Consciousness

Description

Marilyn Monk on the Definition of Consciousness

"Yet another reason for confusion in consciousness studies is the different definitions and uses of the word 'consciousness' itself. The human centred studies are more aligned with the Cambridge Dictionary definition of consciousness, namely, "The state of understanding and realizing something." Certainly that has been the main focus since Descartes who confined consciousness and mind to humans. It is this field of research which is concerned with the so-called 'hard problem' (Chalmers, 1996). The hard problem is human centered and is about how the physical mechanisms of brain processes give rise to subjective feelings – i.e., how the brain gives rise to experience, or phenomenal consciousness, and mental states with phenomenal qualities – 'the neural correlates of consciousness' (Strawson, 1994, Koch et al., 2016). These studies, looking for some uniform neural explanation of a particular experience, may be complicated by the different influences of the variable and interconnected neurological, physiological and psychological (experiential memory) backgrounds of the different individuals in the study (see e.g., Marman, 2018).

The other viewpoint that consciousness is pervasive throughout the universe (panpsychism) proposes that all matter has an element of consciousness. This approach is more aligned with the definition of consciousness from the Oxford Living Dictionary – "The state of being aware of, and responsive to, one's surroundings.’ Immediately, most readers of this article will see that 'aware and responsive to surroundings' applies to so many things. All life, plant and animal, is aware and responsive to surroundings and thus appears as conscious according to this definition. Recently there has been much debate about consciousness in animals and even in plants."

(https://integral-review.org/pdf-template-issue.php?pdfName=vol_16_no_2_monk_a_hierarchy_of_consciousness_from_atom_to_cosmos.pdf)

Discussion

East-Asian (China) and South-Asian (India) interpretations of consciousness

Jan Krikke:

"In China, the equivalent word for consciousness is xin. The word is written as a compound character that means “heart-mind.” It conveys the idea that a proper consciousness balances our humanity and our intellect.

Xin has an ethical, Confucian connotation; it does not develop naturally but must be cultivated. In the Book of Rites we read: “Only after the xin has been properly settled, the body can be cultivated. The cultivation of the body makes then the regulation of the family possible, which preconditions a good government. A good government … is a precondition for world peace.”

India’s Vedanta culture arguably has the longest tradition in studying the human mind. The yogic tradition claims to have identified 16 different dimensions of mind that are grouped into four main categories: buddhi (intellect), manas (memory, both mental and physical), ahankara (identity, sometimes referred to as ego), and chitta (cosmic consciousness, i.e. the mind has become a mirror of the universe).

The human intellect, which probably evolved from instinct, is crucial to survival. It is used to dissect and analyze things, avoid danger and seize opportunities. The intellect relies on memory, our database of stored knowledge and accumulated experiences. The intellect would be useless without access to a database. Identity is shaped by our social and cultural environment and determines how the intellect is applied. Fanaticism and extremism occur when we identify strongly with a religion, a cause, or a nationality. (Some scholars will argue that inherited factors plan a role, but given the propensity of fanaticism across religions, environment plays a significant role.)"

(https://jankrikke2020.medium.com/china-and-the-search-for-a-global-consciousness-f1e0ef3df710)

More information

• Article: A Hierarchy of Consciousness from Atom to Cosmos. By Marilyn Monk. Integral Review, vol_16_no_2

URL = https://integral-review.org/pdf-template-issue.php?pdfName=vol_16_no_2_monk_a_hierarchy_of_consciousness_from_atom_to_cosmos.pdf