Atheistic Dogma- Scientific Fundamentalism

[The Grand Nudger]

In my mind, simply from a "biological" perspective, the consciousness involves a dynamic dance between the sense receptors, the CNS, endocrine system, immune system, cardiovascular system the cells within the body that have my DNA, as well as the cells that don't (they say those 'other' cells outnumber mine 10to1 by the way).

I can isolate a couple of those variables, if by "the cells that don't" you're referencing bacteria- if they were contributing to your consciousness in the manner you seem to be suggesting we ought to be able to detect some effect on consciousness everytime a person takes antibiotics. Similarly, malfunctioning immune systems ought to express themselves as malfunctioning consciousness. In the hardest possible interpretation, a reduction of either your bacterial colonization or immune system would lead directly (no intermediary steps or systems required) to a reduction in consciousness. I'm not sure that any of these possibilities are a very accurate description of observations that we have made regarding consciousness.

Further, I see the dynamic dance including the genome and changes in gene expression which is also engaged in a dynamic dance with the vibrational frequencies of everything in my environment.

Define "vibrational frequencies" and precisely how they interact with your genome?

Though these processes are not normally considered "conscious" activities (they are obviously mostly done "unconsciously"), they are representative of the operational processes that are required to keep the organism functioning with our level of conscious awareness (hence, being "alive"=having conscious personal awareness).

Then plants, fungi, and bacteria aren't alive? Also, I think that the at least -some- service and support systems underlying consciousness or it's apparatus (or whatever) can probably be removed for the purposes of discussion. If I cut off your arm (which, in it's way, supports your meatcase and shovels the food into your gob that fuels your brain) you're still going to be capable of consciousness, right?

Is the lighter conscious? In the sense that it has a personal awareness reality tunnel? I don't know (I honestly don't know for sure if you have one either), but I would speculate no (regarding the lighter).

So, why not, do you reckon? Particularly why is the lighter not conscious while "everything" as some categorical whole -is-?

Is it still a part of the larger consciousness story (the first perspective as I discussed)? I would speculate yes. In the sense that it is one of the influential environmental feedback responses that results in adjustments to the dynamic dance of your personal awareness producing "biological systems", it is as intrinsically part of your personal awareness experience as your neurons or the bacteria in your gut. Additionally, I venture to guess that every action you engage in that influences your environment is also providing feedback responses that are shaping all else that is to be experienced within your reality tunnel by you or other personal awarenesses sharing it.

Part of a story (that I may be telling myself) -about- consciousness and part of consciousness probably aren't precisely the same things, eh? As in, while I may be having a conscious experience regarding a lighter, the lighter is not in any way producing that experience. But I think I'll be able to address this better after a couple of the questions above have been hashed out.

Unique experiences are had, but, from this perspective, everything is just a small piece of a larger consciousnesses picture that I assume to be much bigger than the restrictive labels and boundaries that have been put on it with our current language.

You know what they say about assumptions?