The Source of Consciousness - with Mark Solms 

That sounds terrifying. I imagined it in my head and it sounds horrible. I hope I dream about it one day.

That's horrifying. The closest experience I have of being trapped inside myself would have to be when under sleep paralysis.

Vedanta is the very science of consciousness at both human and cosmic levels. It recognises consciousness as the ultimate reality and affirms its presence in all existence. All this- whatever exists in this changing universe, is pervaded by consciousness" --Isa Upanishad .5000-BCE The ancient Vedic rishis in all their wisdom said as early as 8000 BC , that our universe is not woven from matter but consciousness . (They never patent there knowledge there own name ) There are connections between quantum mechanics & consciousness . Consciousness is the intelligence, the organising principle behind the arising of form. The quantum field or pure consciousness is influenced by intention and desire. All atoms in the entire universe are capable of mind reading and communicating with other atoms. There is a consciousness in every molecule of matter. As per quantum physics things do not exist in its physical form, unless they are observed by a conscious observer. In every experiment when an observer expected energy to behave as a particle, it did so. When he thought it would probably be wave-like, it was. And when observers believed it might start out as one form and end up as another, it did so. This means ,nothing actually exists in its physical form until observed by someone, was adopted by the group as one of the concepts. You created them by your expectations and your thoughts of what should be. In every situation in your life, including the wealth or lack of it you choose to attract to you. Biology is a quantum process. All the processes in the body including cell communications are triggered by quantum fluctuations, and all higher brain functions and consciousness also appear at the quantum level. On the subatomic level-mind is over matter. The brain and DNA is governed by the laws of quantum physics rather than the laws of biology or neuro physiology. THE COSMOS IS THE PLAYGROUND OF MAYA.. FROM MICROCOSM TO MACROCOSM.. Bhagavad Gita is all about BEING IN THE MOMENT. You cannot change your past, you cannot survive without water, you cannot change natures principle. The only solution is to accept things as they are. Life is a combination or physical, intellectual and spiritual aspects. Without spiritual development , man is without love or positive emotions ( affection, care, respect, sympathy ) . Karma is the result of your actions. If you do something good, you will get good tings in return and if you do bad things, you will get likewise in return. Karma or the actions that you do in the present life is passed on to the next life. But fate is not passed on to the next life. Dharma is when we are walking the path of our soul's purpose. When we are walking our path we are out of karma. We are no longer creating cause and effect. We are in flow with the universe, with our spirit. Our soul is line with the Divine. 'Manu-Smiriti'- 5000BC describes the code for leading a disciplined way of life. Patience, Pardon, Suppression of will, Stay away from Theft, Purity, Control of desires, Wisdom, Knowledge, Truth, Controlling Anger. These 10 qualities are considered as main characteristics of the Dharma. The whole of material creation is conscious. Our consciousness creates our reality. What our consciousness can conceive , it can also create. Human beings are conscious. They can see themselves in the mirror and see colours, while an animal cannot. To a Vedantic every part of this universe is dynamic, it is vibrating, it is listening and can respond according to ones KARMA, It can be by action and can be purely thought. The universe listens to our action as well as thought and gives in return what exactly we want either knowingly or unknowingly, weather it is bad or good. Science is trying to understand the universe ‘out there’ and Vedanta addressed the universe ‘inside you’” Schrödinger, in speaking of a universe in which particles are represented by wave functions, said, “The unity and continuity of Vedanta are reflected in the unity and continuity of wave mechanics. This is entirely consistent with the Vedanta concept of All in One.” The multiplicity is only apparent. This is the doctrine of the Upanishads. And not of the Upanishads only. The mystical experience of the union with God regularly leads to this view, unless strong prejudices stand in the West. There is no kind of framework within which we can find consciousness in the plural; this is simply something we construct because of the temporal plurality of individuals, but it is a false construction… The only solution to this conflict insofar as any is available to us at all lies in the ancient wisdom of the Upanishad. - Erwin Schrödinger " You do not have a soul , you are a soul and you have a body "

@@AmitKumar-qz2us STOP SPAMMING NONSENSE! THIS IS NOT ABOUT RELIGION WHICH ALREADY OUTDATED HUNDRED YEARS AGO. GO BACK TO STONE AGE

@@facttruth7571 i feel like if you watch Dr. Solms and come away less convinced rather than more in the primacy and importance of subjective interpretation of the world/the things within it then you've very much missed the point

without defining consciousness?-That is no more than mouthing empty words

@@vhawk1951kl Oh, I misinterpreted you above. You are suggesting that the information and the evidence, provided by Dr Solm is somehow devoid of .....what? Consciouness? He DEFINED consciousness at the beginning, middle and end of his talk, did he not? Are you mouthing empty words without understanding the basis of his presentation. It seems to me that certain people from an echo chamber find themselves on science sites wanting to argue about consciousness when really they want to fight over "gee, this world is one without any kind of spirituality" when this is plain nonsense & a straw man argument at the very least. Of course I could be entirely wrong about this. If I am, then I apologise. But it was your manner. Your specific response.

@@vhawk1951kl No such thing as a correct definition of consciousness if you're not willing to consider all important ideas. If you dislike this video because you haven't learned anything from it then that's your problem.

@@larmaytv36 Does that not depend entirely on your criteria for "correct"? - "correct" according to who? If you are the arbiter of "correct" correct" in what sense do you use the word*correct*- the mathematical sense? "There is no*correct*definition of consciousness" - you say: ecce the hazards of universals, which the uncharitable might characterise as simply sloppy thinking. Clearly your famous and - for you, indefinable "consciousness" is to be found in a very forest of universals and sloppy thinking- To say nothing of pouring from the empty into the void. There is absolutely no difficulty whatsoever with defining "consciousness" for anyone with any wits and learning. Whoever made that sweeping generalisation and other forms of universal, clearly lacks both. If whoever makes an assertion cannot define what he means by "consciousness" or at least set out clearly what he seeks means or intends to convey by a particular word had best not use it at all- On any view it is no more than drivel

Really *Whose* " science of *What*? Owing to the loss of the capacity to ponder and reflect, whenever the contemporary average man hears or employs in conversation any word(perhaps " science, or " consciousness") with which he is familiar only by its consonance, he does not pause to think, nor does there even arise in him any question as to what exactly is meant by this word, he having already decided, once and for all, both that he knows it and that others know it too. Do you see that you simply*assume* that you know what you mean by either "science" , or " consciousness" and it never even crosses you mind to seek to discover exactly what passes in you associations or associative apparatus or mind, or thoughts(so- called). Is that not*Exactly* correct? Not only is it and must it be correct, for the very simply reason that you*cannot*. How exactly would you go about doing that and is it not the exact equivalent of a mirror seeking to reflect itself, or you stand on your own shoulders? Can you understand that?

Good to have you on board.

Where can I read more about it?

Sorry, but the quality of experiences are not brain-based (including the brain stem) for the simple reason that consciousness did not emerge from brain matter. Consciousness is the ontological primary.

@@michaelseale7268 and how do you know that?

@A. George He took psychedelics and the clockwork elves from base reality told him.

@@michaelseale7268 After stimulation of your brain stem, you say otherwise ;)

@@michaelseale7268 Modern science needs to point to a mechanical cause of a sense of Being or consciousness. They discount research in psychedelics , even though many prominent researchers have used them, because their careers are based in 'hard' physical reductionist thought. Finding truth in the Universe is up to the individual, not academia.

I would not imagine so. The brainstem is so crucial for life itself, that if it was somehow damaged, the clinical manifestations would be obvious.

With so few side effects, however did they find the problem?

@@She_Nanigans I guess that's why the tumor grew for many years before it started to manifest as side-effects (initially with balance and hearing degradation in affected ear)

@@blueckaym oh, I see. I hope you have good health going forward.

For someone with such a strange condition , your text proves that consciousness, intellect and language have not been at all hindered. Best of Health to you going forward!

I have some willpower in my dreams though 🤔... Some times I just ride along, but some times I find myself making willful decisions... At other times, I find myself in a spectator position (it's like I can sense myself and position, but I'm independent of what that self does... it's like being in a VR game without me doing the movement)

@@joszsz Yeah dreams can be lucid sometimes. I sometimes listen my voice narrating what will happen next in the dream I'm having. I've the suspicion Marvin Minsky was onto something when he wrote (in Society of Mind) about brain functions being composed of many simpler subsystems that can be turned on and off. What is also very impressive is how much we can still do with most of our brain gone. It'd seem like staying alive, sensing and reacting to the world can be done just with our "reptilian" part of the brain (I think it's the basal ganglia)

@@DamianReloaded Yeah! I do the narration thing too, and it's at that point that I usually realise it's a dream and wake up. It's all so intriguing. I'm not familiar with Marvin though, so I'll have to check his work out

@@DamianReloaded I really liked your comments. I hadn't thought of dreams in an affective manner as the lecture discussed. We need a Part 2!

dump the suits. throw on a robe and angle the camera respectfully. the future is now

You make a good point. It is a little disturbing, actually.

Your thought is expressed so clearly that it is like a balm to read it. Thank you.

Especially noticeable in these times.

Read the book, it elaborates on this in fairly extensive detail (i'd rather not do Solms the disservice of poorly explaining)

His book explains it.

IMO the causal chain is better because the second one without realization of hunger you won't realize you need food.

By this argument you run into the partial ship building problem, essentially contending you become a fundamentally different person separate from your former self anytime one of your neurons die.

Not sure. A dog can smell 400 times more than we can. We can do the maths and understand the engineering in the olfactory system but we don’t have a clue what that range of ability would be like as an experience. Same with the blind woman who understood the mechanics of sight but had absolutely no notion of the sight experience. Maybe, with the aliens, if we needed to take on those extra senses from a purely survival point of view, we could do it.

Is mind just a sum total of collection of thoughts, emotions, feelings, instincts or is there something more to it? Are we conscious of ourselves and the world, because of the knowledge that we have collected from childhood or regardless of it? Is there anything else there inside, besides this collective identity we call mind?

That's what his book is about...

I knew that going in. It will never be answered. Still, a worthwhile talk.

Q1. Because that was the one design that survived out of all the other possible brain cell versions that was not removed from the gene pool over the course of human history. Your question is essentially what Darwin answered in his infamous treatise. Q2. Stay tuned! One day just like we figured out how our digestive system converts nutrition to energy and waste, we will know the answer to that too...

There are other podcasts that answer this question. As d1p70 says, it is a function of a partly random neural network that happens to work better in its environment than any other one that was selected by that environment to continue its better adapted existence. In its simplest manifestation it provided feedback to the organism that eventually, over millions of years, evolved into "sensations" and "feelings". In its simplest form, it was just a chemical reaction. The gradual development of better detection-reaction systems, aka known now as "neural networks" enabled these increasingly complex sensations to become "consciousness". Let us not forget that there is a very wide spectrum of "consciousness" . It is important to understand that this phenomena, including self-awareness and self-identification, is not confined to the human species. This tends to be under-appreciated because humans are the only species, so far, that have developed a system of verbal communication that can express it in a way that can be passed on to future generations. Apes that have been taught sign language can express their feelings to others, including other apes that understand sign language. Species without language are restricted to sharing and expressing feelings by things like body contact.

I like the idea that the brain is in a predictive processing state, constantly trying to guess what will happen next and prepare for it. Emotions, aka "feelings" are, in our holographic memory, relate to situations and events in the past. Ex: walking past a bakery you smell fresh bread. Your mouth waters. You notice you feel hungry. You find yourself altering course to walk into that bakery as your body prepares to consume and digest some bread. "You" thought it was "YOUR" IDEA. "You" only got the memo after the event. Free will? "You" may decide to eat something else, but no part of "you" will decide to NOT EAT--why? Because "you" won't survive long enough to pass on "your" genetic material.

This appears to be a circular argument. Who or what was doing that initial introspection?

@@dkathrens77 You are making obscure what is obvious. Introspect. Know thyself.

@@dkathrens77 Hi Dennis. Some people may want to intellectualize. Wrong idea. Simply gain insight from your life experiences through introspection (meditation, looking inward, self-observation.) It's that simple.

Other people you are trying to survive with.

"Raw" feelings would just be chemical signals, nothing more.

Or maybe consciousness is a great KNOWN and the material world ia the great unknown.

@@ReasonableForseeability This is the question of thousands of years. Who knows maybe you're right...

I don't know about the Buddhists. I found consciousness by becoming one with myself through understanding what was hidden in my unconscious. I realize that this statement will be met with disbelief, yet it's true. I lost God and looked within myself via psychoanalysis. It took 10 years. True story. 🎉

Yes, indeed. Also how can you explain the supernatural powers some people have, for example, powers that Jesus demonstrated.

@@bandulaamarawardena6576 hahaha you are very funny.

It’s everywhere, not always correct

Very good question, though in view of his very young age this may be dificult. Many older victims of brain trama do reailse they have changed and to another degree, even we may realise that we have no reason to be jelious, depressed or any of a number of our emotions but they are there.

Assumes memory is accessible by some process of awareness without memory or knowledge of self. Feedback loop between hemispheres seems to produce a field independent of physical structure. That would suggest brains are analogous to radio or TV receivers. Rupert sheldrakes morphic resonance suggests mind is a field similar to martial art practices of "feeling" another's gaze. Or experiments displaying dogs reacting to being stared at without any traditional sensory input.

@@gazmasonik2411 The only "field independent of physical structure" I can imagine is metaphoric.

Did you ask them? THEY DO! it's just that their feelings are infinitely simpler than yours

Well said. The chasm being uncrossable; this should not be unexpected (not that I'm saying *you* find it unexpected.) Still it is sad not to be able to understand the basis and nature of understanding ...

Vedanta is the very science of consciousness at both human and cosmic levels. It recognises consciousness as the ultimate reality and affirms its presence in all existence. All this- whatever exists in this changing universe, is pervaded by consciousness" --Isa Upanishad .5000-BCE The ancient Vedic rishis in all their wisdom said as early as 8000 BC , that our universe is not woven from matter but consciousness . (They never patent there knowledge there own name ) There are connections between quantum mechanics & consciousness . Consciousness is the intelligence, the organising principle behind the arising of form. The quantum field or pure consciousness is influenced by intention and desire. All atoms in the entire universe are capable of mind reading and communicating with other atoms. There is a consciousness in every molecule of matter. As per quantum physics things do not exist in its physical form, unless they are observed by a conscious observer. In every experiment when an observer expected energy to behave as a particle, it did so. When he thought it would probably be wave-like, it was. And when observers believed it might start out as one form and end up as another, it did so. This means ,nothing actually exists in its physical form until observed by someone, was adopted by the group as one of the concepts. You created them by your expectations and your thoughts of what should be. In every situation in your life, including the wealth or lack of it you choose to attract to you. Biology is a quantum process. All the processes in the body including cell communications are triggered by quantum fluctuations, and all higher brain functions and consciousness also appear at the quantum level. On the subatomic level-mind is over matter. The brain and DNA is governed by the laws of quantum physics rather than the laws of biology or neuro physiology. THE COSMOS IS THE PLAYGROUND OF MAYA.. FROM MICROCOSM TO MACROCOSM.. Bhagavad Gita is all about BEING IN THE MOMENT. You cannot change your past, you cannot survive without water, you cannot change natures principle. The only solution is to accept things as they are. Life is a combination or physical, intellectual and spiritual aspects. Without spiritual development , man is without love or positive emotions ( affection, care, respect, sympathy ) . Karma is the result of your actions. If you do something good, you will get good tings in return and if you do bad things, you will get likewise in return. Karma or the actions that you do in the present life is passed on to the next life. But fate is not passed on to the next life. Dharma is when we are walking the path of our soul's purpose. When we are walking our path we are out of karma. We are no longer creating cause and effect. We are in flow with the universe, with our spirit. Our soul is line with the Divine. 'Manu-Smiriti'- 5000BC describes the code for leading a disciplined way of life. Patience, Pardon, Suppression of will, Stay away from Theft, Purity, Control of desires, Wisdom, Knowledge, Truth, Controlling Anger. These 10 qualities are considered as main characteristics of the Dharma. The whole of material creation is conscious. Our consciousness creates our reality. What our consciousness can conceive , it can also create. Human beings are conscious. They can see themselves in the mirror and see colours, while an animal cannot. To a Vedantic every part of this universe is dynamic, it is vibrating, it is listening and can respond according to ones KARMA, It can be by action and can be purely thought. The universe listens to our action as well as thought and gives in return what exactly we want either knowingly or unknowingly, weather it is bad or good. Science is trying to understand the universe ‘out there’ and Vedanta addressed the universe ‘inside you’” Schrödinger, in speaking of a universe in which particles are represented by wave functions, said, “The unity and continuity of Vedanta are reflected in the unity and continuity of wave mechanics. This is entirely consistent with the Vedanta concept of All in One.” The multiplicity is only apparent. This is the doctrine of the Upanishads. And not of the Upanishads only. The mystical experience of the union with God regularly leads to this view, unless strong prejudices stand in the West. There is no kind of framework within which we can find consciousness in the plural; this is simply something we construct because of the temporal plurality of individuals, but it is a false construction… The only solution to this conflict insofar as any is available to us at all lies in the ancient wisdom of the Upanishad. - Erwin Schrödinger " You do not have a soul , you are a soul and you have a body "

You asked, what purpose it serves and what advantage it provides ? Consciousness is that which makes reality possible to be known, take away your awareness and what would you know?

One hypothesis for some dreams is the brain trying out what-if scenarios to extrapolate_ learning without having to experience the exact situation

Well, it's not the mere transference of ion across a membrane that causes consciousness. Pretty certain it's the incredibly complex and malleable structure that's key. Much like how one electronic switch isn't a computer, but if you assemble a sufficient number of them properly, then you got yourself a calculator.

Nick Lane's RI talk on the Kreb cycle comes to a similar conclusion in a more concise and more mechanistically insightful way.

How about "I am, therefore, I think"?

psychopathy is partially like this , they lack empathy.

We are feeling tubes of love flushing and transforming energy, language and reality, get opened with love nerdy bug.

consciousness is the movement of the I, the me, the self, the observer, the experiencer, the interpreter, the controller, the chooser, the censor, the meditator, which is an illusion invented from the past conditioning of the brain. consciousness has many levels. Consciousness has no levels. consciousness is a chemical mechanical process of the brain. Consciousness IS NOT a chemical mechanical process of the brain. consciousness is a bundle of memory. Consciousness IS NOT a bundle of memory. consciousness originates in the brain. Consciousness DOES NOT originate in the brain. consciousness invents reality. Consciousness is the movement of Truth. Total Freedom from consciousness is the beginning of Consciousness. Consciousness is the movement of Inner Silent Space. When there is Consciousness, there is Perceiving without the lens of memories. It is Perceiving without the perceiver. This Consciousness is what we call Heart, Soul, Spirit. Then and only then is there Love, Peace, Joy, Goodness, Kindness, Compassion (Passion for All), Beauty, Creativity, Feeling, ExperiencING, Lucidity, Truth, and Wisdom. Then and only then is there Communication, Communion, Connection, Relationship with everyone and everything, for the very first time, in each and every moment of daily life.

Step 1: Be a Human Being. There are human beings and then there are Human Beings. A human being is one who is being driven by the I, the me, the self, the so-called True or Higher Self, which is an illusion invented by the past conditioning of the brain. It acts like a filter, which limits, distorts, shapes, and colors all perceptions. It acts like an inner tyrant who tells you what to think, how to feel and what to do. Moreover, it invents the illusion of division and separation from everyone and everything, which leads inevitably to conflict, violence, and suffering. Therefore, they never See, Hear, or Feel anyone or anything. As a result, there is no Love, Peace, Joy, or Creativity. There is only their limitation and imitation. A human being is actually inhuman. Total Freedom from the I, the me, the self, the so-called True or Higher Self, is the beginning of being a Human Being in daily life. A Human Being is one who is actually Totally Free of fear, anxiety, depression, guilt, confusion, loneliness, addiction, envy, greed, jealousy, bias, and prejudice. A Human Being is one who actually treats everyone, without exception, with the same intensity and quality of care and affection that they would give their dearest closest friend, lover, or child, without any sense of division or separation. A Human Being is actually Living Love, Peace, Joy, Truth, Creativity, Compassion (Passion for All) in each and every moment of daily life. A Human Being is actually Communicating, Communing, Connecting with everyone and everything in each and every moment of daily life.

Google "Total Enlightenment NOW!".

I am not aware of my consciousness creating the world around me. I did not create the country I live in or the planet it is on or the sun it orbits. The world around me seems to operate according to discernible consistent rules. It seems to be shared by other people's consciousnesses too, ie we find ourselves wandering around in the same world.

Interdisciplinary research is indeed the future

Isn't it interesting that all these comments are couched in language and interesting that so many of our thoughts are words 'spoken' silently to our 'self' and interesting that both words and thoughts are metaphoric in nature insofar as they are not the things they are about but are references to them. Are the discharge frequencies of neurons the means by which metaphors are encoded? I'll bet they are.

false, ppl without exception can perceive much earlier awareness of their life once they develop stronger concentration. you are merely pathetic right now and so you possess pathetic capacity to investigate and remember your own awareness.

Philosophy, yes. Science, nope.