RE: We are no different than computers
May 13, 2015 at 7:23 am
(This post was last modified: May 13, 2015 at 8:27 am by emjay.)
@Rhythm
Just a quick thought regarding whether humans can break their programming by virtue of volition...
I see it as a possibility that what is presented and in focus in consciousness represents the currently most active areas of the brain's neural networks. So if the neural representation of an object, which consists of several related aspects brought together through association, is particularly active you'll see that imagination in your mind's eye. Given that theory, I thought it was quite interesting what I read once about meditation; it was claimed that certain highly accomplished meditators could actually have control over subconscious processes like heart rate etc; things that were never meant to be under conscious control. I don't know whether I believe the claims but if they were true they could fit with this theory; the effect of meditation is to quiet the mind - to reduce neural activity - so if you were that accomplished so as to essentially bring it to a almost to a standstill, then perhaps formerly 'quiet' subconscious activity would seem 'loud' in comparison and thus enter consciousness thereby giving us even more volitional control to break our programming than nature intended. In other words this could be a back door into the system that nature never intended, precisely because it would be dangerous to have conscious control over such systems.
PS can you recommend any specific books on your 'comp mind' theory?
Just a quick thought regarding whether humans can break their programming by virtue of volition...
I see it as a possibility that what is presented and in focus in consciousness represents the currently most active areas of the brain's neural networks. So if the neural representation of an object, which consists of several related aspects brought together through association, is particularly active you'll see that imagination in your mind's eye. Given that theory, I thought it was quite interesting what I read once about meditation; it was claimed that certain highly accomplished meditators could actually have control over subconscious processes like heart rate etc; things that were never meant to be under conscious control. I don't know whether I believe the claims but if they were true they could fit with this theory; the effect of meditation is to quiet the mind - to reduce neural activity - so if you were that accomplished so as to essentially bring it to a almost to a standstill, then perhaps formerly 'quiet' subconscious activity would seem 'loud' in comparison and thus enter consciousness thereby giving us even more volitional control to break our programming than nature intended. In other words this could be a back door into the system that nature never intended, precisely because it would be dangerous to have conscious control over such systems.
PS can you recommend any specific books on your 'comp mind' theory?
