From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!cs.utexas.edu!milano!cactus.org!wixer!sparky Thu Oct  8 10:11:33 EDT 1992
Article 7146 of comp.ai.philosophy:
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Path: newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!cs.utexas.edu!milano!cactus.org!wixer!sparky
>From: sparky@wixer.cactus.org (Timothy Sheridan)
Subject: Consciousness- Big Deal..
Message-ID: <1992Oct6.204930.4912@wixer.cactus.org>
Organization: Real/Time Communications
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 92 20:49:30 GMT
Lines: 35


It's a pitty that we have a the word consciousness with out a real
definition of what it actually is.

I will offer 2 things to this discussion. (be glad i dont' quote the epic
volumes of the last few posts as an oveture)

first, consciousness is no different or mysterious than perception.  simply, 
perception is the result of an outside event having caused an internal event
within our minds.
Research with split brain and other aphasic individuals has showed us that
this perception does not need to be perceived to be used within the brain.
(ie. blind sight of september Sci. Am. dicussed this where patients report no
sight but are ammazed to guess objects in front of them with great accuracy!)
If however the perception is also perceived then the result is a knowledge
that some information has been received.  Presumably the information is also
known to be accessable for other thought processes and the perception of its
arrivle mearly indicated this fact.
Now if the perception of perception is also 'perceived'..... then a broader
set of knowledge may be assocated with that event which could involve our
storing in short term memory the face that we 'know we are aware'...
well, or so we think!
Prety simple realy.

the second thing i want to point out is that we have been brainwashed through
both 'passive and active' ignorance to accept that there id somthing
enherantly 'special' about conscious perception.  i.e like having an immortal
soul or 'just being alive' (ie conscious).  Yes being conscious is a big deal
to being conscious ! _   SO WHAT !  Its just perception and nothing that
computers wont' be doing in the not so distant future.

pard the splng..

Tim



