 'own true selves' this level we obtain from time to time when we rid ourselves from the programming. Our consciousness is that voice inside our head that gets upset with the brain for overplaying a song ;)
So much to @contemplate.
Yes, and the steemian whales and dolphins would like to think so, lol. All of those animals are quite remarkable.
Well stated, but 'higher order intelligence' might emerge/manifest such as cells vs molecules vs atoms etc. I would say that everything is sacred at its most intrinsic level.
I think the subjective aspect needs to be understood as well, perhaps the material/energy aspect is the outer aspect and consciousness is the inner aspect or dimension and they complement each other like 2 sides of a coin. It is like our physical body and possible energy body or bodies is a ladder and consciousness is the awareness of the rung and the climber - separate sense of I.
I think that at our deepest levels, the subjective and the objective are experienced as both one and two, a multiplicity contained in an unity.
But these words are from one instance of a self that is subjective... :) And another hates the replaying of a song and another steps back from looking at the computer screen and asks who am I?
So much to contemplate indeed.
I would like to pretend I used those examples consciously :) Since I did not, I get to laugh at my own writing :)
Absolutely agree!
An infinite possibility and perspective unity!
Beautiful, just on a physical plane it's incredible the amount of 'selves' that we experience interacting with. There are neurons in the gut, the heart, the brain and elsewhere I'm sure. The ones in the gut can be manipulated by microbiology living in there as a way for them to communicate with you their wants and needs (For better or worse). What we may call a 'personal' craving could really be coming from microbiological cravings(or needs)! Then there's the heart, for me I take a more meta-physical/spiritual aspect to the hearts communication, finding that it's a deeper source for personal truth, but lacks reasoning to act on that truth (which is where the brain comes it).
This was all to say, that there are many 'actors' that even physically comprise our bodies, without discussing the non/physical "consciousness" actor that is experiencing the whole show :)
I really enjoyed this conversation, thank you. I believe there is a lot of mystery out there. The body is a magnificent thing with so many mysteries - I agree the heart is significant on many levels. Sure we could go down the science road and explain many things but it meditation we also see a different angle. Sincerely, This Particular Self :)
Thanks, Self :) I enjoyed it as well, living up to your name :)