Science
In reply to the discussion: What is so mysterious about human consciousness? [View all]Speck Tater
(10,618 posts)There are three things in the universe that are "uncaused", or "elemental".
1. Space/time
2. Mass/energy
3. Information/consciousness
Matter is not a property of space because they are both elemental and are disjoint classes.
Energy is not a property of information because they are both elemental and disjoint classes.
Consciousness is not a property of matter because they are both elemental and disjoint.
(For those unfamiliar with the theoretical underpinnings, it was established back in the 70's, as I recall, that information can exist without energy or matter. I recall reading the article in the IBM Journal of Research and Development outlining the proof that zero-energy information could exist. I don't recall the exact date, but it had to be the 70's because I read it while I was in grad school completing my MS in comp sci. Given that information can exist without mass/energy, that pretty much makes them disjoint classes. As for information being neither created nor destroyed, see Hawking's black hole information paradox.)
Matter may occupy space, information may be embodied or encoded in matter or energy, consciousness may occupy matter, but it is still distinct from matter.
Mass/energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed in one way or another.
Space/time cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed in one way or another (e.g. warped, twisted, distorted by great mass)
Consciousness/information cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed in one way or another.
To look for the "cause" of consciousness is like looking for the "cause" of matter, or the "cause" of space/time. These things simply are.
Attempts to "explain" consciousness always seem to end with a lot of hand waving and conclusion jumping. I'm reminded of Dennet's "Consciousness Explained" which was a fascinating, and exciting book to read, but which, in the end, spend nearly 600 pages explaining in great detail how the movie projector in the theater worked, and then suddenly, in a single quantum leap that bounded over all intervening logic, Dennet waved his magic wand and said, in effect, "and because we know how the movie projector works, therefore the audience does not exist." "Therefore?" Really? I was very sad an disappointed to find such a lame conclusion to such a terrific book.
But in the end, all the "experts" on consciousness end up "explaining" it either by redefining it to exclude all but what they have explained, or making some wild leap utterly devoid of any deductive underpinnings.
Sorry, but consciousness has NOT been explained. At least not to the satisfaction of anyone who has spent 40+ years in regular and disciplined meditation exploring the nature of consciousness, and 45 years in the study and application of artificial intelligence.