Scientists have made great progress in understanding how the brain functions, but can’t figure out how a kilo of soggy matter that’s 70% water can possibly create the constant flow of sensations, thoughts, memories, emotions and awareness that seem to occupy our every waking moment.
The conscious mind is only the tip of the iceberg: The subconscious is vastly more active and extensive than we are aware of, and consciousness itself remains a mystery.
Mainstream research, however, still assumes that consciousness must be a product of the brains activity. As one scientist said: “We don’t have anywhere else to look. If consciousness doesn’t come from the brain, where else could it possibly come from?” (Psychology Today)
An infant is born conscious and aware but without a Sense of Self. So it’s obvious that that consciousness can exist without a Sense of Self, but the Sense of Self cannot exist without consciousness.
Spiritual enquiry helps us to understand that the sense of individual identity is a separate phenomena to consciousness, but most scientists and artificial intelligence technologists confuse our sense of “I” with actual consciousness. I guess they’ll make more progress when consciousness and the Sense of Self are recognised as being separate phenomenon.
Some scientists, however, have began to think outside of the box and are starting to suggest that consciousness may exist as a kind of natural and impersonal field that our minds tune into.
It will be interesting to see how this hypothesis develops. Perhaps some day consciousness will be recognised as a sort of universal field – just as gravity affects our bodies, the phenomena of consciousness affects our minds…
Which could bring a breath of fresh air into science, spirituality and religion.
Spiritual enquiry
Stumbling into it
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