Consciousness

Never done drugs beyond tobbacco. Not through puritanism, just never been around them and never bothered to seek them out.

It also is a great anti-anxiety medication. Once I learned how to cope with the occasional bouts of paranoia, it actually makes a very effective anti-depressant/anxiety treatment.

Quote from: Anteater7171 on April 07, 2009, 11:47:00 PM

It also is a great anti-anxiety medication. Once I learned how to cope with the occasional bouts of paranoia, it actually makes a very effective anti-depressant/anxiety treatment.

But I stopped taking anti-anxiety, and don't want to take them ever again. I want to get by on my own mind. I may have problems but I want to do it on my own.

Quote from: Chris Spaghetti on April 08, 2009, 04:01:16 AM

Never done drugs beyond tobbacco. Not through puritanism, just never been around them and never bothered to seek them out.

Where I live, they find you eventually.

I'd say consciousness is simply being aware. Being aware is basically processing data. My computer processes data but not anything external to what it is fed. My computer is only conscious and sees of COD4, as much as I am conscious and see what is in my room. The most significant difference being that I comprehend. Comprehension could be recognizing patterns and having background knowledge. This is also achievable by computers.

I'd love it if someone could define consciousness in such a way that it could not be applied to a computer.

I recall that VenomfangX once said that consciousness is essentially a term for the soul as it is using the brain. (The brain connects the soul and body.) While I'm spouting out challenges, I might as well ask for creationists who are prolife to apply a definition that fits an embryo.

If we were a thing of dominoes, chemical reaction after chemical reaction, there would not be an image in my mind.

there might be the information but I would not have that image in my mind.

keep in mind I am trying to verbalize something That really can't be verbalized. I am just trying to get you close enough you can find it yourself.

Now the problem is it is impossible for me to know if any one else is conscious or a set of dominoes. I apologize if it seems like a stupid argument. Trust me, if you understood what I was thinking it would make sense.

Quote from: optimisticcynic on April 08, 2009, 09:00:37 PM

Quote

there might be the information but I would not have that image in my mind.

If you process the information to compile an image, and then interpret it you would...

I am trying to say having the information is different and processing it would be different then seeing it. yes we process it to but we also see it. Again I may not be understandable.

I am trying to say having the information is different and processing it would be different then seeing it. yes we process it to but we also see it. Again I may not be understandable.

ﮎingulaЯiτy, at what point do you believe a computer becomes, fully conscious?

Also I thought of another weird question that falls in here. If one were to go through a teleporter (the Startrek kind, dissembles you then a machine reassembles you out of different atoms in another location) would you be the same conscious entity that entered, once you come out?

Quote from: optimisticcynic on April 08, 2009, 09:28:18 PM

I am trying to say having the information is different and processing it would be different then seeing it. yes we process it to but we also see it. Again I may not be understandable.

It sounds as if you are trying to describe the sensation of perception.
But I still think that it is purely chemical and mechanical processes giving us sensations and perceptions.

Am I the only one here that has not smoked something?

I am sorry am. I am having trouble verbalizing what I have figured out.
a Computer proses the information that represents the picture of COD4. However when I see my hand There is a consciousness in seeing it. if we were a thing of dominoes, chemical reaction after chemical reaction, there would not be an image in my mind. there might be the information but I would not have that image in my mind.

Quote from: optimisticcynic on April 08, 2009, 09:00:37 PM

I am sorry am. I am having trouble verbalizing what I have figured out.
a Computer proses the information that represents the picture of COD4. However when I see my hand There is a consciousness in seeing it. if we were a thing of dominoes, chemical reaction after chemical reaction, there would not be an image in my mind. there might be the information but I would not have that image in my mind.

I'm not quite sure that I know what you are trying to say.

The way a computer displays an image is not that different from the way your brain displays an image to you. Your brain does a lot of stuff in the background that you are not aware of. One of those things is taking information in the form of electrical signals, sent to it from your eyes, and turning it into an image that you "see". This is pretty much exactly what the computer does. To the computer, the images that you see on your monitor are nothing more than binary code.

So really, your brain doesn't need anything other than the information for you to see things.

Are you saying the computer would need to be self aware in order to see the image?

Do you think a soul is required for that?  I kinda think he's saying that we couldn't have intuition without a soul.

Am I the only one here that has not smoked something?

Do you think a soul is required for that?  I kinda think he's saying that we couldn't have intuition without a soul.

quote author=Space Cowgirl link=topic=28135.msg670389#msg670389 date=1239383811]
Do you think a soul is required for that?  I kinda think he's saying that we couldn't have intuition without a soul.

Quote from: optimisticcynic on April 07, 2009, 10:48:55 PM

Am I the only one here that has not smoked something?

Never smoked anything, nor have I ever had any alcoholic beverages.

Huh I didn't think there was any one on this sight besides me that hadn't Although I did have one sip of wine at confirmation. I really don't consider that drinking an alcoholic beverage.

Quote from: ﮎingulaЯiτy on April 22, 2009, 04:46:51 PM

Quote from: Space Cowgirl on April 10, 2009, 10:16:51 AM

Do you think a soul is required for that?  I kinda think he's saying that we couldn't have intuition without a soul.

Do you agree with that? If so, how do you define intuition?

No it is more that without a soul I could react to pain but I could not feel it. To an observer it would be impossible to tell the difference however I know I feel pain.

God that was a terrible try at explaining it. If you can figure out what I am saying good for you.

It sounds as if you are trying to describe a sensation from perception.

Huh I didn't think there was any one on this sight besides me that hadn't Although I did have one sip of wine at confirmation. I really don't consider that drinking an alcoholic beverage.

Quote from: optimisticcynic on April 22, 2009, 04:51:27 PM

Quote from: ﮎingulaЯiτy on April 22, 2009, 04:46:51 PM

Quote from: Space Cowgirl on April 10, 2009, 10:16:51 AM

Do you think a soul is required for that?  I kinda think he's saying that we couldn't have intuition without a soul.

Do you agree with that? If so, how do you define intuition?

No it is more that without a soul I could react to pain but I could not feel it. To an observer it would be impossible to tell the difference however I know I feel pain.

Why? Is this based on intuition or is there a reason you believe this?
the reason is no mater the reaction it is composed of objects that due not feel. when you add them together the should not suddenly develop that ability. yet we have it. Wow that was a bad explanation this is really hard to explain.

Quote from: optimisticcynic on April 22, 2009, 04:51:27 PM

God that was a terrible try at explaining it. If you can figure out what I am saying good for you.

Quote from: ﮎingulaЯiτy on April 08, 2009, 09:31:23 PM

It sounds as if you are trying to describe a sensation from perception.

Am I close?
close

Quote from: optimisticcynic on April 22, 2009, 04:51:27 PM

Huh I didn't think there was any one on this sight besides me that hadn't Although I did have one sip of wine at confirmation. I really don't consider that drinking an alcoholic beverage.

Nah, yours doesn't count. On second thought, I am WINNING by one sip. 

Turns out ﮎingulaЯiτy is a bigger moralfag than our KKKristians.

Quote from: Proleg on April 22, 2009, 08:05:15 PM

Turns out ﮎingulaЯiτy is a bigger moralfag than our KKKristians.

I don't do anything to compromise my rationality or poison my system. Make fun all you want.   

Tell ya what, I wrote an article on just one of the many effects of drinking to get drunk beck when I was 9 or something. I'll post it.

If you're so rational, you'll have realized by now that life is an absurd clusterfuck of chemical reactions. Why shouldn't the sensations we feel be pleasant and relaxing ones?