Jan 15, 2009

Some scientists still having problems framing consciousness.

I stumbled upon this article today in Scientific American regarding the study of consciousness and the behaviors of bees. I note that in the article the author completely avoids, or is unable to frame, consciousness as experience, rather as material impulse, or as he puts it 'conscious sensations'.

We take the magical gift of consciousness for granted. From the time I awaken until I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep, I am flooded with conscious sensations. And contrary to assertions made by philosophers, novelists and other literati, by and large this stream of consciousness does not relate to quiet self-reflection and introspective thoughts. No, most of it is filled with raw sensations.


I just find this interesting from a perspective of the dialectic. The author keeps referring to consciousness as something that is happening to either him or another agent or entity, not the thing which is recieving the sensations of biological reality.

I am going to be writing about this more, for I find this very revealing when deconstructed inside of 0, 1, and2. I find that almost all scientific language regarding consciousness is unable to frame it as simple experience.

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