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Politics : Should God be replaced? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mitch Blevins who wrote (5235)	12/20/2000 11:45:38 AM
From: cosmicforce	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 28931

I don't want to over emphasize the mechanistic nature of our consciousness. Where I think the game-theory breaks down is that there is uncertainty and physical non-determinism in the causal chain. Quantum Mechanics (QM) predicts that there can be intermediate causal violations but the final physical state has to be consistent with previous states. I don't view time as linear ( like sequential frames proceeding in a movie). I think it is more like IP network traffic where each information state quantum arrives more or less in order, but there is not a strict prohibition of the ordering mix-ups along the way. In complexity there can be many different paths. I'm not sure about the potentiation ahead of the volitional act that you mention - if you could find a link, that'd be great. I suspect that volitional quanta (the smallest discrete "idea" or "action") arises like a wave within the brain and may start in some places before others. It is well known that the higher executive functions are distributed and not originating in one area of the brain. This supports my radio receiver analogy. Part of the tuning process requires the hardware to be functional so a brain injury damages the receiver causing the consciousness to be distorted. Consciousness may play out in the brain but that does prove that it originates there. If it didn't this explains many things. IMO, physical reality is the medium upon which the consciousness can produce physical acts. This is not necessarily the only medium of conduction (granted, this is highly speculative). I think that under rare circumstances that informational conduits might exist outside of the medium of the physical and this would explain some strange, but well documented "psychic" phenomena. It would be the exception and not the rule in the physical universe, which seems to be the case.

To: Mitch Blevins who wrote (5235)	12/20/2000 11:49:23 AM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 28931

I think I disagree with what you are saying- autonomic responses are still "you" they are just you at a very deep level- you are the sum of you- you can't say that simply because you don't control your breathing completely, or your digestion- with your CONSCIOUS- that it isn't you- or that it isn't all one sum total of the action of the viewer. "You" are your neurons - and your neurons ARE controlling your autonomic responses. Even if the "you" who you think you are, is completely determined by the you that is built into your brain (a more mechanistic you- which lies beneath the surface of the seemingly free volitional you) you are still you, and you are including in you, even those things that are you but beyond your conscious control- the ONLY thing some people are leaving out is the idea that this is part of them- I grant you that idea changes one's perspective- but whether or not "you" include that idea in your repertoire you are still you. But perhaps I misunderstood what you were saying.