Iacchus

So just how did the brain come into existence physically? ... To exploit an available resource perhaps? Which, I think is the whole point, why does anything evolve, if not to exploit the resources at hand? Why did our eyes evolve, if not to exploit the available source of light? What would be the difference between that and say designing an amplifier in order to reproduce sound? Wouldn't it be fair to say that the amplifier exists solely to reproduce the sound? So why should it be any different with the brain which, is just a means by which to capture/contain consciousness?

So, if we could assess that consciousness is a separate medium from the brain, then what does that suggest about the mind? That there is in fact a dualistic purpose behind our being here?

Crucifiction

What, exactly, are you talking about?

The brain in all animals is the seat of awareness; without which, we would be unable to do much of anything. Animals also have brains; but some life forms do not, such as bacterium, viruses, plants, etc. The creatures with brains, however, are able to make choices and be aware of their surroundings, which is why creatures with brains are predominant, whereas creatures lacking brains are not. Hence, if a plant were, for some reason or another, to sprout in the middle of the Antartic, it couldn't make the choice to try to find a more suitable climate or some way to survive, and would die off. Animals lacking brains aren't nearly as adaptable as animals that have them.

To assume that the brain is in some way related to the spirit is foolishness. If our brains are damaged, then we often are incapacitated or even vegetablized. Do our spirits also become vegetables if we suffer extreme head trauma? Also, if all creatures with brains have a spirit, does that mean elephants, rats, tarantulas, pelicans, etc. ad infinatum have spirits as well?

Conciousness, or sentience, doesn't really mean anything. Are you using conciousness to refer to awareness? Most creatures are aware of their environments, including creatures without brains, like jellyfish.

Iacchus

Everything which is alive has at least a rudimentary form of consciousness, whether it has a brain or not. So guess what? The brain is not necessarily the source of consciousness.

Also, we have eyes which are the receptacle to light, we have ears which are the receptacle to sound, we have noses which are the receptacle to smell, we have skin which is the receptacle to touch, and we have taste buds which are the receptacle to taste, all of which are externally based sensations. So why should it be any different with the mind, the receptacle to consciousness?

Hyndis

Actually, bacteria have us all beat.

The biomass of bacteria vastly outweighs that of humans, and bacteria are able to adapt so rapidly as to keep up to the rate of innovation in humans. Bacteria have even altered the entire planet's atmosphere and crust, with all of the oxygen being seperated from the carbon and whatnot.

But then, humans are also have a significant impact on the world's environment.

So I'd actually chalk it up to a draw. In terms of biomass, bacteria are clearly the dominant life form on the planet, but in terms of impact on the planet, we're catching up.

Hyndis

Skin works via nerve endings that react to physical objects or temperatures, smell and taste is done through more nerve endings that are very sensative to particular chemicals, and vison consists of receptors that can pick up particular bandwidth of EM radiation.

Physical objects exist.
Temperature exists.
Chemicals exist.
EM radiation exists.
"Consciousness," in the dualistic framework, either does not exist or cannot be proven to exist.

DaninGraniteCity

Iacchus, can we ever discover particles of conciousness like the photons of light? Are you suggesting that sentience is a particle/wave that we only recieve? I'm not a neuroscientist or anything, but I'm sure that is not the dominating model of neuroscience.

Iacchus

No, I would be more inclined to go with some form of induction through electromagnetic fields.

DaninGraniteCity

There is still quantum field theory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_field_theory

Prester John

That sounds rather easy to detect with our technology, doesn't appear that we have tho'.

Hyndis

We've got the EM spectrum nailed down pretty well, all the way from wavelengths bigger than some countries to wavelengths smaller than protons. At such huge wavelengths, the EM stuff won't even notice a person's body. And at such tiny wavelengths, it'll simply go right through you, occasionally knocking some atoms to the side, which is why lots of radiation is bad for you.

So, it can't possibly be outside of this spectrum, nor is it within this spectrum, because we can already see in any of these wavelengths that we choose. Also, if it were one of those really huge wavelengths, then why are people individuals? If the same wave is surrounding hundreds of thousands of people, why don't they act like the Borg, with a single consciousness?