Brain Physiology, Cognition and Consciousness group: topic
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Consciousness: A Continuum?
Philip Benjamin
Thursday, 15 October 2009 14:36 UTC
[Philip Benjamin]
In the absence of any precise definition, and cataloguing all the attributes, rules, principles, and laws of consciousness, also taking fully into consideration the metaphysical and mystic underpinnings from sorcery to sacraments ever associated with it, a plausible definition of this “presumed” entity called CONSCIOUSNESS may be as follows:
CONSCIOUSNESS IS A CONTINUUM OF AWARENESS ACROSS ALL MATTER BOTH DEAD AND ALIVE FROM THE SIMPLE ELE-MENTAL PHASES OF FERMIONS AND BOSONS
TO THE COMPLEX HUMAN SELF-AWARENESS.
There is no empirical or experimental evidence evidence of any kind to justify this definition, but this seems to be what is perhaps hidden behind these efforts to pin point consciousness.
Nature is discrete and granular all through out and no continuum is a characteristic of any thing fundamental to Nature.
This definition DOES NOT mean that I subscribe to it.
Philip Benjamin
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Are there currently any discussions going on here related to scientific study done on the power of the conscious mind?
I have recently participated in a small study of this kind, involving thousands of people, called The Intention Experiment. Have you heard of this? The results were incredible. Lynne McTaggart offers these scientific experiments on her site if you are interested. I first heard of her from her book, The Intention Experiment, that came out last year.
www.theintentionexperiment.com -
Melissa Burns on 12 Nov 2009 wrote:
Are there currently any discussions going on here related to scientific study done on the power of the conscious mind?[S.P.] What is meant by the “power of the conscious mind”? The term “power” used in Physics stands for some concept. If we use this concept in reference to “conscious mind”, the concept transforms into metaphor. Science is being built with concepts, but not with metaphors. To the point, what is meant here by the term “conscious mind”? This term sounds like “wet water”. I mean, that there can hardly be “mind” which is not “conscious”, or “mind” and “consciousness” are synonyms.
Second. Are you interested in discussing the problems of formalization of what you termed as “power of the conscious mind”, or you are interested only in chatting with the others who have participated in that experiment?
Kindly,
Serge Patlavskiy
http://www.serge-patlavskiy.webs.com/P.S. Once I have commented on several papers by Jean Burns, the JCS editor. Hope, you are not relatives.
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Invisible Bodies and Origin of Biophotons
Melissa Burns wrote:“Lynne McTaggart offers these scientific experiments on her site if you are interested. I first heard of her from her book, The Intention Experiment, that came out last year. www.theintentionexperiment.com”
[Philip Benjamin]
Lynne McTaggart was very much interested in Biophotons. She thinks that Biophotons hold the secret to “consciousness”. Dr. Fritz-Albert Popp
(German physicist and founder of the International Institute of Biophysics in Neuss, Germany) is on the Scientific team of Lynne’s Intention Experiment. He discovered biophoton emissions as tiny currents of light emanating from unknown sources in living things. [He is an Invited Member of the New York Academy of Sciences and a member of the International Consciousness Research Laboratory (ICRL) at Princeton University. He has written some 150 publications on theoretical physics, biology, complementary medicine and biophotons].Your question “Are there currently any discussions going on here related to scientific study done on the power of the conscious mind?” certainly needs some clarification. Is there a difference between power of the mind and power of the conscious mind? What power an unconscious mind can have? Say, when you are sedated for example?
Perhaps some useful work can be done on the ‘nature/structure’ of (conscious) mind in a systematic manner within the framework of scientific methodlogies if the source of biophotons could be determined.The connection between the two is rather fortuitous:
1. Invisibility’of mind (apart from the brain)
2. Invisibility of the source of biophotons in ALL living things.
3. Low Interaction energies between non-EM, axion-like, dark matter particles and visible matter particles as a possible source of ELF biophotons.
4. Different rates of biophoton emission plants, animals and humans. Plant cells emit about 10 times more than human cells.These and other phenomena (OBE etc) can be quantitatively explained via Dark Matter Chemical bonds and differential distribution of dark matter particles across the taxa, with the result that a stable (permanent) dak matter body may exist in humans (the invisible Homo sapiens). The different degrees of intra and inter “dissocition” (and/or association) of these bonds in the presence of a varying resonant low energy magnetic field can cause OBE.
___________________Excerpts from:
Dark Chemistry & Paranormal Phenomena
Philip Benjamin
medinuclear@hotmail.comAbstract
Presuming that no part of any exotic ‘dark matter’ has anything to do with the bio-realm seems unwarranted, in view of so many theoretical and experimental work including a recent claim that certain type of axions has been detected. A class of Bio-axions may yield axion chemistry akin to SUSY chemistry. This will involve ordinary chemical principles as duet, octet configurations, force carrier particles, spin and Pauli Exclusion Principle. The brain is then a many-particle system of neurons permeated by their bio-axion counterparts at an energy level relevant to mental activity which is co-produced by the visible brain and its invisible axion counterpart. It is likely that the entire visible body of an organism and its constituents parts down to cellular levels may be coupled to and supervened by corresponding dark matter components. A differential distribution of the dark particles in plants, animals and humans, and their weak interactions with ordinary matter seems to have experimental support in the differential biophoton emission rates across the taxa. The predicted ratio of these rates between plants and humans agrees with the reported experimental value. Decoupling of the dark body from the visible body may leave it at a very low energy state, perhaps negative (- E = mC2). Though ‘ghost’ phenomena may therefore be unlikely unless this energy is acquired, paranormal phenomena such as ‘channeling’ in living humans may be possible by alien ’dark matter beings’ who are already at a higher energy state.
Introduction
Dark matter with its possible dark chemistry gives a new twist to the term ‘non-materialistic’ as applied to the bio-realm. Materialism as a philosophical system developed by the Greeks was defined and designed in the framework of the phenomena of ordinary matter which was considered eternal requiring no Creator, and some power intrinsic to matter makes it come alive. In Aristotelian physics, ‘form’ and matter are perpetually paired and the archetypical examples of forms are ‘substances’. Matter and form are the “causes” of whatever exists. Aristotle defined four kinds of causes, all relating to things not events: 1) material cause is what a thing consists of. 2) Formal cause relates to what the thing essentially is. 3) Efficient cause brings the thing into being. 4) Final cause is the function and purpose of the thing. The prime matter is the “stuff” with no particular form. Any form without matter is god. The matter/form distinction is related to that between potentiality (dunamis) and actuality (entelecheia or energeia). Quantum mechanics identifies this potentiality with superposition of matter-waves and actuality as the reduction of the superposed wave forms to a specific value determined by the measurement technique. Forms are continuous, but discreteness is the law of nature. There is no smooth gradual change from nothingness to ‘thingness‘, or from dead to living matter or from non-consciousness to consciousness or from animal instincts to human insights. Discrete entities such as particles, atoms, molecules, cells, forces etc do not add themselves up into an integrated whole of spontaneous sentience or sapience. The non-electromagnetic ‘dark matter’ is less mysterious and more substantial than the forms. It gives substance to what Aristotle intuitively figured out as ‘form‘.
Recent publications, both theoretical (Hu et al 2000) and experimental including the reported discovery of 7±1 and 19±1 MeV axions of less than 10-13 s lifetime (Jain and Singh, 2007), increasingly strengthen evidence for the existence of dark matter particles. Charge-less Axions of extremely small mass have been predicted by String Theory ( Peccei and Quinn, 1977). See Zeeya Merali, (2007). These particles are invisible with no electrical charge, of negligible mass (in the range from 10-6 to 10-2 eV/c² or about 2×10-38 grams) and very low interaction cross-sections for strong and weak forces. They interact only minimally with ordinary matter, but that does not mean that axion atoms cannot interact between themselves. It has been proposed that they may yield dark Chemistries following the pattern of stable duet or octet configuration rules of ordinary chemistry, spin-spin interactions and couplings (Benjamin, 2003, 2007-A, 2007-B). The differential aspects of human mind with respect to animal and plant sentience can be examined as due to differences in dark matter configurations across the taxa. This can further be linked with experimental evidence of differential rates of biophoton emission in plant, animal and human cells, agreeing with a theoretically derived ratio of 33 : 32 : 31. Axions are predicted to change to photons in the presence of strong magnetic fields, and this property is used for creating experiments to detect axions. In supersymmetric (SUSY) theories the axion has both a scalar and a fermionic superpartner. If matter exists, chemistry exists. Even SUSY chemistry is possible for SUSY particles (Clavelli. 2006, Clavelli et al 2005). Clavelli presents an intellectual scaffolding and an anthropic principle to explain the fine tuned universe and its hierarchical structures which entails ‘SUSY chemistry’ also across all possible universes- bosonic, fermionic and mixtures of the two. The very fact that chemical bonding principles are being incorporated into superspace and supersymmetry is supportive of possible dark matter chemistry and opens up a whole vista of possibilities for axion-like particles also. The dark matter chemistry will have the same principles of spin, configurations , stability, force carrier particles and Pauli Exclusion. Graviton, gravitino, monople or some other force yet unknown may provide the exchange force for dark matter chemistry, similar to gluino and photino of SUSY chemistry.Dark Matter Chemistry
Why should there be any chemistry at all? Why should mutually repelling electrons stay ‘attracted’ to form chemical and molecular bonds? Why should protons stay packed together with immense attractive force within a certain range and repel each other outside that potential well? Why Noble Gas atoms have the most stable duet and octet electron configurations in the outer shell? The why’s are not easily answered, but the how’s of these processes can be understood through metaphors and quantum mechanics. Chemistry is the sum of the quantum-electrodynamic interactions between atoms which in part includes spin-spin interactions and force-carrier particle dynamics. Stable electron configuration and spin are fundamental for theorizing chemical bonds. Chemical bonds are imaginary, but represent real forces involving electrons. They exist because of charge (force carrier particles), electron spin, Pauli Exclusion Principle, stable Duet and Octet electron configurations as found in the inert Noble (Rare) Gases such as helium, neon etc.
All interactions which affect matter particles entail exchange of force carrier particles. Axions are reported to be of various kinds, fermionic and bosonic. In effect, axions being so small, they can exist across every point in space and ‘know’ exactly how its entangled partner is disposed, no matter how far apart they are. Monople, graviton, gravitino are possible force carrier particles. Any one of them could be involved in dark matter chemistries. Sikivie (1984), and s -
Well Benjamin Biophotons are normal photons in the infra-red spectrum that are so rare that they are only detected with the equivalent of a Night Vision Camera supposedly involving cryogenic temperatures and stimulation of the photons in some manner before they can be detected by a standard CCD array.
According to some, they are greater around free hydrogen molecules.
So, why are you still talking as if they require Dark Matter?
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Invisible Mind Needs Invisible Matter. Philip Benjamin
[Graeme Smith]
“Well Benjamin Biophotons are normal photons in the infra-red spectrum that are so rare that they are only detected with the equivalent of a Night Vision Camera supposedly involving cryogenic temperatures and stimulation of the photons in some manner before they can be detected by a standard CCD array.
According to some, they are greater around free hydrogen molecules.
So, why are you still talking as if they require Dark Matter?"
[Philip Benjamin]
1. You seem to have given 100% credibility to the “some” you are anononymously referring to.
2. The “Some” seem to have ignored the large difference in emission rates
across the taxa. This is always “unconsious” in this field, but you made a “conscious” disregard.3. If a free hydrogen molecule (what is a bound H2 MOLECULE?)is the source, will that explain this taxonomic differences in the ELF emission rates?
4. Why should an ordinary (visible) “free” H2 moelecule be associated with extremely low photons?
5. If an “invisible mind” apart from the visible brain exists (call it whatever else one wants to- consciousness etc.)what not an “invisible matter”
associated with it?6. If an invisible matter exists why not an invisible chemistry? Chenistry is simply ‘combinations of atoms and/or molecules to reach stability or minimize entropy’. Spin, Exclusion Principle, Duet/Octet Rules etc are universal principles. Unit electric charge is just as controversial/mysterious as unit monople.
7. If invisible chemistries exist why not a stable, complete invisible Homo sapiens?
8. If “SOMETHING” called mind invisibly exists, operates and manifests as a ‘Totality’ in a clearly physical system as the human body, why should it be anything other than physical?
9. Physicality can be either visible (EM) or invisible (non-EM).
10. A bio Dark-matter can provide for a very ‘credible’ non-EM physicality.
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CORRECTION:
5. If an “invisible mind” apart from the visible brain exists (call it whatever else one wants to- consciousness etc.)WHY not an “invisible matter”
associated with it? -
An invisible mind…. heh.
Well believe what you want, but I maintain that there is no notable reason to believe in an invisible mind per se. The intention experiments seem doomed to failure, if only because the “Power of the Mind” seems somewhat underwhelming.
The fact is that consciousness as a physics topic is an exotic attempt to explain the Observer effect, which can just as easily be explained by other means that are not nearly as exotic. This continuum of consciousness stuff, is great for the swamis of the world, but doesn’t do a thing about solving the puzzles of consciousness. Especially when you need crygenically cooled, stimulating cameras to even detect the presence of biophotons.
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Philip Benjamin: ‘An Invisible PHYSICAL Mind’
[Graeme Smith]
“An invisible mind….? heh”.[Philip Benjamin]
An invisible PHYSICAL MIND, that is. Nothing mystical about it!
[Graeme Smith]
“Well believe what you want, but I maintain that there is no notable reason to believe in an invisible mind per se. The intention experiments seem doomed to failure, if only because the “Power of the Mind” seems somewhat underwhelming.”
[Philip Benjamnin]
“Believe” here is a terminological inexactitude. ‘Empirically observe’ is a better approxiamation of the reality in question. Mind exists. Mind functions and operates INVUSIBLY in visible physical bodies.So,it could very well be associated with INVISIBLE physical matter particles. An axion-like bio dark-matter is a viable possibility worth exploring, and nothing to lose!
[Graeme Smith]
“The fact is that consciousness as a physics topic is an exotic attempt to explain the Observer effect, which can just as easily be explained by other means that are not nearly as exotic.
[Philip Benjamin]
Other means, such as what? Artificial intelligence?
[Graeme Smith]
This continuum of consciousness stuff, is great for the swamis of the world, but doesn’t do a thing about solving the puzzles of consciousness.
[Philip Benjamin]
Agreed. I only tried to define “CONSCIOUSNESS” as I understood the term from
a large volume of literature ranging from Jungian interpretations of Sorceries to Aristotelian explanation of Sacraments including the quantum (wave function collapse) ‘mystic’ post-modern scientism.The wave function collapse is a myth perpetrated by misguided physicists of a mystical bend. And you are right any explanation of mental phenomena based on this myth will also be just mist, myth and midnight fables.
[Graeme Smith]
“Especially when you need cryogenically cooled, stimulating cameras to even detect the presence of biophotons”.
[Philip Benjamin]
Not germane.
One does not want to transfer extraneous energies to the ELF sates.
The experimental methods and tools in any study are determined by ‘natural’ contingencies, be it relativity or quantum or biophoton measurements.
With best regards
Philip Benjamin
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Errata:
Mind functions and operates INVISIBLY in visible physical bodies. [Not, invusible)
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I think that that is the problem you assume that because we cannot directly observe the actual “Mind” that we somehow can’t detect the operations of the neurons that make it up. Nothing could be further from the truth. The real problem is one of being able to interpret what the neurons are doing, not that we can’t detect them doing it. There is no need for an invisible mind, we can see lots of indications that the mind is there, just not in visible light waves.
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