Consciousness

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   Mentalist acerposted 12 years ago

   Does Consciousness have a quantum signature?
   

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      qwarkposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Mentalist:
      Expound on the "Quantum" aspect of the question pls.
      Qwark

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         Mentalist acerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Can consciousness be determined as something researchers are trying to measure,if so,what methods are being used...or are we going to simply regard it as unquantifiable and leave it there.
         Reference:
         Two subjects with the ability to meditate are told to do so then separated with one measured while looking at a set of pictures while the other is later measured without seeing anything and have identical reactions.
         Are there any other methods being applied to measuring consciousness?
         

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            TMMasonposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            You mean like some of these studies and papers?
            
            I have read through some of these before... they seem to touch on some of what you are asking... but I not sure. So sorry if they are not exactly what your asking about. Your introduction of mediums so to speak, and ESP, have me a lil confused as to whether you want Para-, or Physical-, Sciences and studies. I read them all, so...
            
            I mean there is no single agreed upon definition of Consciousness, so I am grsping at what your specifically looking for...
            
            This first link, neuro-wiki, defines and looks at what sciences and methods, equipment, etc, is being used today in that field.
            
            http://hmb300neurowiki.intodit.com/page … easurement
            
            http://www.ayurveda-florida.com/Meditat … search.htm
            
            http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16602568
            
            http://www.davidleffler.com/quantifying … ohnson.htm
            
            http://www.suite101.com/content/scienti … gy-a260020
            
            http://www.windbridge.org/sofcrp.htm
            
            http://journals.lww.com/co-neurology/Ab … 99785.aspx

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               Mentalist acerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Some say that firing neurons are too simple to explain consciousness.

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                  psycheskinnerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Your question is whether consciousness has a quantum signature, not how to "explain" it.
                  
                  I am still waiting for you to say what you meant by 'quantum signature'. So I can at least give an opinion as to whether I think consciousness has one.

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            qwarkposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Hi Mentalist:
            
            I haven't been as "aware" as I should have been in the last yr or 2 of current research.
            
            We are sentient animals that respond to 5 senses (6th?).
            
            Many other animals are organisms that respond to senses which have much greater abilities than ours and allows them to experience phenomena we must use technology to understand and respond to.
            
            If there were someway to heighten our 5 senses through the processes of genetic engineering, nano and virtual technology, I'm sure that, if our species survives the next 100 yrs, we will make advances in "consciousness" that we can only dream of at this stage of our evolution
            
            Their isn't the slightest doubt in my mind that there is no limit to "consciousness."
            
            We have the potential to create a new species of man!
            
            WE have the ability to create a human "singularity" that could alter the future of humanity eternally!
            
            I'm sure that somewhere, there are those geniuses who are deeply involved in doing just that!
            
            Qwark

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   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   Quantum signature as defined by Star Trek, or...?

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      Mentalist acerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Is there or has there been any research being done to quantify or measure consciousness?

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         psycheskinnerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, very extensively both in the disciplines of physics and psychology. The scientific study of consciousness would amount to many hundreds of thousands of experiments just in the last few decades. I personally have been involved in research into the degree to which non-human animals can demonstrate consciousness.
         
         Consciousness is studied at the very basic level (e.g. can you recognize a mirror image is of you) to the very elevated (e.g. can you directly experience another persons consciousness).
         
         Is the experience of consciousness measurable at the quantum level?  Possibly.  What quantum parameters would you posit looking for it in?

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            Mentalist acerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Does consciousness have a defined structure...I know no one knows,but is there research being done to see if it's more that synaptic activity?

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   TMMasonposted 12 years ago

   Some say it resides in the neuro-tubules in the brain and can be measured on the quantum level; The consciousness, spirit, soul, etc..
   
   So I would say yes.

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   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   I don't think a signature at the quantum level world reside in an anatomical structure per se. But a working definition would help here.

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      TMMasonposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      That is sketchy at the moment and I do not think I could find such on the net either.
      
      But I will say this... there are those who claim to have measured the ephemeral effect of human energy located within those neural-tubules leaving the body and trasferring into the eloctro magnetic fields around the deceased individual... from there, who knows?...
      
      But it would seem that we are connected to the universe, God, or however you want to consider it, at the quantum level, and that spirit energy does release into the universe, which we know no informatiion is ever lost in the universe, just stored somewhere... and we know spooky action at a distance shows the unseen connection on the quantum level, or even further below on another level which of yet we do not understand... so?
      
      As I said I don't know... it is not a well understood field of study at present. But mighty interesting in my opinion. I will try to look for some more research on it online and get back to you, Psyche.
      
      I don't know if that helped or not... sorry.

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   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   I am asking for a definition of: quantum signature.
   
   Consciousness has been well defined and extensively studied.  It can be colloquially defined as "knowing that we know, and seeing that we see".  Consciousness is sentience combined with a explicit awareness of self. It can also be called meta-awareness.  This all amounts to the same thing, just expressed differently for different audiences.
   
   So, having done that one for you: what do you mean by quantum signature because I am familiar with that phrase only in science fiction. I know of no current scientific definition of what this is and how exactly it would be measured.

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      Mentalist acerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It's conceptual that all things that demonstrate effect can be measured.
      First,does consciousness demonstrate an effect and can it be measured.
      Effect:Firing neurons demonstrate effect.
      What is the cause of this effect...it's said that simply the firing of neurons cannot verify consciousness.
      It's also said that firing neurons are all that is needed for consciousness???

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         psycheskinnerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Consciousness is an experience that arises from an appropriate brain in a state of awareness. 
         
         Active neurons are a necessary but not sufficient cause of this experience.
         
         But that is a little beside the point of how consciousness might extend into quantum parameters.
         
         You have a hypothesis perhaps?

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            Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Actually, the scientific community has been operating on the hypothesis Julian Jaynes originally wrote about, back in the early 80's.

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               Mentalist acerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Will look this up...Thanks Casgil.

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            Mentalist acerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Gravity is understood as a fact of existence simply by its effect and it's even accepted that gravity has an atomic particle called a graviton that scientists believe will never be discovered,I was wondering if consciousness could be made up of an atomic particle...

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               psycheskinnerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Given that consciousness is seated in the brain it will fundamentally be made up of (but not limited to) atoms and their actions and some corollaries to those actions.
               
               But you seem a little foggy on what a quantum is.  It is the smallest unit involved in a designated interaction. The quantum of consciousness is likely to be significantly smaller than an atom.
               
               Quantum is used informally to refer to really small stuff, specifically subatomic stuff, like photons (the quantum of light) and electrons (the quantum of electricity) and on down from, there.

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               jomineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               "it's even accepted that gravity has an atomic particle called a graviton that scientists believe will never be discovered"
               
               Throwing particles will make anything attract? Try it with your fiance!!

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