On Consciousness

[l0st]

Hmmm...

Well, the current school of thought on consciousness as of late is that we may all, in fact, be part of a single central conscious.  I just read an article about this the other day.

What I think we view as "alien" or "paranormal" are simply additional planes of existence that intersect with ours. I think we are quite simply unable, at least most of the time, to perceive their existences therein. Those we consider "gifted" with extra-sensory perceptions, visions, and other such phenomena are very likely to actually be people with heightened sensitivities that allow them to sometimes see what others do not.

Just as these planes of existence coexist together in a shared realm, so is our collective consciousness. The idea that one can reincarnate would eviscerate the ideal that there is some formative timeline by which all these planes must abide in synchronicity. Yet, there is no evidence that time exists at all. It is a purely human construct based on long-term analysis of astrological and seasonal patterns. Everything exists now, in the now, and forever. The state of existence  - that which we perceive as "dead" or "alive" is only detectable by observation. The universe cares not what time it is.

This is the only explanation for the current state of existence that makes sense - that everything that is here has always been here and will always be here. The alternative view would indicate that absent outside forces, we would eventually run out of souls to reincarnate as there would then be no "supply" of dead souls available for reincarnation, unless one assumes that consciousness and therefore existence simply creates itself as it goes along.

[midicon]

 

[schuyler]

Well, the current school of thought on consciousness as of late is that we may all, in fact, be part of a single central conscious.  I just read an article about this the other day.

What I think we view as "alien" or "paranormal" are simply additional planes of existence that intersect with ours. I think we are quite simply unable, at least most of the time, to perceive their existences therein. 

 
Thanks for your post. There are some intriguing ideas out there. I just came across the idea of "fractal consciousness." I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but it sounds like it is worth pursuing. And, of course, we have the idea of a collective unconscious, which has been out there for some time now. I suspect we all have paranormal abilities. It's just that in our materialistic world, these abilities are not, shall we say, encouraged.  I don't blame those who believe in science from throwing out the ridiculous religious ideas that humanity has been saddled with througout its existence. But it is completely materialistic in that if you can't measure it, it does not exist.  That's a mistake. You don't have to believe in Jesus to consider the idea that science is short-sighted. I actually believe that the paranormal can be explained in scientific terms; it's just not there yet. The aversion is too great. 

The idea that "time does not exist" is pretty common. Indeed, many times I have read that "Time does not exist" as a self-evident fact. I must say I simply do not understand that concept at all. To me time itself is a self-evident fact. At the very least it is a convenient way to separate events. If yo buy off on Hugh Everett's "Many Worlds" interpretation, everything does, indeed, happen and creates its own separate timeline. That's too much for me to comprehend. I can understand the idea of more than one timeline, but not an infinite number. If everything happens, then nothing matters.

[Karl12]

Good write up Schuyler and very important thread.

Am a bit of a fan of Bernardo Kastrup's position.. although I don't agree with him on everything (just like I don't agree with everybody on everything lol)

















Sheldrake's work certainly shouldn't be willfully ignored either.

Consciousness research constantly pops up in high strangeness research and thought this was a great interview.

Do remember a good friend telling me years ago that if I wanted to truly understand consciousness (and UFOs, cryptids, poltergeists etc.) then study shamanism.

Certainly some intriguing pattern recognition in the research from Strassman.

[midicon]

Good write up Schuyler and very important thread.

Am a bit of a fan of Bernardo Kastrup's position.. although I don't agree with him on everything (just like I don't agree with everybody on everything lol)









[Video: https://youtu.be/XoJWqCH4Xrw]







Sheldrake's work certainly shouldn't be willfully ignored either.

Consciousness research constantly pops up in high strangeness research and thought this was a great interview.

Do remember a good friend telling me years ago that if I wanted to truly understand consciousness (and UFOs, cryptids, poltergeists etc.) then study shamanism.

Certainly some intriguing pattern recognition in the research from Strassman.

I managed ten minutes but couldn't take any more. I'm curious about what use is anything in his books?

Just another opinion that seves up nothing more than entertainment and fodder for the woo hunter.

[Karl12]

Woo hunter - that's a good one.

You'd think a genuine scientist would be truly interested in the woo.

Maybe I posted the wrong video of Bernardo - here he is explaining why 'materialism is baloney' - some interesting food for thought I thought.

Any thoughts on the objective Sheldrake experiments or parapsychological studies?

[CCoburn]

Well, the current school of thought on consciousness as of late is that we may all, in fact, be part of a single central conscious.

This sounds a lot like what I've been converging upon moreso later than sooner. It's about the nature of 'identity', and that it may not be as separate and distinct as it appears. In this proposition the physical vessel would play a more significant role in defining individuality. I tend write more about this within an artistic/poetic context.

The idea here is that 'spirit' represents a core fundamental consciousness that emerges or re-emerges as primordial around the same time as the universe, and that it only becomes individual and distinct when it is seeded or housed within a specific physical vessel.

Once a portion, segment, or 'spark' of this original "spirit" is "seeded" to form a union with a physical vessel it is then referred as a "soul". This also appears reminiscent(to me) of the old Hermetic axiom "As above so below." where you have the spirit(from above) which manifests a soul(below). Where "soul" is also a homophone of 'sole' meaning at the foot, i.e. the below part.

Perhaps in this proposition the soul would ultimately return to its original counterpart although it is not precisely certain when this may occur. This also appears to render this 'illusion' as less about individual distinct identities(or entities) and more about the countless individual 'perspectives' of the primordial itself.

On time: time is real; time is change time is movement, and without it nothing ever changes or moves.

[schuyler]

Am a bit of a fan of Bernardo Kastrup's position.. although I don't agree with him on everything (just like I don't agree with everybody on everything lol)

Thanks very much for this reference. Looks like a great deal of intriguing informationn here. (I' ve been following Sheldrake for some time.)

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

While I appreciate the "paradigm shift" I can't do the ethereal consciousness thing. I buy the synapses materialist version.

My Father has alzheimers. Started off slowly now he's getting worse and worse. Apart from being sad, If his consciousness was a manifestation of beyond the physical it wouldn't deteriorate with his physical brain.

The only other answer, if his software is not from his hardware, is an external causal agent that really acts like a total fucking sadist. Like, "Muhahahaha I'm going make your father think you're still a Sophomore in college as everyone cries silently because they can't help it."

Also, what's up with this causal source and schizophrenics? They have an alternate consciousness running. That's messed up. Like a twisted programmer programming an NPC to be batshit and yell at phantoms.

"You will think you're reflection is a ninja and fight it with a stick you found!"

It would have to be. If you're going to say our consciousness is an ethereal thing we experience, but not a product of our own synapses and volition, you are arguing for the hard determinism that probability waves themselves defy. For consciousness to be from beyond the material there would be a rigid X = Y flow without free will or observer effects.

These topics usually devolve into existential eye glossing metaphysical stuff. But if your arguing consciousness is a metaphysical thing you have to work around the hard (metaphysical) determinism that entails.

[schuyler]

My Father has alzheimers. Started off slowly now he's getting worse and worse. Apart from being sad, If his consciousness was a manifestation of beyond the physical it wouldn't deteriorate with his physical brain.

The only other answer, if his software is not from his hardware, is an external causal agent that really acts like a total fucking sadist. Like, "Muhahahaha I'm going make your father think you're still a Sophomore in college as everyone cries silently because they can't help it."

His consciousness is not deteriorated at all. If the physical brain is deteriorated to the point that consciousness cannot fully express itself, that's the result. If The TV set has some burned out tubes, the program cannot get to the screen in the intended manner. That doesn't make the "causal agent" a "fucking sadist." (You are so eloquent!) It just means it can't manifest through a broken physical component. If the TV set is broken, you don't blame the program.