However, before we can pursue that train of thought any further we should really have a common understanding of what consciousness is.
Unfortunately, no one, not even the neuroscientists who study the brain, nor the philosophers who attempt to explain the concept of consciousness, have an inkling as to what consciousness truly is. Suffice to say, that is part of the problem when attempting to determine the source of human consciousness. We first have to understand what consciousness is before we can even attempt to know where it comes from.
Basically, according to Merriam-Webster, it comes down to being aware of your universe (reality) as well as being self-aware. So if consciousness is awareness then even the most minute organism has some consciousness, even it is at its' most rudimentary.Merriam-Webster defines consciousness as follows:
- a : the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself
b : the state or fact of being conscious of an external object, state, or fact
c : awareness; especially : concern for some social or political cause The organization aims to raise the political consciousness of teenagers.
- the state of being characterized by sensation, emotion, volition, and thought : mind
- 3
the totality of conscious states of an individual
- 4
the normal state of conscious life regained consciousness
- 5
the upper level of mental life of which the person is aware as contrasted with unconscious processes
Then, there are those who think that consciousness continues to exist outside the body, based on the near-death experiences of those patients who've died and returned. Usually, it's been people who've had a cardiac arrest incident, then were resuscitated, that spoke of their experience of NDE to researchers, that have fairly filled this particular hypothesis, If this is the case, then we don't require a physical form (a body) to achieve, or have consciousness.
Personally, I believe that scalar consciousness is better defined as being able to perceive experience and retain that experience long enough to incorporate it into our personal cosmos matrix. This matrix exists regardless of whether we have physical form in our 3D reality or not. And, from which our individual consciousness derives from.
From whence does consciousness come from, is the question.
New Age advocates believe that human consciousness comes from cosmic energy, which prevails everywhere and permeates everything (although to refer to this particular belief as New Age is a misnomer, as it is part of a ancient Hindu belief, Kashmir Shaivism, and is called Shakti).
Or, in their own words:
Cosmic energy is the life force that is existent everywhere. It is present in the cosmos, between the galaxies, the molecules and in the space. It is essential to maintain the order of our life and expand our consciousness - http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/what ... -benefits/
Cosmic energy is also known as the energy of Supreme Consciousness and Intelligence. It is present everywhere at all times. People need this energy in order to maintain balance in their lives, and they can purposely receive it by practicing spirituality. It can also be received through breathing techniques, meditation, yoga, tai chi, or other similar exercises. - https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5811/cosmic-energy
There might be some truth in this Hindu belief, since consciousness seems to extend in reverse to the individual. We have seemingly have a global consciousness -so why not a cosmic consciousness- and from there, trickle down, in steps, to the individual?
Other researchers believe that consciousness is born within the brain and is dependent on the brain for is continuing existence.
However, until we have a more objective rational for defining what consciousness is, we can't begin to understand how to discover from where consciousness is from.
Sources:
[1] https://neurologism.com/2017/02/17/is-t ... e-for-con/
[2] http://iands.org/research/nde-research/ ... l=&start=0
[3] http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2133232 ... ain-study/
[4] http://unisci.com/stories/20022/0516026.htm
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3673342/
[6] http://content.time.com/time/magazine/a ... 94,00.html
[7] https://www.ted.com/talks/david_chalmer ... anguage=en