Is consciousness believed to exist beyond humans and animals?

Many civilizations and traditional societies believe in various forms of consciousness beyond human and animal consciousness. Mystical experiences, altered states of consciousness, spiritual practices, and psychedelics have led people to believe in a greater consciousness. Sir Alister Hardy's research unit in the 1960s found that many Britons had experiences involving a conscious presence greater than their own. Ancient Greek culture was influenced by the Eleusinian Mysteries, involving initiation in a cave and psychoactive substances. Medieval philosophers in Europe, influenced by Aristotle, believed all living beings, including planets and stars, have souls. The 17th-century Scientific Revolution introduced a mechanistic view of the universe, denying traditional beliefs in living organisms and consciousness.

What is panpsychism and its relevance in philosophy?

Panpsychism is a resurgence in philosophy that suggests consciousness exists at many levels of nature, including atoms and electrons. Idealism, focusing on consciousness as the primary reality, is another school of thought that has gained traction. Contemporary philosophers like Philip Goff and Galileo Tonnone advocate for panpsychism, emphasizing the integrative capacity of consciousness and its distribution in nature. Whitehead proposed that particles, even subatomic ones, behave like waves, implying a temporal process with past and future poles. This view transforms the understanding of matter, suggesting a time-based relation between Mind and Body rather than a spatial one. Quantum theory equations, like the Schrödinger wave equation, describe possibilities until an interaction collapses them into a physical fact.

Do self-organizing systems possess consciousness?

Panpsychism suggests that self-organizing systems possess a form of consciousness or organizing capacity, while non-self-organizing entities lack this. Plants, like humans, exhibit consciousness in choices and possibilities, not in habitual actions. Modern panpsychists like Strawsen, Tononi, and Koch explore consciousness from electrons to tissues, aiming to solve the hard problem of human consciousness. Organisms, from cells to galaxies, exhibit self-organizing capacities and purposes, contrasting with mere composites like machines. Atoms and molecules are viewed as processes, not ultimate particles, forming self-organizing systems with a wholeness beyond their parts.

How does the Sun's consciousness impact its behavior?

The Sun exhibits complex electrical activity with granulations, magnetic fields, and solar cycles affecting its heat and behavior. NASA issues solar weather forecasts due to the Sun's unpredictable activity, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The Sun's electromagnetic field and solar wind impact the entire solar system, with potential severe effects on Earth's power systems. Speculation arises on the Sun's consciousness affecting its actions like firing off solar flares or coronal mass ejections. The idea of the entire galaxy and universe having consciousness is explored, with potential communication between galaxies.

Can the universe possess consciousness?

The universe could potentially possess consciousness, offering insights into the source of all consciousness. The universe's consciousness may reflect a fractal version of a universal consciousness, encompassing all forms and energy within it. Neuroscientists study detailed changes in brains related to consciousness, but understanding consciousness solely through brain activity faces challenges. Mechanistic materialism excels in physics and technology but struggles to explain consciousness and spiritual experiences. Spiritual practices like meditation, contemplative Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sufism aim to connect individuals with deeper forms of consciousness.

A Conscious Universe? – Dr Rupert Sheldrake

Name: A Conscious Universe? – Dr Rupert Sheldrake
Uploaded: 2024-04-11T17:48:20.508Z
Description: Various civilizations and traditional societies believe in consciousness beyond human and animal levels, with mystical experiences and spiritual practices influencing this belief. Panpsychism and Idealism are emerging schools of thought emphasizing the integrative nature of consciousness in nature, challenging materialistic views and exploring consciousness from electrons to tissues.

The Weekend University・64 minutes read

Various civilizations and traditional societies believe in consciousness beyond human and animal levels, with mystical experiences and spiritual practices influencing this belief. Panpsychism and Idealism are emerging schools of thought emphasizing the integrative nature of consciousness in nature, challenging materialistic views and exploring consciousness from electrons to tissues.

Insights

Various philosophical and spiritual traditions, from ancient civilizations to contemporary thinkers like Philip Goff and Galileo Tonnone, explore the concept of consciousness existing at different levels of nature, including atoms and electrons, challenging the dominant materialistic view of science.
The idea of consciousness existing in self-organizing systems, such as organisms and even celestial bodies like the Sun, raises questions about the potential consciousness of the entire universe, suggesting a deeper interconnectedness and the exploration of consciousness beyond individual human experiences.

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Recent questions

Is consciousness believed to exist beyond humans and animals?
Many civilizations and traditional societies believe in various forms of consciousness beyond human and animal consciousness. Mystical experiences, altered states of consciousness, spiritual practices, and psychedelics have led people to believe in a greater consciousness. Sir Alister Hardy's research unit in the 1960s found that many Britons had experiences involving a conscious presence greater than their own. Ancient Greek culture was influenced by the Eleusinian Mysteries, involving initiation in a cave and psychoactive substances. Medieval philosophers in Europe, influenced by Aristotle, believed all living beings, including planets and stars, have souls. The 17th-century Scientific Revolution introduced a mechanistic view of the universe, denying traditional beliefs in living organisms and consciousness.
What is panpsychism and its relevance in philosophy?
Panpsychism is a resurgence in philosophy that suggests consciousness exists at many levels of nature, including atoms and electrons. Idealism, focusing on consciousness as the primary reality, is another school of thought that has gained traction. Contemporary philosophers like Philip Goff and Galileo Tonnone advocate for panpsychism, emphasizing the integrative capacity of consciousness and its distribution in nature. Whitehead proposed that particles, even subatomic ones, behave like waves, implying a temporal process with past and future poles. This view transforms the understanding of matter, suggesting a time-based relation between Mind and Body rather than a spatial one. Quantum theory equations, like the Schrödinger wave equation, describe possibilities until an interaction collapses them into a physical fact.
Do self-organizing systems possess consciousness?
Panpsychism suggests that self-organizing systems possess a form of consciousness or organizing capacity, while non-self-organizing entities lack this. Plants, like humans, exhibit consciousness in choices and possibilities, not in habitual actions. Modern panpsychists like Strawsen, Tononi, and Koch explore consciousness from electrons to tissues, aiming to solve the hard problem of human consciousness. Organisms, from cells to galaxies, exhibit self-organizing capacities and purposes, contrasting with mere composites like machines. Atoms and molecules are viewed as processes, not ultimate particles, forming self-organizing systems with a wholeness beyond their parts.
How does the Sun's consciousness impact its behavior?
The Sun exhibits complex electrical activity with granulations, magnetic fields, and solar cycles affecting its heat and behavior. NASA issues solar weather forecasts due to the Sun's unpredictable activity, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The Sun's electromagnetic field and solar wind impact the entire solar system, with potential severe effects on Earth's power systems. Speculation arises on the Sun's consciousness affecting its actions like firing off solar flares or coronal mass ejections. The idea of the entire galaxy and universe having consciousness is explored, with potential communication between galaxies.
Can the universe possess consciousness?
The universe could potentially possess consciousness, offering insights into the source of all consciousness. The universe's consciousness may reflect a fractal version of a universal consciousness, encompassing all forms and energy within it. Neuroscientists study detailed changes in brains related to consciousness, but understanding consciousness solely through brain activity faces challenges. Mechanistic materialism excels in physics and technology but struggles to explain consciousness and spiritual experiences. Spiritual practices like meditation, contemplative Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sufism aim to connect individuals with deeper forms of consciousness.