Consciousness: A Reality or an Illusion?

Sometimes, what we think and feel can be weirder than that of what we see and hear.
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Roger
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Consciousness: A Reality or an Illusion?

Post by Roger »

Is our consciousness a internal biological process, or is it an extension of an outside universal influence?

If you are of a materialistic mind set then you probably view the consciousness as a result of a bunch of (or single) processes stemming from brain activity, something akin to epiphenomenon, or a illusion produced by cognitive activity. Theories range in all directions to explain the mechanisms involved. A couple are "integrated information" theory and "global workspace" theory. These two theories are considered two of the best of their kind, and ones that the neuroscience community takes seriously.

The problem is that after decades of research scientists are no closer in determining what consciousness is than when they started.

Hence, some other scientists and a few philosophers came out with a different theory; our consciousness comes from without, otherwise called the radio model.

The radio model theory suggests that the function of the brain is not to produce consciousness, but to "receive" a consciousness which exists outside us. This theory sees consciousness as a fundamental property of the universe, which is potentially everywhere and in everything. The brain's function is to "pick up" consciousness around us and to "canalise" it into our own individual being (As an aside, this also works wonderfully to explain psychic phenomena).

Or, is it just an illusion designed from our need of having a separate personality, or a free-will; and consciousness is product of both our brain and from outside influences?

Perhaps, we are not truly self conscious. Rather, we are consciousness, and consciousness is expressing itself through us. And in that sense, we all share the same consciousness.


Source:
1. Live Science: Scientists Closing in on Theory of Consciousness
2. Psychology Today: The Puzzle of Consciousness
3. Wikipedia: Holonomic brain theory


What reality are you from?
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