Is the Universe Conscious?

by still thinking 140 Replies latest jw friends

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  Satanus

  'Is thought the same as consciousness? What is the difference?'

  No. If you suggest stopping thinking, some people get scared:) If you can manage to stop your brain from thinking, you will still be conscious, unless you fall asleep. You really can be aware, when you stop thinking. Awareness without thought means simply observing. You can actually observe much better, since thoughts act as distractions, clouds that obscure your observations.

  Thoughts are made of of zillions of different things, all the way from total crap to constructive thoughts. It depends on how much you run your thoughts, cpmpared to your thoughts running you. I know some people that can direct there thoughts to wherever/whatever they want to have portrayed before them. Its quite useful for business purposes.

  S-
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  still thinking

  The difficulty with consciousness is that nobody really knows what it is. It can't be put under a microscope and examined because it can't be isolated like some sort of thing apart from everything else. Besides which, the very act of examining consciousness requires the presence of consciousness to do the examining, so the act of examination influences what is found.....Poppers

  This is a very good point. We can only examine consciouness from our own perspective can't we? And our own understanding of what it is we are looking for elsewhere? I think you would really need to think outside the box to be able to consider other forms of consciousness. Especially when we don't even seem to really understand our own. Other than, it ceases to exist when we do.

  Although...there is that school of thought that believes that consciousness exists seperate from ourselves. I don't see how that is possible when without our brain...we are unconscious and aware of nothing. BUT...and it is a BIG BUT...what if there is another sort of consciousness that the universe all shares? There...I'm really going into space now aren't I? But, it's just a thought.
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  still thinking

  Thought: The act or process of thinking; cogitation.

  cog•ni•tion (kog-nish'?n) n. The mental process of knowing, including aspects such as awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment. n. That which comes to be known, as through perception, reasoning, or intuition; knowledge. conscious (kon'sh?s) adj. Having an awareness of one's environment and one's own existence, sensations, and thoughts. See Synonyms at aware. adj. Mentally perceptive or alert; awake: The patient remained fully conscious after the local anesthetic was administered. adj. Capable of thought, will, or perception: the development of conscious life on the planet. con•scious•ness (kon'sh?s-nis) n. The state or condition of being conscious. n. A sense of one's personal or collective identity, including the attitudes, beliefs, and sensitivities held by or considered characteristic of an individual or group: Love of freedom runs deep in the national consciousness. n. Special awareness or sensitivity: class consciousness; race consciousness.
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  molybdenum

  Isn't this the same as what John Lennon wrote in 1967

  I am the walrus

  I am he as you are he as you are me

  And we are all together
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  still thinking

  adj. Having an awareness of one's environment and one's own existence

  That was interesting...so....Question.

  If being conscious is 'having an awareness of ones environment. And we are a product of the universe and in fact ARE a part of the universe. And we are aware of it. does that make the universe aware? Are we a way for the universe to know itself?

  I know that is a bit out there...but let it roll around in your mind before you totally dismiss it.
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  still thinking

  If you suggest stopping thinking, some people get scared:)

  But Satanus...I am still thinking I would cease to exist.
• 

  Satanus

  'I am still thinking I would cease to exist.'

  Maybe, you would become invisible.

  S
• 

  still thinking

  AwareBeing...thank you for responding. I had a look at the first link you posted to see if it answered the question. And it sort of did. Sort of Your explanation really seemed to address 'entities' attracted or repelled BY the vibration. So it didn't really help me understand WHAT it was.

  This was what the first link said...so I'm still not quite understanding. It seems to be something, maybe an energy of some sort (maybe electrical? just guessing) emmitted by emotion. Is that correct?

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  Measuring Thought Vibration is a method new-age folk use to determine whether a thought you are thinking is empowering or disempowering. If you practice thinking thoughts that have a higher vibration, you tend to get more of what you want in life – and you feel better about yourself too.

  Essentially, thoughts that vibrate at a higher level are likely to be strong, positive and healthy thoughts, whereas thoughts that vibrate at a low level are liable to be negative, harmful and disempowering.

  The argument is what you think about most you manifest in your life – so if you’re operating from a higher frequency, you are more likely to attract the life you desire. You’re also likely to be happier, more pleasant to be around, and in a better state of mind.

  This article will explain a bit about high and low levels of thought vibration, explain the benefits of vibrating at a higher frequency, and show you how to turn low frequency thoughts into high frequency thoughts.

  http://www.personal-development-planet.com/thought-vibration.html
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  still thinking

  One thing I do find interesting about thoughts manifesting themselves...is the effect they can have on our health. Negative thoughts and feelings ARE associated with a number of health issues. And it is surprising how many 'illnesses' can simply go away when we are feeling positive and happy with our lives.

  As a philosophy it seems like a healthy way to think. When we are negative..we do attract negativity...likewise when we are positive. BUT...I'm not sure it can be put down to 'vibrations'. But then maybe thats because I still don't really understand what they are.

  I'll have to have a look at your other links when I return.

  Oh and by the way AwareBeing...does this thought process have to eliminate evolution from the scenario. Because I firmly believe evolution to be a fact. Is one mutually exclusive to the other? I suppose it may be, if there is also a god concept attached. Can this still work without a god?
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  Jeffro

  I am not talking about a god here...just consciousness. We have it...so why not? What makes us special? If you are going to compare consciousness to leprechauns and fairies I think it may be you that is making the big leap.

  I didn't say there is necessarily anything special about 'us' at all. I did already say that it is entirely plausible that consciousness exists elsewhere in the universe, beyond humans and other Earth animals that demonstrate self-awareness. However, as also stated previously, there is no reasonable basis for the presumption that everything is 'conscious'.

  I didn't compare consciousness to 'leprechauns and fairies'. I compared consciousness in the absence of any mechanism for producing it to other fictional concepts.

  In general, whimsical notions that 'the universe is one' stem from the human sense of community (a faculty possessed to varying degrees by various social/herd/pack animals). Concluding that 'the universe' possesses such properties because humans do is particularly naive. It's just as 'likely' that 'the universe' is more 'in tune' with solitary species - of course that's just as (ir)rational as any other suggestion. Because humans are a lot smaller than planets, as far as people are concerned Earth is a vast region suitable for sustaining life - this is 'reasonably convenient' (though much of the planet is hostile to life, as is much of the other life). But overall, the predominant feature of the universe is that it is solitary, harsh and destructive to life.