The Naked Scientists
Toggle navigation
Login
Register
Podcasts
The Naked Scientists
eLife
Naked Genetics
Naked Astronomy
In short
Naked Neuroscience
Ask! The Naked Scientists
Question of the Week
Archive
Video
SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
Articles
Science News
Features
Interviews
Answers to Science Questions
Get Naked
Donate
Do an Experiment
Science Forum
Ask a Question
About
Meet the team
Our Sponsors
Site Map
Contact us
User menu
Login
Register
Search
Home
Help
Search
Tags
Member Map
Recent Topics
Login
Register
Naked Science Forum
On the Lighter Side
New Theories
Does split-brain research suggest the reality of the soul?
« previous
next »
Print
Pages:
1
[
2
]
Go Down
Does split-brain research suggest the reality of the soul?
22 Replies
6821 Views
3 Tags
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
alancalverd
Global Moderator
Naked Science Forum GOD!
18475
Activity:
56%
Thanked: 1564 times
life is too short to drink instant coffee
Re: Does split-brain research suggest the reality of the soul?
«
Reply #20 on:
21/07/2017 09:17:02 »
I'm always happy to join a discussion of consciousness as long as there is a consistent definition of the term. None offered here.
Logged
helping to stem the tide of ignorance
jeffreyH
Global Moderator
Naked Science Forum King!
6996
Activity:
0%
Thanked: 192 times
The graviton sucks
Re: Does split-brain research suggest the reality of the soul?
«
Reply #21 on:
21/07/2017 12:50:34 »
Ok consciousness. We have particles, atoms and molecules that interact in well defined ways and obey laws. Normally they do not decide whether or not to react with other chemical systems. It is only when matter takes particular forms and then consumes and processes other matter that we can even start to consider a 'conscious' element.
Logged
Even the most obstinately ignorant cannot avoid learning when in an environment that educates.
Greylorn
(OP)
Jr. Member
46
Activity:
0%
Thanked: 1 times
Naked Science Forum Newbie
Re: Does split-brain research suggest the reality of the soul?
«
Reply #22 on:
22/07/2017 06:45:13 »
Various recommendations that a definition of consciousness is in order are good. A long internet scan brings up more that I want to count, many contrary to others, so I won't pick a definition from that disagreeable assembly. Consciousness, as I use it in all my writings, involves these properties:
Sensory perceptions, of some sort. These can be limited, People born both deaf and blind can become conscious, but only with considerable difficulty. Nonetheless, I propose that a potentially conscious entity can become conscious with only a single and extremely simple sensory input, under ultra-low extraneous noise conditions.
Consciousness is an acquired state of being.
Self-awareness is an essential property of consciousness.
Perceptions of information from external sources are a requirement for consciousness. It is possible for an entity to have such perceptions without consciousness.
Consciousness requires memory during the acquisition and development stages. It may also require memory during its maintenance phases.
Animals are generally not conscious, but in the case of orangutans and some sea-going mammals, the returns are not entirely in.
Brains or other assemblies of molecules cannot be made conscious. Therefore Chalmers' "hard problem" of consciousness cannot be solved.
The human brain is a mechanism which facilitates the development and expression of consciousness, but is not itself conscious.
In the absence of conscious control, a mechanism that has been taught to deal with information by a conscious entity (e.g: a human brain, dog, or computer), may exhibit its information processing abilities independently. This will confuse anyone trying to define consciousness as a function of such abilities.
Consciousness may exist without the ability to express itself.
A conscious entity that is supported by and interfaced with a non-conscious mechanism may not necessarily manifest its properties consistently. It will allow the supporting mechanism to take over, particular in the management of routine activities.
Such an entity may reach a level of consciousness which enables it to retain consciousness in the event of disconnection or permanent loss of any supporting mechanisms. (This explains out-of-brain experiences such as those documented to occur under chemically induced anesthesia. It also may explain some states induced by recreational drugs such as LSD.)
A created entity probably cannot become conscious, but may effectively mimic the characteristics associated with consciousness.
The previous list of properties is fairly conventional, in that many people could agree with some items.
However, there is a property required of any conscious or potentially conscious entity which is unique to this particular theory-- the inherent ability to freely violate the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. This leads to the natural tendency to create information, which eventually leads to consciousness.
This is possibly a tad more than those requesting a definition imagined, but it seems required. Finally, I apologize for referring to the mechanism for consciousness as "soul," in hopes that a familiar term might get things started more easily than the term I actually use,
beon
, the essential mechanism for consciousness. The beon concept is at the core of a fairly comprehensive theory, or integrated set of theories, about the beginnings of things.
Several who have posted to this thread have made it clear that in their opinions, theories about the nature of consciousness are restricted to the assumption that it is the consequence of an already existing universe, and must not be involved as an explanation for the origin of the universe, as religions employ their various gods. Beon is employed rather differently, as I've explained elsewhere and will explain here in due time and logical sequence unless I'm required to depart this forum.
Before that happens, based on just a small bit of experience here, I figure on dealing with plenty of quibbling about my definition by those who have not seriously studied it, and would prefer to reduce it to ideas with which they are familiar.
Way more than enough for now. A weekend beckons. Y'all enjoy yours!
Logged
Print
Pages:
1
[
2
]
Go Up
« previous
next »
Tags:
split brain
/
callosotomy
/
roger sperry
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...