On the Quest of Defining Consciousness

In (Vimal, 2009e), forty meanings attributed to the term consciousness were identified and categorized based on functions and experiences. The prospects for reaching any single, agreed theory independent definition of consciousness appear remote. Here, the goal is to search for theory dependent optimal (that has the least number of problems) and a general definition (that accommodates most views). This quest is mostly based on the premise that evolution must have optimized our system (that has structure, function, and experience). Based on the dual-aspect-dual-mode proto-experience/subjective experience (PE-SE) [the extended dual-aspect monism] optimal framework, the optimal definition of consciousness is ‘consciousness is a mental aspect of a system or a process, which has two sub-aspects: conscious experience and conscious function [from first person perspective]’. A more general definition is: ‘consciousness is a mental aspect of a system or a process, which is a conscious experience, a conscious function, or both depending on the context and particular bias (e.g. metaphysical assumptions)’, where experiences can be conscious experiences and/or non-conscious experiences and functions can be conscious functions and/or non-conscious functions that include qualities of objects. These are a posteriori definitions because they are based on observations and the categorization.

Keywords: Structure; function; subjective experience; proto-experience; materialism/emergentism; dualism; idealism; panpsychism; dual-aspect view; consciousness; qualia; mind; awareness; combination problem; explanatory gap

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Interpretation of Death in the Inseparable Dual-Aspect Monism

Ram Lakhan Pandey Vimal

Vision Research Institute, 25 Rita Street, Lowell, MA 01854 USA.

rlpvimal@yahoo.co.in; http://sites.google.com/site/rlpvimal/Home

Abstract

There are many kinds of ‘death’, such as biological death, clinical death, brain death, information-theoretic death, and gene death. There are three approaches to indefinitely-extending human lifespans, namely, biotechnological, nanotechnological, and Mind-Uploading approach of the transhumanists.

There are four major metaphysical ontologies – materialism, idealism, substance dualism, and dual-aspect monism. First three have serious problems and the fourth one also has problems but can be extended to minimize the problems. In other words, the inseparable dual-aspect monism (IDAM) has the least number of problems if understood correctly.

A general definition of consciousness (that accommodates most views) may be: Consciousness is the non-physical aspect of a beable ontological dual-aspect state of the mind-brain-system or a mind-brain-process, which has four sub-aspects: a conscious experience (experiential sub-aspect), a conscious cognition (cognitive sub-aspect), a conscious quality (qualitative sub-aspect), a conscious function (functional sub-aspect), or first two to four sub-aspects depending on the context from the 1^st person perspective (1pp), where the term ‘context’ refers to metaphysical views, constraints, specific aims, and so on. The experiential and cognitive sub-aspects are also called mental sub-aspect. In (Vimal, 2010b), cognition, quality, and function are combined in function and was called functional sub-aspect. The awareness of self and environment, and Free-Will are included in the experiential sub-aspect of consciousness (non-physical aspect).

The IDAM framework has five components, namely,

(1) Dual-aspect monism, where (a) each entity-state has inseparable physical and non-physical aspects and (b) in Nature, the subjective experiences potentially co-exist with its inseparable physical aspect;

(2) Dual-mode (conjugate matching between stimulus-dependent-feed-forward-signals-related-mode and cognitive-feedback-signals-related-mode and then the selection of a specific subjective experience by the self);

(3) The degree of manifestation of aspects depends on a state of an entity;

(4) The segregation and integration of dual-aspect information; and

(5) The necessary conditions of consciousness.

In the IDAM framework, we consider what happens to both aspects after death:

(I) After death, the degree of manifestation of the 3pp-physical aspect of the dead-body state is high and that of the inseparable qualitative (patterns/forms) non-physical aspect is equally high. Therefore, the principles of co-manifestation and inseparability are not violated. It is unclear if Self/soul exists after death; therefore, it is useful to consider both possibilities.

(II) If Self/soul does not exist, the “self” dies after death, but it may return back if it can be revived as hypothesized by cryonics (if successful in future). The manifested/realized consciousness, such as in humans, returns back to its Universal Potential Consciousness informational energy field (UPCIEF) through the non-physical aspect of the dual-aspect states of constituents of body. Each of these states consists of the superposition of dual-aspect beable-ontological basis states. The constituents can recycle.

(III) However, if a soul exists with its subtle body (astral and causal bodies are part of cognition) after death, the degree of manifestation of 3pp-physical aspect of the post-death-state of a Self/soul is latent from us. In addition, the degree of manifestation of the non-physical aspect of the post-death-state of the soul is also latent/hidden from us living in this physical world (because we are unable to detect). In other words, the principle of co-manifestation and inseparability is still maintained as both aspects are unmanifested for us in our physical world. Moreover, a new kind of life begins after death as elaborated in various religions. We speculate that both aspects of post-death state of a soul along with additional 20 astral and causal entities as a bundle are co-manifested in subtle/astral and subtler/causal worlds. A state of each astral or causal entity is a dual-aspect state in the IDAM framework. In other frameworks, the interpretation may be different; for example, astral and causal entities are the entities of Prakriti so in this sense they are physical entities in non-interactive dualism-based Sankhya. Then as RSSB describes karma’s cause-effect principle will be applicable.”

My understanding of an Ayurveda’s hypothesis is that our mind-brain systems have a pharmaceutical factory inside our brains that can manufacture necessary chemicals, deliver exact dosage at the exact time as needed under certain conditions. A mind-brain system, under certain conditions (such as NDE), to protect the system, creates at a clinically dead or coma type state, which provides near-death experiences (NDEs) to enjoy (or suffer) and cures the incurable medical problems such as killing all cancer cells and curing the acute bacterial meningoencephalitis. Benedict’s, Moorjani’s, and Alexander’s cases fit well in this hypothesis.

As per (Cook, 2016), “Nothing leaves the body at death, yet we do experience a personal heaven. The experience occupies only a moment of time, yet creates an eternity in death, at which point the dimension of time is extinguished.” This is consistent with this working hypothesis.

To sum up, we all have to face our physical death one day; there is no escape. Since it is unclear if the Self survives the death (and is highly unlike that we will know the truth in near future!), to be on the safe side, it would be better to set up our mundane daily lifestyle appropriately based on our favorite view, but do not reject the opposite view.

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