Do even simple lifeforms such as insects or spiders have consciousness?

a reply to: nononsense35

Questions i would also love explained.

a reply to: nononsense35

A book called "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle might be far more to your liking.

Being agnostic is a good thing. Truth might be relative to observer. So having flexibility in mind, doesn't lock us into constructs of ignorance. The red dot on hindu's forehead is said to be the eye to God. But its not widely known in west, that the eye is our seat of awareness. Which is being constantly polluted by thought from our brains. So in a way your observance of other animals is meditating on that seat of awareness, rather than being dictated, by noise of thought (set beliefs). Sorry for rambling.

I think that anything alive has some form of consciousness..

I think a better question.. is: Do all living things have thoughts? And if not.. then when in the hierarchy do organisms have thoughts?

I think All mammals have sone thought.. might be crude.though.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: solve

Still does not mean they can understand anything other than there own environment and shape it to a limited capacity.

Just like us.

The only thing I feel confident saying is that rocks cannot be conscious. If split into two rocks, would they double their consciousness?

a reply to: solve

Accept for our understanding of complex mathematics, science, or the ability to empathize with others.

I'm not seeing any other animals on Earth launching Hubble Space Telescope or ponder trips to other planets and star systems.

We ain't all that, that's for sure, but when we get our act together, in a collective manner, sometimes we can manage to achieve great big wonderous things.

That's when we are not killing one another for sport or fighting over diminishing resources all the same.

originally posted by: Guiltyguitarist
The only thing I feel confident saying is that rocks cannot be conscious. If split into two rocks, would they double their consciousness?

If I cut you in half......would you?

a reply to: Itisnowagain

How about flatworms or nematodes?

If they are conscious, and you split them in half, does their consciousness double?

a reply to: andy06shake
I don't see consciousness as something that is inside anything.

I believe that consciousness is non local.

a reply to: Itisnowagain

It's a distinct possibility imho.

Further studies are most definitely required, put it that way.

If we are more than just the sum of our parts through, that just raises even more questions and queries as to the reality we assume we experience.

Which is probably as it should be.

originally posted by: Itisnowagain

originally posted by: Guiltyguitarist
The only thing I feel confident saying is that rocks cannot be conscious. If split into two rocks, would they double their consciousness?

If I cut you in half......would you?

No. If I survive, the only half that will be conscious is the half that my brain is in.

a reply to: Guiltyguitarist

That's the thing though, does consciousness reside only within the very biological hardware that is our brain?

Or is there more to it, some underlying principle or connection to say the likes of the quantum realm where we share some kind of group consciousness or the like?

originally posted by: Guiltyguitarist

No. If I survive, the only half that will be conscious is the half that my brain is in.

Hmmm. I've read that in our intestines we have an equally complex nervous system as in our brain, about the total volume of a cat's brain. I wonder what part of your consciousness resides where then. Maybe your bottom half will still be the part that thinks "let's go and grab a sandwich"

originally posted by: andy06shake

That's the thing though, does consciousness reside only within the very biological hardware that is our brain?

Or is there more to it, some underlying principle or connection to say the likes of the quantum realm where we share some kind of group consciousness or the like?

That's indeed the feeling that I get, but nobody here can know for sure. But it's interesting thinking about it.

Could also explain people having a really bad dream when a family member is in serious danger far away. Never experienced anything myself, but I know a few people and I trust that they don't just tell stories.

Yes, in fact according to the Hare Krishnas actually your karma and consciousness at the point of death determines your next body.

And not only the lifeforms on this planet, but many other universes.

Although as a Western convert, I don't think it's that easy for humans (especially those "advanced" enough to be on ATS) to fall that far from educated human life into simplistic mating, eating and defending.

But yeah according to some Gurus it is very easy, and while having a spat, if they call each other "cockroach gurus", they quite literally mean that. Those who abuse their power as "monks", they are already considered "cockroach" bodies.

So yeah there's a body for every consciousness, where you just work off karma, so don't waste this human life only to fall back into an animal body.

Rather practice some kind of spirituality to attain a spiritual body and advance towards Godhead.

originally posted by: halfoldman
Yes, in fact according to the Hare Krishnas actually your karma and consciousness at the point of death determines your next body.

And not only the lifeforms on this planet, but many other universes.

Although as a Western convert, I don't think it's that easy for humans (especially those "advanced" enough to be on ATS) to fall that far from educated human life into simplistic mating, eating and defending.

But yeah according to some Gurus it is very easy, and while having a spat, if they call each other "cockroach gurus", they quite literally mean that. Those who abuse their power as "monks", they are already considered "cockroach" bodies.

So yeah there's a body for every consciousness, where you just work off karma, so don't waste this human life only to fall back into an animal body.

Rather practice some kind of spirituality to attain a spiritual body and advance towards Godhead.

Do you have any advice on achieving immortality.. possibly through spiritual means?

a reply to: Boundless1

Well spiritually we're all immortal, but there's a body for every consciousness.
I don't want to impose traditions or get all religious (just saying some traditions view all bodies as an expansion to that consciousness and karma).

I've got a favorite Hindu chant thread, for those interested in chants or mantras that can help (I think) to take the mind from pure animal consciousness to a higher step.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

But also very nice Christian music, or Rastafari music, and other traditions.
I'd say rhythm and poetry in music that is about building relationships with God.
Choose good vibrations, it can stay with you all day.

a reply to: andy06shake

Of course I would love to believe consciousnesses survives without the brain. But I’m not even convinced consciousness survives sleep. When I’m not dreaming, where does my consciousness go? As far as I can tell, I die every night.

Death is only a process of cycles. Cyclical existence exists bevause we have favourite things to do.. and we wish to keep going and progress with them..

This is why outer space is perfect and galaxies are made up of solar systems with perfect spheres that rotate around a star..

Everything in existence has an effect.. the only question is what and to what depths.. every depth from nothing to everything has a color..

Black represents 0 or non existence, nothingness etc..

White represents the whole.. as a Christ Host.. Firmhost etc.. White IS oneness!

a reply to: Kakamega

If we recall that Yeshua of Judea spoke mainly in parable and metaphor to make his teachings known then it is excusable to be an evolutionist and still find the Bible to be very much a tool and record of recent human conscious development

WHAT HE SAID.... Great point, all too seldom pointed out in the debates/ arguments on this website.