Re: A Basis of Consciousness

DOG wrote:
> James Michael Howard <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
>> A  Basis of Consciousness
>>
>> Copyright 2003, James Michael Howard, Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S.A.
>>
>> I define "consciousness" as one brain mechanism having to inhibit or
>> enhance another. This makes one mechanism "aware" of the other. Now
>> this may be magnified into any level of complexity of "on off"
>> mechanisms monitored by other "on off" mechanisms. This is a form of
>> "consciousness."
>>
>> However, I suggest the real key to "consciousness" is awareness of
>> "need." When the above scenario is connected with a mechanism which
>> generates "need," the interaction reaches the level of self
>> awareness. Hence, hunger, thirst, etc. and sex produce "self
>> awareness" in their satisfaction or deferral. (The memories of how
>> these needs were met are stored in the association areas which
>> refine the opportunity for satisfaction and increase awareness.)
>>
>> The third part is "drive." "Need" generates drive. This is the area
>> which machines, at least at this time, may not be able to mimic. A
>> machine that must seek and find energy, for example, is simply using
>> "on off" mechanisms. I suggest the "drive" of animals results from
>> the characteristic of nerves which differentiates them from other
>> tissues. I think our drive comes from the "addiction" mechanism.
>> That is, our nerves evolved the ability to increase receptors in
>> response to the stimulus of entering molecules which trigger the
>> addiction mechanism. Therefore, an accumulation of nerves, the
>> brain, becomes a site which is constantly increasing its "need" for
>> various molecules by constantly increasing receptors for these
>> molecules. This is the basis of our drive mechanism.
>>
>> I suggest "consciousness" consists of these mechanisms: control of
>> one mechanism over another, especially involving mechanisms that are
>> identified as "needs," and the addiction mechanism which constantly
>> renews "needs."

The details don't matter. Its just an engineering problem. Its the big
picture that is important.

>>
>> (This is from www.anthropogeny.com/research.html )

"Understanding, is itself an emotion, i.e. a feeling.
Emotions or feelings can only be "understood" by
consciousness. "Understanding" consciousness can
therefore only be understood by consciousness itself,
therefore the "hard problem" of consciousness, is
intrinsically unsolvable"

Physics is proven incomplete, that is, no
understanding of the parts of a system can
explain all aspects of the whole of such system.

The mean meme-gene Darwinian machine
http://www.anasoft.co.uk/replicators/index.html, and the explanation for
the evolution of consciousness.



Kevin Aylward
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.anasoft.co.uk
SuperSpice, a very affordable Mixed-Mode
Windows Simulator with Schematic Capture,
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