Consciousness

Discussion in 'Medical Advice' started by smurfslappa, May 25, 2006.

  1. smurfslappa

    smurfslappa New Member

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    I'd like to hear what some people have to say about it. Is it the brain, or the electric pulses riding along the brain and nervous system? Does "junk DNA" have a role in all this? Discuss.
     
  2. ucicare

    ucicare Active Member

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    All I know is that when you are unconscious, you seldom think of questions like this.
     
  3. diogenes

    diogenes New Member

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    How do you even know that consciousness exists?
     
  4. DrBungle

    DrBungle New Member

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    Prove that it doesn't.
     
  5. diogenes

    diogenes New Member

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    Prove that it does. You can't prove either way whether or not consciousness exists. This is not the first time I've had this conversation, and it won't be the last.
     
  6. Ferine

    Ferine New Member

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    You lead an exciting life. You are one wild & crazy guy!
     
  7. diogenes

    diogenes New Member

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    I'm a philosophy major. What do you want me to do, hang out in frat houses and double fist 211. Oh, wait. Nevermind.
     
  8. ucicare

    ucicare Active Member

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    Seriously Dio, I applaud getting an education, but I have never understood how you earn a living with a degree in Philosophy. Is there a market? Do you have to go on and get a Masters or PhD?

    Barry
     
  9. diogenes

    diogenes New Member

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    At least a masters to teach. I plan on being a professor. As a fall back I'm also picking up an Associates in Business Management, and probably also pick up a bachelors in Business Administration. At least that way I can work in Human Resources if I can't find a professorship. I have job offers at the college I'm attending right now though, so I'm not to worried about it. The only thing I have to worry about is if there are major budget cuts for schools. If they can't afford the staff, they're not going to be able to hire me. But that's a risk I'm willing to take. I don't need much to be happy. Why do you think I hang out in these forums so much? :wink:
     
  10. DangerousDan

    DangerousDan New Member

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    Think about it like this alot of times before someone has a siezure they hear a characteristic sound, smell a characteristic smell, see a certain thing. That is becasue a seizure is an abnormal firing of a certain pathway within the brain. When people are "concious" they are processing information neural pathwyas are being formed that are changed physically new connections are made. If they go into the long term memory they are fixed more permanently in a certain concrete pathway.
     
  11. diogenes

    diogenes New Member

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    One could reply to that statement that a brain is merely the interface between the consiousness and the physical world. A problem in the interface wouldn't necessarily prove the non-existence of an outside force controlling the being.
     
  12. smurfslappa

    smurfslappa New Member

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    You're an idiot diogenes. Consciousness exists and I don't care what kind of shit you can pull out of your ass it'll still sound stupid to me.

    The consciousness exists. Now what do you think that it is? To me, it is all the electric impulses that travel our nervous systems and brain. When we die, it exists in the electromagnetic fields of Earth. So these wise old guys use pyramids cut to the right proportions with gold capstones during powerful electric storms to get out of this joint, but that's another thing.

    Anyone else think it's the electric impulses, too? The ol' fire resting in the water according to ancient lore... St. Elmo's fire.
     
  13. diogenes

    diogenes New Member

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    The motto by which you live, no doubt.

    No, those are electrical impulses, on an organized grid. Do you assume that the computer you are typing on therefore has the same consciousness? How about the power grid that delivers electrical pulses to power the devices in your home?

    Speaking of pulling stupid shit out of your ass.
     
  14. Joeslogic

    Joeslogic Active Member

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    I think I understand what you are saying and I would hate to see that thread dissolve into an argument over the existence of conscience. Why not look at Smurfs question from the perspective of; assuming conscience exists, then what is conscience anyways?

    It’s like the chicken –vs- egg argument. Of which I myself have brought up myself but only in the context of illustration not as an argument.

    And I cannot resist saying that this discussion in itself is proof of consience. :D
     
  15. diogenes

    diogenes New Member

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    You could say that. I think consciousnes is an important thing to study. At the very least it gives a deeper understanding of the brain. Regardless of its existence. What turns a brain into a mind?
     
  16. Joeslogic

    Joeslogic Active Member

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    Exactly my thoughts and I'm sure Smurfs also. It's so freaking amazing. Real intelligence with the ability to have moods, ideals, personnel preferences. From the simplest explanation I suppose a Bundle of nerves with electrical impulses by way of chemical reaction. Never mind that it can calculate an equation what makes it desire to do so?

    Could you say conscience is curiosity? My explanation involves regular animals such as cows compared to curious animals such as humans.

    And what of the overly curious persons with misdirected curiosity? Do they turn fuzzy blue and live in cute little villages amongst themselves?
     
  17. diogenes

    diogenes New Member

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    That's the position David Hume takes in his book "An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding". Very valid argument that human consciousness is composed entirely of instinct and experience.

    Do you draw a black and white line, or is there a sliding scale or spectrum of curiosity from which you make your distinctions.

    They move to Texas so they can post about guns and the weather.
     
  18. Joeslogic

    Joeslogic Active Member

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    Sliding scale and I am not certain about this. Its really up for debate from my own perspective.

    I mean from the curiosity perspective a cow in my theory if its curiosity allowed it would not be content with grazing in the field, coming into the barn to graze on hay when its cold. But would desire to explore the boundaries of its pen, experiment with the electric fence using tree branches or whatever it may have at its disposal. Eventually figuring out it can short the electrical circuit out. blah blah blah you get the idea but its simply not curious about it. It is content to exist and has a lack of curiosity.

    On the other hand some people speak of instinct. I would think that it may be easier to question the existence of instinct than conscience. For example the Cow takes measures to protect its calf. Could this be more a measure of compassion then instinct?

    Is conscience not curiosity but instead compassion? Is curiosity really the proverbial apple eaten by Eve then Adam in the Garden of Eden? Where it not for knowledge would we not be content with our conscience i.e. compassion and simply existing in harmony? A simple life in the Garden of Eden
     
  19. smurfslappa

    smurfslappa New Member

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    Yeah I guess that'd be nice...
    No, because they are not alive. Also, they are not nearly as complex as a human body. We got all those awesome complex amino acids and proteins and DNA. What's awesome is that DNA is a double helix, and we've witnessed double-helix galaxies all up in space. The same electrical forces driving this galaxy also pull our DNA into the shape that it is.

    It also explains why these old guys were always fucking around with electricity to talk to their Gods, like with the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy seat, the burning bush that didn't actually burn, the Pyr-mids. Come on, this is an important force here and I'm pretty sure the universal principle of all things that scientists are looking for will be found to be the electromagnetic force.

    So we got brains that have all sorts of electrical impulses travelling around in them, and all sorts of ancient lore saying that the soul is the fire within, resting in the water. I find it easier to believe that that is where our memories are stored, instead of being etched onto our brain.

    We are our memories, and where do you think those are stored and how, diogenes?
     
  20. diogenes

    diogenes New Member

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    The electrical impulses are not composed of DNA and Amino acids and "shit".

    Stimulating specific neurons can trigger specific memories. How do you suppose that is if our memories are not stored in our brains?
     

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