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RECENT POSTS IN THIS TOPIC
Giulio Prisco: on 2/4/21 at 8:22am UTC, wrote Dear Prof. Kent, I see that your toy model for downward causation using a...
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Georgina Woodward: on 7/15/20 at 11:27am UTC, wrote I wrote " the ability to understand and act upon it is a large part of...
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Giulio Prisco: on 2/4/21 at 8:22am UTC, wrote Dear Prof. Kent, I see that your toy model for downward causation using a...
Jason Wolfe: on 7/20/20 at 6:54am UTC, wrote I am of the opinion that quantum entanglement of fields actually proves (as...
Kevin Pryor: on 7/20/20 at 2:09am UTC, wrote A high energy quantum field is better represented as a high mass particle. ...
Georgina Woodward: on 7/17/20 at 2:32am UTC, wrote Experiencing 'vision' of 'stars and galaxies' of stars- and knowing the...
Georgina Woodward: on 7/16/20 at 7:36am UTC, wrote I think i have experienced some aspects of my foetal neuro-biological ...
Jason Wolfe: on 7/15/20 at 16:22pm UTC, wrote Georgina, The spirit is fully integrated into the biochemistry of the...
Georgina Woodward: on 7/15/20 at 11:27am UTC, wrote I wrote " the ability to understand and act upon it is a large part of...
Jason Wolfe: on 7/15/20 at 8:35am UTC, wrote It looks more to me like consciousness is the experience of a field like...
RECENT FORUM POSTS
Georgina Woodward: "Still about the anatomy of spacetime. Max Tegmark/ 10mths ago/ Closer to..." in Anatomy of spacetime and...
Stefan Weckbach: "Hi Lorraine, in the case of the crashing twin-towers, the term “top-down..." in The Present State of...
Stefan Weckbach: "Hi Steve, take also care Steve, and may the force of the three spheres be..." in The Present State of...
Jim Snowdon: "Since evolving on our rapidly rotating planet, we have used it`s rotational..." in The Quantum Clock-Maker...
Steve Dufourny: "a general universal clock of evolution irreversible correlated for me with..." in The Quantum Clock-Maker...
Georgina Woodward: "If considering existence rather than appearances, the time dimension..." in Anatomy of spacetime and...
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FQXi BLOGS
September 18, 2021
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TOPIC: Searching for Physical Models of the Evolution of Consciousness by Adrian Kent [refresh]
TOPIC: Searching for Physical Models of the Evolution of Consciousness by Adrian Kent [refresh]
Abstract: The scientific consensus is that, although many important details remain to be elaborated, Darwinian evolution can be understood in principle as a consequence of known physical laws. As William James first pointed out, the development of human consciousness, and in particular the fact that it appears to have evolutionarily advantageous features, are hard to explain within a purely materialist Darwinian theory, according to which we would function equally well in the world if we were unconscious zombies or if pleasure and pain qualia were inverted. However, it is difficult to find attractive alternatives that have any more explanatory power. In this talk I describe toy models that are intended to illuminate the space of possibilities and the difficulties.
Keywords: #Models of consciousness
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Keywords: #Models of consciousness
This forum thread is open to the public.
Inversions of pleasure and pain qualia is mentioned in the introduction to the video.. Qulia can be thought of as representation of information.
Another kind of representation of information is numerals.Numerals are used to represent quantity and magnitude. The numeral 8 could be swapped with the numeral 3 and function just as well. So long as what the swapped numerals are representing is known/ has been learned.
The red quale may be associated with ripe fruit. The quale could be different but function just as well if it aids detection of ripe fruit just as well. The numerous associations with red need learning. Ripe fruit, danger, stop light, off etc.
Damage or potential damage or malfunction of the body is associated with pain, Pleasure is associated with short or long term benefit to the organism; or its species,
Pain is often associated with a specific part or area of the body, but can also be diffuse. Emanates from pain receptors and activation or irritation of nerves. There are also different kinds of pain with different duration and intensity or frequency.
There are many kinds of pleasure. Emanating from activation of hormones and or neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. To do with seeking (dopamine), bonding, social contact, sex (oxytocin), contentment, meeting the needs wants of the body-eating, drinking, adequate warmth (serotonin).Having very different origins pain and pleasure are not really opposites, but different classes of sensation; upon reflection, not easily reversed.
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Another kind of representation of information is numerals.Numerals are used to represent quantity and magnitude. The numeral 8 could be swapped with the numeral 3 and function just as well. So long as what the swapped numerals are representing is known/ has been learned.
The red quale may be associated with ripe fruit. The quale could be different but function just as well if it aids detection of ripe fruit just as well. The numerous associations with red need learning. Ripe fruit, danger, stop light, off etc.
Damage or potential damage or malfunction of the body is associated with pain, Pleasure is associated with short or long term benefit to the organism; or its species,
Pain is often associated with a specific part or area of the body, but can also be diffuse. Emanates from pain receptors and activation or irritation of nerves. There are also different kinds of pain with different duration and intensity or frequency.
There are many kinds of pleasure. Emanating from activation of hormones and or neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. To do with seeking (dopamine), bonding, social contact, sex (oxytocin), contentment, meeting the needs wants of the body-eating, drinking, adequate warmth (serotonin).Having very different origins pain and pleasure are not really opposites, but different classes of sensation; upon reflection, not easily reversed.
The opposite of painful is painlessness. Absence of pain quale. The opposite of pleasant is not pleasant. Absence of pleasant quale.,
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Facets of consciousness: There is the products generated from sensory inputs giving awareness of the environment external to the organism. Advantageous for resource location and acquisition, including potential mates.Also for avoidance of predators and other dangers to life or well being. There is feedback from the body giving sensations such as being 'out of breath" or off balance or in pain. Bodily sensations which allow oversight of function to avoid harm, and improve performance..Then there are emotional states and their intensities which seem to be at a fundamental level about drives to do what the body needs to survive,thrive (and reproduce) ; and stop doing that whatever when needs are satisfied.
If sensory, bodily feedback and emotional qualia are the biologically generated language, the ability to understand and act upon it is a large part of consciousness. Relating all of the generated information to a singular self is another part of it. I am cold ,I am hungry, I am lost I have a pain in my foot etc. As is internal 'self talk' and imagination.
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If sensory, bodily feedback and emotional qualia are the biologically generated language, the ability to understand and act upon it is a large part of consciousness. Relating all of the generated information to a singular self is another part of it. I am cold ,I am hungry, I am lost I have a pain in my foot etc. As is internal 'self talk' and imagination.
I wrote " the ability to understand and act upon it is a large part of consciousness." It would be better to say 'to understand and initiate responses' etc. Because the action may be carried out by the body and only its initiation controlled by the mind (meaning brain activity.)
Brain activity while conscious is diffuse, but not all of the activity is conscious awareness. Much of the brain's activity is subconscious.
Jason, Separate from the body the observation products from the senses, the emotions from hormones and neurotransmitters and feedback from the body, and stored memory would not be available. So can it be considered the same thing as the internal experiencer of a conscious organism?
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Brain activity while conscious is diffuse, but not all of the activity is conscious awareness. Much of the brain's activity is subconscious.
Jason, Separate from the body the observation products from the senses, the emotions from hormones and neurotransmitters and feedback from the body, and stored memory would not be available. So can it be considered the same thing as the internal experiencer of a conscious organism?
Georgina,
The spirit is fully integrated into the biochemistry of the living cells at the level of the wave function. A wave function is a mathematical description of the quantum field. The quantum field passes between the molecules the way a river passes between the mountains. Brain activity, neurotransmitters, hormones, memories,etc, are just things that consciousness of the spirit can experience. But when the body passes away, the spirit can still experience those things, happier things.
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The spirit is fully integrated into the biochemistry of the living cells at the level of the wave function. A wave function is a mathematical description of the quantum field. The quantum field passes between the molecules the way a river passes between the mountains. Brain activity, neurotransmitters, hormones, memories,etc, are just things that consciousness of the spirit can experience. But when the body passes away, the spirit can still experience those things, happier things.
I think i have experienced some aspects of my foetal neuro-biological development happening, And the sense of being an experiencer occurring before awareness of own body.
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It looks more to me like consciousness is the experience of a field like entity that can be closely identified with as a ghost. I mean, how much difference is there between a quantum field that already goes unnoticed, and a quantum field life form that has been called a ghost for thousands of years.
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A high energy quantum field is better represented as a high mass particle.
The idea is if the ability of perception of images, sounds and other qualia is intrinsic to high mass particles because they inherited it from the conscious universe and their primary way of sending and receiving information is photons then it follows that they also inherited a decoder/encoder to receive/send images, sounds, and other qualia. That wireless code or language they use to communicate qualia I call the electromagnetic homuncular code.
The brain would need to send/receive a lot of information to/from the particle homunculus from all parts of the brain all at once -- the only way that can be accomplished is by using coded streams of photons using microtubules or other molecules as antennas. The particle can also send out coded streams of photons to the brain for free will voluntary actions and decisions.
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The idea is if the ability of perception of images, sounds and other qualia is intrinsic to high mass particles because they inherited it from the conscious universe and their primary way of sending and receiving information is photons then it follows that they also inherited a decoder/encoder to receive/send images, sounds, and other qualia. That wireless code or language they use to communicate qualia I call the electromagnetic homuncular code.
The brain would need to send/receive a lot of information to/from the particle homunculus from all parts of the brain all at once -- the only way that can be accomplished is by using coded streams of photons using microtubules or other molecules as antennas. The particle can also send out coded streams of photons to the brain for free will voluntary actions and decisions.
I am of the opinion that quantum entanglement of fields actually proves (as much as can be made self evident) that consciousness exists beyond biology and chemistry. As such, we should refer to it as spirit. I believe that higher intelligence also exists beyond the physical. When I asked this higher consciousness how it would be possible to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity, in a way that could lead to an experiment; or more specifically, I wanted to know how it was possible to control a gravity field using electronics, I got an answer.
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Dear Prof. Kent,
I see that your toy model for downward causation using a probabilistic version of Rule 110 has been published:
https://doi.org/10.3390/e22111224
Are you continuing this research and have you published more?
Thanks - GP
report post as inappropriate
I see that your toy model for downward causation using a probabilistic version of Rule 110 has been published:
https://doi.org/10.3390/e22111224
Are you continuing this research and have you published more?
Thanks - GP
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