RE: On the Nature of Consciousness-- It's Not Necessarily In Your Head
Have you ever contemplated the possibility that if we were in a simulated reality, then perhaps we are nothing more than data at the base of our existence? We ingest information through the use of our senses on a continual basis.
We are programmed to learn from our environment and to not repeat the same mistake twice (although some are better at this than others). We have the ability to learn from experience. All these concepts could be processes within the simulated construct, due to our design.
Really, all life can be viewed as biological machines. What humans think differentiates them from all other animals is this so-called conscious mind. I assure you, my dog has a conscious mind, so does my house cat.
So, consciousness is not unique to humans, just the way in which we view the separation of the body and the conscious mind. We have great abstract thought abilities that are finely-tuned due to millions of years of evolutionary advancement.
The conscious mind lags behind the subconscious as has been shown in study after study, as of late. So, what constitutes the subconscious decision-making? Well, your experience as well as genetic traits handed down generationally are processed in your brain, and are used as a basis, or "database" to process any and every action you will take. Your conscious mind is a construct of your bodies ability to separate itself from itself to be in agreeance with your subconscious mind at all times.
Let that sink in for a moment... your reality is an illusion of data being collected and transferred through your genetic body, but gives the illusion of control to the individual in the form of the conscious mind. That is, of course, if this is in fact, a simulated existence.
Nature over nurture, that is the next question...
Rather than a simulation, I prefer to think of it as a giant mind. If we consider the holographic nature of the Universe as a possibility it makes sense. Everything we perceive is in our minds and if the Universe is holographic then each piece would contain all the elements of the whole, albeit in degraded fashion. So, the fact that we have minds through which we perceive the Universe would be evidence that the Universe is a more perfect mind. The problem I have with simulation theory is that it would require some intermediary between us and the mind that created the Universe. It would still require a mind to create it but would also require some "hardware" the "software" of the simulation runs on.
i like to think of it like a giant mind or body in meditation that gives birth to the universe, like one massive dream. i think the fractal nature of reality supports this idea. then at a deeper level, we are a giant mind for the 'universe' of cells in our body. protons, neutrons and electrons spin like planetary systems
I like that... that is a good way of looking at it.
patent pending 😄
edit; jokes, i would actually like to see you expand on this idea if you like @jphenderson. You have a better way with words than i and with my project i have enough I'm doing at the moment