Does the Universe have consciousness?

Discussion in 'General Philosophy' started by hansda, Nov 10, 2012.

  1. hansda Valued Senior Member

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    We have consciousness and we are able to witness all the changes hapenning around us based upon the limitations of our perceptions. We respond accordingly to all these changes.

    So many changes are hapenning to the Universe continuously. Universe also responds spontaneously to all these changes.


    Does the Universe have consciousness to witness all these changes and to respond spontaneously?
     
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  3. kx000 Valued Senior Member

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    I'm consciously part of the universe. So is God, the ancestor of consciousness, whom is Love.
     
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  5. Neverfly Banned Banned

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    Prove it.
     
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  7. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    There is no proof beyond what an individual would accept for ones self. If you define God as the the physical universe, including the conscious living beings in it, then an argument can be made that the consciousness of the living individuals is the consciousness of the universe.
     
  8. river

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    the Universe doesn't have a consciousness but what it does have is a life energy

    this what Wilhelm Reich tried to show with his orgone energy gatherer
     
  9. Neverfly Banned Banned

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    His hair changed little from early childhood:

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    Either way, one of the crazier fellas in history... File him with Sitchin and Velikovsky.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Reich#Experiment_with_Einstein
     
  10. river

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    Neverfly

    you never read any books by Wilhelm so until you do so lets by a little more open minded

    forget about wiki , just read a book by him
     
  11. Neverfly Banned Banned

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    Dude, I have an open mind. And it's got a handy screen door to keep the bugs out. Thanks.
     
  12. river

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    actually I don't find you have much of an open mind at all

    I find no evidence to the contary involving yourself

    of course that is your perogative

    I'll leave it that
     
  13. river

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    anyway

    the thing is that given the right enviroment , life appears

    which would lead to think that life's energy is actually everywhere but only becomes manifest given the enviroment

    now if the Universe were conscious it would imply that the Universe would CHOSE between this or that type of being , would it not ?
     
  14. youreyes amorphous ocean Valued Senior Member

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    You cannot have complex parts within a more simple than any of its parts' system. A universe is a system that allows many types of consciousness to exist, the universe itself is conscious therefore on many more levels than any of its parts.
     
  15. Buddha12 Valued Senior Member

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    No.

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  16. kx000 Valued Senior Member

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    We are conscious, and part of the universe.
     
  17. kx000 Valued Senior Member

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    Consciousness is something to grow.
     
  18. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    True, and to take the thought further, the conscious individuals within the universe can witness events and respond. That is not spontaneous and it is not a personification of the entire universe, only a personification of the individual responses of the living beings within the universe; personification at the personal personnel level, lol.
     
  19. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    Orgone energy vs. the finite combinations of elements and environments that come together in an iterative process that works through all of the finite possibilities and combinations to inevitably produce a living molecule from the non-living elements.

    It is not even close in my view, the iterative process succeeds in producing life without any orgone energy required.
     
  20. Rav Valued Senior Member

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    I think it's entirely reasonable to phrase it thusly: an individual human being is the personification of a somewhat discrete portion of the fabric of the universe.

    As for the thread topic, I don't think the universe is conscious in the sense we would use the word to describe human beings, or even some other creatures. Certainly it doesn't seem to have human-like awareness and cognitive capacity. But matter necessarily has the properties that are needed to manifest those things. As Nick Lane has said: "For all its marvelous power, natural selection doesn't conjure up something from nothing: there has to be a germ of something for it to act upon, a germ of a feeling, you might say, that evolution can fashion into the majesty of mind."

    A little willingness to venture beyond the confines of our own anthropomorphic tendencies can easily lead one to realize that such a "germ" may be fashioned in other ways as well.
     
  21. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    That works. But what do you gain by that definition? I can see where it could better apply on a grand scale of multiple conscious intelligent life forms across the universe; is that the point?
     
  22. Rav Valued Senior Member

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    Assuming a physicalist stance, I just feel it's important to recognize that we are the universe, rather than just beings within it (as if we could possibly be made of something else, from somewhere else).

    This seems like an uncomfortable leap for some physicalists (perhaps it sounds new-agey to them or something), but I think we should go ahead and be explicit about it anyway. Again, assuming such a stance, it's necessarily true.
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2012
  23. Rav Valued Senior Member

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    ...
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2012

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