Steering the Future of Consciousness? by Wilhelmus de Wilde

Hi Wilhelmus,

I've replied to you on my own page, but I think we should have our actual conversation here. I wrote above, "for that to have been the whole point of an essay which mentions so many other things would be puzzling to me." So I was not indicating that I believe that teaching our children in a certain way was the whole point of your essay, I was saying that it seems to me that that could not have been its whole point. Maybe I should have been clearer about that.

Essentially, what I was portraying is that I could not easily find its point. The conclusion section is where an author generally puts that sort of information. While I did read your whole paper, I was seeking its main point in the conclusion.

If you were to write a conclusion to your paper to only sum up its point, what would that conclusion look like? May I request that you write that as a response?

Aaron

Dear Wilhelmus de Wilde

I also defend quantum consciousness (QC). This is evident in the old essay. We both gave essays, but we did not read each other. You wrote: "The steering of our future lies in a deeper understanding of our consciousness". You will see that my new essay gives the same message.

Probably I have a little different approach to QC as you. My principle is panpsichism, but yours is causal and non-causal part ...

Do you know that the newest news is, that quantum biology is proved. Maybe quantum consciousness will also be.

You gave some good links. It is a problem with such amateur theories that rarely one read and comment them. I read yours, I hope the you will read mine. Who still advocates quantum consciousness on this contest?

My essay

Best regards

Janko Kokosar

Dear Wilhelmus,

I am impressed with your attempts to relate the very most cutting-edge physical theorizing with the ultimate questions of mind and the basis of reality, reminiscent yet bolder than as explored e.g. by Roger Penrose and John Wheeler (I note similarities to the latter's conscious self-creating "participatory universe" loop idea, often symbolized by the picture of the eye looking at the end of its own optic nerve. (See for example at Your Life is a Game.) I note you share Sir Roger's and my interest in microtubules and quantum processes being important to how the brain expresses consciousness.

You clearly think that matter and mind are a unified entity instead of set apart, yet not by the shallow method of reductionistic crunching of mind into arid AI protocols. This is a difficult task even to get a handle on and even more difficult to test, but people need to be at least thinking about it and asking questions - whether I am yet be convinced of your particular ideas and claims on this.

I agree with you on the issue addressed below - at least where perception and basic experience are concerned - although not for quite the same reasons (briefly, our experiences are "qualitative" in a way going beyond even extending from stark 0/1-black/white binary to a "gray" scale, note for example of course, our perceptual experience of colors! Yes, that could be considered as an analogy but color perception is actually quite pertinent to the issue.) I quote from your essay:

"Consciousness/Intelligence can not be realized just by black and white thinking and by creating machines that are working on algorithm's . An "algorithm" indicates a step-by-step operation, beginning with an initial state and input, followed by instructions describing the computations to realize, till an output is reached. Each step in this process is always between two extremes (in computation for example zero and one), the infinite tones of gray are not involved. This is the reason why [neither] intelligence nor consciousness can emerge from this process."

Readers may be interested in parallels in my own essay, giving a different argument for why our minds can't just be computational, as well as support for some kind of free will (global directedness.)

Well, there is just way too much for me to dwell on and I wish you luck as I bounce around the essays, so many good ones drawing me this way and that. Cheers.

Dear Wilhelmus,

I am very close in spirit to your ideas. We go in one direction, but a little different our views. But closer to the position necessary to make a good "brainstorming." Consciousness need growth and turnaround. Here the main task - to change the education system. All of us Earthlings, we need Great Dream and Great Common Cause to save Peace, Nature and Humanity. Great Dream always go alond with Freedom without fear, Hope, Love, Justice. It's time. New Era and "Generation SkyPe" says: We start the path.

Best regards,

Vladimir

Hello Wilhelmus,

I enjoyed your essay very much but am myself on the fence when it comes to the role of consciousness in the universe. I am suspicious of us projecting our own unique subjectivity onto the whole of existence. Though, I do think it can be said that a universe without some form of life within it to provide "feedback" can in someway be said to not exist at all.

The question of why there is something rather than nothing I find a fascinating one as I do the question of whether we exist in the best of all possible worlds.

I'd be interested in your thoughts on a post I recently wrote on that subject:

http://utopiaordystopia.com/2014/05/04/why-does-the-world-exist-and-other-dangerous-questions-for-insomniacs/

Rick

Dear Wilhelmus,

Thank you for the comment under my essay, and I agree the discussions can continue. Good luck to the contest!

Best regards,

Cristi

web.archive.org/web/20150405033845/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQW2FFt3-A8

np.reddit.com/r/DeepIntoYouTube/comments/31f31b/deepintor9ddit_hawk_nelson_words_3limit4views/