Chapter 21 - Theories of Consciousness

Question 1

The hard problem of consciousness

Answer 1

Materialists can’t find where consciousness lies
Translating patterns of neural activity into words loses essense of the experience

Question 2

qualia

Answer 2

subjective qualities of consciousness, counterpart to measurable quanta of physics

Question 3

Development of normal consciousness

Answer 3

Transpersonal memories and abilities tend to fade as normal consciousness develops
11 stages or levels of consciousness, we have to climb holarchic ladder rung by rung, can’t jump steps or move back down (some disagreement, we can jump between levels)

Question 4

Level 1

Answer 4

birth to 4 months, food and physical comfort are all that matter - selfish, narcissistic, unaware of needs of others, without language or logic

Question 5

Level 2

Answer 5

Physical self hatches, differentiates body from surroundings, but still sees itself as center of magical world

Question 6

Level 3

Answer 6

Psychological birth as separate emotional, feeling self, 15-24 months

Question 7

Level 4

Answer 7

2-7 years, sees emergence of ‘conceptual self’; mind moves from images to symbols, language and classification skills develop, belief in magic fades with realization that outer world doesn’t respond to desires; control bodily desires and discharges

Question 8

Level 5

Answer 8

Form mental rules, 6-14, learn about social rules, classify and apply rules to whole classes, becomes distinguised from external world

Question 9

Level 6

Answer 9

11-15, mature ego, moves onto abstract concepts and meta thoughts; introspection and ability to theorize, plan and design - feelings, dreams, passions, idealisms

Question 10

Level 7

Answer 10

Integration of body and mind, “vision-logic” thought moves to “worldcentric” view which grasps universal principles of justice, mercy, compassion, and equality based on mutual respect, rights and responsibilities - last of conventional dev stages before moving into realms of higher consciousness or spirituality

Question 11

Level 8

Answer 11

psychic level, shift from rational, existential worldview to transpersonal in which we experience unity with nature or ‘world soul.’

Question 12

Level 9

Answer 12

the subtle’ encounter ‘energies’ such as inner lights, archetypes, angels, and other spirit beings, feelings of bliss, universal love and compassion, and unity with god

Question 13

Level 10

Answer 13

unity consciousness, ‘the causal’, emptiness, void, ultimate cause or source of all that is. Mental stillness, nothingness, timelessness

Question 14

Level 11

Answer 14

Non-dual - realization that there is no separation between matter, consciousness and spirit, awareness that everything and every event is spirit - leads to engagement with world rather than spiritual withdrawal

Question 15

Evolution of normal consciousness

Answer 15

Essence of consciousness is combination of sensation and short term memory
Alternative theory says earliest form of consciousness was able to feel emotions
Pleasure brings joy but happiness springs from indifference to outcome, or non-attachment
Sensation, memory, emotion and feelings > active search for useful info
Any animal that tries to change the world to suit itself is likely to have subjective experiences like ours

Question 16

Requirements of consciousness

Answer 16

Sense of place that locates organism in external world
Memory of past events that can be compared with present situation
Ability to focus conscious attention on what is important at the moment
Ability to predict and plan by imagining alternative scenarios
Ability to feel emotions that guide choice of plan

Question 17

Human consciousness

Answer 17

One theory argues evolution of inner voice is critical event in emergence of human consciousness
Humans can’t recall things without stimulus from environment to trigger associated memory, but internalized speech enables humans to pull out particular memories
Another theory links emergence of consciousness to ability language gives us to describe ourselves and others and communicate, leads to awareness of ourselves as separate

Question 18

Development of social groups

Answer 18

Theory suggests this, not language drove evolution to self-awareness; each individual forced to adjust to others - consciousness enables us to put ourselves in someone else’s position so we can empathize with them
Similar theory suggests the way group reacts to us provides us with image of our personalities like a mirror, which we use to form our sense of identity

Question 19

Intentionality

Answer 19

inner reflection, can deliberately mislead or deceive
Most mammals and birds probably have first-order intentionality “I suppose”, “I think”, “I wonder”, “I believe”
Second order intentionality involves reflection on someone else’s mind “I suppose that you think”
Adult humans can handle fifth-order intentionality “I suppose that you believe that I want you to think that I intend”
Depends on size of frontal lobe of brain, last to evolve and generally associated with consciousness

Question 20

Godel’s theorem

Answer 20

No set of rules can ever probe basic propositions of arithmetic whose truth is intuitively obvious to humans

Question 21

Theories of transpersonal and unity consciousness

Answer 21

Consciousness is inherent in all matter rather than emerging when matter achieves sufficient complexity
Once associated with physical form, consciousness becomes constrained and shaped by it
Each of us contains info about entire universe and existence
Just as elementary particle unfolds out of quantum field, soliton appears in nonlinear field, so may an individual consciousness emerge out of consciousness that extends into whole universe - individual mind is localization or concentration of consciousness that unfolds into brain and body of individual