Consciousness is hard to define. Therefore, what is a higher state of consciousness? (humans, biological)

[jonesg]

Originally Posted by Matt Marcinkiewicz

They're not aware at all. They're biological automatons.

Prove it.

[Gohangr]

In my opinion, consciousness is understanding.
The more you understand about the world and the creatures in it and how each thing affects the other(physically or otherwise), the more conscious you become.
Basically I would say that the more you learn about everything, and the more connections you make with the things you know, consciousness levels up.

[cebuan]

All emotions are hard to define. But I can still recognize higher states of them. What's the problem?

[Phil75230]

I've concluded consciousness is the extent or degree of awareness - especially in terms of awareness of you yourself and other humans operate (and even other higher animals), plus ability to foresee what will happen, inductive and deductive thinking, able to feel what other people feel, and such.

That means a higher state of consciousness is a higher degree of awareness of at least one of the above, and ideally all the above.

[msgsing]

Are we really self conscious or our we existing in someone else's dream. Pull aside the veiled curtain and enter into a universe of mystery. Only the creator has the ultimate answer.

[c charlie]

I can make no claims to being a philosopher. Following complex philosophical arguments is hard work for me.
Therefore, I'm partial to Occam's razor.

An atheist and materialist, I reject the notion that there is any non corporeal element in human consciousness, mind or awareness..

For me, consciousness ,mind and awareness are mainly the dynamic of the human brain; a process rather than an identifiable object. I concede that memory seems to be stored in the brain.

That memory is stored in the brain perhaps explains why memories are altered or fade with time , as the brain begins to deteriorate..

That mind is not distinct from brain is easily demonstrated; Injure the brain, injure the mind. There is no proof that anything of a person survives the death of the brain. No brain activity, no person. Emotions, even the entire personality can be destroyed by a frontal lobotomy.


Now I can't prove my position categorically, and lack the skills to enter a complex philosophical argument. However , my position suits me in its simplicity .(Occam's razor again) I readily concede I may be wrong. I am ready to change my view as soon as anyone provides proof for an alternative argument. Pretty sure nobody has done that yet.

[c charlie]

Originally Posted by msgsing

Are we really self conscious or our we existing in someone else's dream. Pull aside the veiled curtain and enter into a universe of mystery. Only the creator has the ultimate answer.

What creator? A pretty simplistic evasion of the question. To posit a necessary creator is an empty claim, as it is not falsifiable.

'The mystery of faith' non answer was given to me many times as an adolescent Catholic. Drove me me nuts, helped drive me away from the Church, and eventually the notion of a god.

That faith has nothing to with reason did not satisfy me then ,and does not satisfy me over 50 years later.

[treemoni]

Originally Posted by Phil75230

I've concluded consciousness is the extent or degree of awareness - especially in terms of awareness of you yourself and other humans operate (and even other higher animals), plus ability to foresee what will happen, inductive and deductive thinking, able to feel what other people feel, and such.

That means a higher state of consciousness is a higher degree of awareness of at least one of the above, and ideally all the above.

I agree with this. I think most people are not aware of their ability to pick up on other people's emotions because we are trained not to with all the distractions aka "noise" we have. I am well-aware of my ability to bring down the energy of a room, and if people are subtly trying to get under my skin, sometimes I will consciously put energy into make them uncomfortable without saying a word. But I know that is not a good use of my energy. Ultimately, everything you do to someone, you're doing to yourself.


Sometimes I don't think I'm aware of the power of my own energy, but I can tell by the way people react to me. If I'm having a more serious conversation in a restaurant, without fail, service people will start making roundabout comments on how nice a day it is, as if to tell me, "Lighten up." It's kind of amusing.


I think a lot of people underestimate animals. I remember one day I was driving, and this pack of geese was on the side of the road ready to cross. I stopped immediately because those birds will just step off the curb without a care, and you will wait for every last one of them to cross. They don't care if you're in a huge truck. They own the road in that moment. Well this particular time, the geese weren't making a move. And I kid you not, after I sat there for a few seconds also not moving, one of the geese motioned his head as if to say, "Go on!" It freaked me out. They always take the right of way! Before I saw them, I had been far enough away that they could have started walking across the street well before I approached.


I think a lot of people hate cats because cats can read people very well. Whether a person is a cat or dog person says a lot about who they are.

Originally Posted by msgsing

Are we really self conscious or our we existing in someone else's dream. Pull aside the veiled curtain and enter into a universe of mystery. Only the creator has the ultimate answer.

Good question. I think about this often too.

[waechter418]

That there are superior stages of Consciousness becomes evident in the observation of inferior stages. As superior may classify the stage were superior/inferior judgements disappear.

[thriftylefty]

Wouldn't dreaming be the higher state of consciousness? In the dialectic, the synthesis of consciousness (thesis) and unconsciousness (antithesis) would be a higher form of consciousness.