[mkirkpatrick]

I would like to propose the "idea" that mind and consciousness are but shadows of the life essence that radiates and illumines from within.
The idea that all we ever see,and more than likely ever will see,whatLIFE really is,are just the shadow being cast,as of now man knows absolutely zero
about what is life,I mean here,the absolute essence of life.we know little of mind,and little of what we think consciousness is,but these are just shadows
of that force?Is there a way to throw some fresh light onto this shadow,that will allow us to see further into this mystery?

kind regards michael.

[hanzoganz]

Plato is coming back...
One of the holy grails of modern science is to understand how the brain works. Even if we achieve this, would it gives us light on the reign of shadows?

[mkirkpatrick]

Originally Posted by hanzoganz Plato is coming back... One of the holy grails of modern science is to understand how the brain works. Even if we achieve this, would it gives us light on the reign of shadows?

I hope you are right there Hanzoganz,Plato is a great soul,
we do need more light on the shadow that ignorance casts?

kind regards michael.

[harmonygirl]

Wll put, Hanzoganz! Platonic indeed. Michael, I would go a little further and say that our awareness of this 'reality' is but a shadow of true being. We, however, need both light and shadow, as they define each other. (I salute both in you.)

[Guille]

What if it's not that mind and consciousness are the shadown of life, but that life is the shadow of mind and consciousness?

[mkirkpatrick]

That is a good question,Amigo,did life come before consciousness or are they
really one of the same?For a shadow to be cast,there must be light present!

kind regards michael.

[Guille]

I agree, but there is something that never understand; how is it that most forms of living beings aren't consciousness (and by most, I mean all except the homo sapiens sapiens)?

[mkirkpatrick]

I am not sure I understand you
here amigo,do you mean that only homo sapiens are or have consciousness?
How I see it is like this,we as homo-sapiens have an added dimension to our
consciousness,that added dimension,is self-awareness,the ability to say "I"
I AM THat,that am I,that is the only real difference between us and other
creatures,we are "self-aware",they are just "aware"!


kind regards michael.

[Guille]

That is true. But preciselly consciousness is awareness. And animals or plants are not aware. The y just grow, reproduce, survive... They are not aware. Self-awareness is the consequence of consciousness, of awareness.

[mkirkpatrick]

My friend,amigo,it is very clear to me that your observation of living creatures is very limited,most animals are so more acutely aware than us,that to them we would seem dead!!A dog has a nose
that could smell an aroma,diluted to one part per million!!Could your nose do that?To say that animals are not aware,one would have to live in a little box with no windows into Reality?I have observed creatures and plants very carefully for the past fifty years or more,and i cantell youthat many of them are thousands oftimes more aware than we are!!!They are aware,but not self aware,that is the difference,although there are some now who think,that apes,chimps,in particular,are dimly self aware,and dolphins as well.Have you not seen the emotion in a dog?Which can express sadness,joy,trust,and
friendship?

kind regards michael.