Scientists Proclaim Animal and Human Consciousness the Same

Source

A remarkable thing happened at The First Annual Francis Crick Memorial Conference held at the University of Cambridge, July 7 in U.K. A group of prominent neuroscientists signed a proclamation declaring human and animal consciousness alike. Called The Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness, it states:

We declare the following: The absence of a neocortex does not appear to preclude an organism from experiencing affective states. Convergent evidence indicates that non-human animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviors. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Nonhuman animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates.

To many pet parents and animal lovers, the conference only confirms what they already believed through their own observations and interactions with animals – albeit, not with the credibility of scientific research.

Stephen Hawking — considered the greatest mind in physics since Albert Einstein — was the guest of honor at the signing ceremony. The declaration was authored by Philip Low and edited by Jaak Panksepp, Diana Reiss, David Edelman, Bruno Van Swinderen, Philip Low and Christof Koch, all well-respected neuroscientists. The signing was memorialized by 60 Minutes.

Read more: www.care2.com...

While I think anyone that has spend any quality time with animals has thought this idea true, it is nice to see that scientists agree.

I think this has been suppressed so long and we have ignored this topic as well abuse animals for our own well being all the time, and well how good would we feel about ourselves if we knew we were doing this to 'conscious' animals?

I hope they keep studying this topic and go into great depth because to think we are the 'top' of the earth in any sort of intelligence is a little ignorant, IMO.

Any thoughts?

Pred...

I've looked into the eyes of an animal and felt a deeper connection than some people before, honestly...

this is a great thread. Awesome find, thanks for this.

Yay science!

Already posted. If only people would use the search function before creating a thread. I do this all the time before I make a thread and it isn't that hard to do, unless of coarse you're one of those people who wants to post threads hoping to get as many Stars and Flags as possible?

Thread Here

yea !! like it said though,something that alot of us already knew
but I am glad to see the "scientific" community is catching up! better late then never I always say....
thanks for the story OP....

reply to post by predator0187


Dear predator0187,

I don't get it, whoever said that animals were not aware? I certainly didn't need science to tell me that my dog is aware of who I am and conscious. We probably spent millions in grants so that they could come to the conclusion that animals are awake.

reply to post by TheProphetMark


Please, don't tell me how to post on ATS...

They are in different forums, and our titles are completely different, how am I supposed to find that...

Pred...

Originally posted by predator0187
reply to post by TheProphetMark

 

Please, don't tell me how to post on ATS...

They are in different forums, and our titles are completely different, how am I supposed to find that...

Pred...

All I did was use your title and found the thread that was already posted. I'm sorry did I hit a nerve? I hope you realize Stars and Flags mean nothing in real life but if that's what it takes for you to feel better about yourself, then here's a STAR for you sir!

reply to post by AQuestion


Not really what I meant... But, I agree.

I didn't necessarily mean everyone thought animals were not conscious, I just meant they did not think they were on the 'same level' of consciousness.

The thing is, where does it end...? Are insects conscious? What about a virus? What about an atom?

If, in the future this turns out to be the case and the whole universe is conscious (possible in my books) Then that would be a realization not many humans could face...

Pred...

"in the presence of stephen hawking....." That doesnt make this proclaimed statement sound any less dumb... Unless Dr. Doolittle himself makes this proclamation, then this is just hogwash...

Originally posted by predator0187
reply to post by AQuestion

 

Not really what I meant... But, I agree.

I didn't necessarily mean everyone though animals were not conscious, I just meant they did not think they were on the 'same level' of consciousness.

The thing is, where does it end...? Are insect conscious? What about a virus? What about an atom?

If, in the future this turns out to be the case and the whole universe is conscious (possible in my books) Then that would be a realization not many humans could face...

Pred...

The universe is conscious, we are inside Gods mind. Obviously something can exist from nothing, so we must have a creator. So I saw we are the Universe inside Gods mind and that's how he knows everything about everything.

But I'm agnostic.

Originally posted by TheProphetMark
All I did was use your title and found the thread that was already posted. I'm sorry did I hit a nerve? I hope you realize Stars and Flags mean nothing in real life but if that's what it takes for you to feel better about yourself, then here's a STAR for you sir!

No, no nerve hit. I did search and i poked around on forums... I just find it unbelievably annoying that people find the need to have absolutely no valid reason for posting minus telling the OP that someone posted a similar thread.

Technically, that is more against T&C than me posting a similar thread to someone else...

I also have a few stars and flags because I enjoy sharing stories I like with fellow members. I thought this was an awesome story and did a search for it, found nothing and posted it. I would never go out of my way to collect stars and flags.

I think some of my best threads received very little attention.

Pred...

reply to post by predator0187


I have to say...

If it took an astrophysicist from the 21st century to figure this out, then humanity is in really, really bad shape.

Beware that these scientists lead you to believe that you are ONLY an animal because we share like awareness. This is the direction they are attempting to go - that is the only real reason for them to waste time researching something that anyone with an IQ of "I can breath without a reminder" that isn't extremely sheltered could have also told you.

They are building a case. Eventually we will be considered animals; and then when we meet our supposed "alien neighbors", our leaders will have no problem convincing everyone to succumb to their extremely "advanced" technology and most will bend to their will thinking themselves as no more than kittens that need only that you open the door for them to come in, eat some food, use the litter-box, only to go to the door and ask to go back outside for the rest of the day.

And I mean, really? Why does my cat do that? ; She comes in to use the litter box and then goes outside until she wants to use the litter-box again. I pee more outside than she does. What is up with that?

But we are not cats. We are not dogs. We are not elephants. We are not apes. We are not bees. We are not cockroaches (which, from what I've witnessed, are much more intelligent than a lot of these bigger animals I've mentioned - and it's creepy.)

We are Mankind. Whenever your cat starts participating in social media, then you can start saying we have something in common.

Which is ironic because I find that a lot of the people that use social media heavily are not... with it?

Ay carumba. Scientists. It's like watching an episode of the Big Bang Theory and wondering why they make intelligent people out to be so incredibly foolish and awkward. But then something like this comes along and says, "Hah! Told you it was real! It's real and it's eating your brain and you have to live with it." Yes, I know. I know...

Some may take offense to this post but here goes:
It makes sense to me because a good majority of the human population are incarnates from the animal group soul. If you look at certain organizations like peta and such, those people will be of that animal soul matrix. They are know as minions. You will find them at sporting events and other group mind activities such as facebook. They make excellent followers and often will use terms like dog to greet one another. Some started out as family pets before they are born into a human body.

Originally posted by predator0187

Originally posted by TheProphetMark
All I did was use your title and found the thread that was already posted. I'm sorry did I hit a nerve? I hope you realize Stars and Flags mean nothing in real life but if that's what it takes for you to feel better about yourself, then here's a STAR for you sir!

No, no nerve hit. I did search and i poked around on forums... I just find it unbelievably annoying that people find the need to have absolutely no valid reason for posting minus telling the OP that someone posted a similar thread.

Technically, that is more against T&C than me posting a similar thread to someone else...

I also have a few stars and flags because I enjoy sharing stories I like with fellow members. I thought this was an awesome story and did a search for it, found nothing and posted it. I would never go out of my way to collect stars and flags.

I think some of my best threads received very little attention.

Pred...

Funny, I used YOUR thread title and did a search and found the original thread. So, I really don't believe your hogwash and I see right through you. I'm an empath so I know bull when I see it. It's ok to hide who you really are because you're truly ashamed of yourself. I don't blame you.

Originally posted by TheProphetMark
The universe is conscious, we are inside Gods mind. Obviously something can exist from nothing, so we must have a creator. So I saw we are the Universe inside Gods mind and that's how he knows everything about everything.

But I'm agnostic.

God's mind? No, no god is out there...

There could never be a creator...if there was, who created him? And so on...

We have no idea what we came from or why the universe is here. To give that credit to a 'God' is ignorant in my book.

And to think this place is in 'god's mind' with all the hatred and anger, is a bit of a scary thing...

Pred...

Oh and I should mention,

Anything that can learn, communicate in any way conscious. At least that's the way I see it.

Originally posted by starshift
Some may take offense to this post but here goes:
It makes sense to me because a good majority of the human population are incarnates from the animal group soul. If you look at certain organizations like peta and such, those people will be of that animal soul matrix. They are know as minions. You will find them at sporting events and other group mind activities such as facebook. They make excellent followers and often will use terms like dog to greet one another. Some started out as family pets before they are born into a human body.

edit on 31-8-2012 by starshift because: additon

That is quite funny, but, I wouldn't use the term reincarnation, I would use the word stupid.

Some animals are much smarter than some people I meet, so to compare dumb people to animals is a bit of an insult to animals...

Pred...

Originally posted by predator0187

Originally posted by TheProphetMark
The universe is conscious, we are inside Gods mind. Obviously something can exist from nothing, so we must have a creator. So I saw we are the Universe inside Gods mind and that's how he knows everything about everything.

But I'm agnostic.

God's mind? No, no god is out there...

There could never be a creator...if there was, who created him? And so on...

We have no idea what we came from or why the universe is here. To give that credit to a 'God' is ignorant in my book.

And to think this place is in 'god's mind' with all the hatred and anger, is a bit of a scary thing...

Pred...

I can't say I don't disagree with you. Can you see why I'm still an agnostic? If only the truth was that easy to obtain but maybe the real truth is nobody knows. It's kind of hard to say God doesn't exist, knowing that nothing can exist from nothing and all those people who claim to see God, and Jesus in a NDE. One guy even came back to live after almost dying in a fire. His BODY is literally COVERED in scars because of the fire and what do you know? He's traveling all over the world preaching to Gods word because he saw darkness, he saw hell. Or maybe he's preaching Gods word so people would look at him and treat him equally due to the fact that he is completely covered in scars. It's an endless pointless discussion.

reply to post by predator0187


Dear predator0187,

We have no way of measuring levels of consciousness. One is awake or one is not; but, what one thinks about, considers and understands is different. A bee is aware of what it is doing; but, not the meaning behind it, it is responding to stimuli. A dog is aware; but, he doesn't think about math or the meaning of life. My dog does not understand right from wrong, he understands discipline and reward. My dog loves me as well as a dog can, he was bread to have one owner and to bond to that person, it is how all dogs of his type act.

I think what bothers me about what these scientists claim is that they are really trying to imply something else that is not true. People and animals are simply not the same, not genetically and not morally.

Originally posted by AQuestion
reply to post by predator0187

 

Dear predator0187,

We have no way of measuring levels of consciousness. One is awake or one is not; but, what one thinks about, considers and understands is different. A bee is aware of what it is doing; but, not the meaning behind it, it is responding to stimuli. A dog is aware; but, he doesn't think about math or the meaning of life. My dog does not understand right from wrong, he understands discipline and reward. My dog loves me as well as a dog can, he was bread to have one owner and to bond to that person, it is how all dogs of his type act.

I think what bothers me about what these scientists claim is that they are really trying to imply something else that is not true. People and animals are simply not the same, not genetically and not morally.

Interesting perspective. And just because scientist claims something doesn't make it true. Maybe one person came up with an idea, and shared it among it's peers and actually managed to convince them that it was true through the power of thought. Think about it, law of attraction works for everyone. When you want to someone so badly to share your thoughts and opinions by explaining it to them, you never know they just might end up believing it.