AgnosticWeb.com - Consciousness: Ned block video

Consciousness: Ned block video (reply)

David Turell — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:11:09 +0000

Very thoughtful,with more videos to come:-http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2013/01/28/what-is-consciousness-go-to-the-video/?WT_mc_id=SA_DD_20130128

Consciousness: attention (reply)

David Turell — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 20:56:21 +0000

One does not need a whole cortex to be conscious and have self-awareness, the simple definition of consciousness.-http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=self-awareness-with-a-simple-brain&page=2

Consciousness: attention (reply)

David Turell — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 14:48:50 +0000

However, we won't even consider the possibility that there might be something other than neurons directing the neurons. There is definitely no "ghost" in the brain. > > I don't know if there is or isn't a "ghost" in the brain, and I don't know if NDEs and OBEs and other so-called paranormal phenomena are or are not reliable evidence that the mind is not just a matter of neurons. However, I do know that science is meant to be objective, and the totally unnecessary statement above (in bold) therefore has no place in a scientific study.-I interpret the blog differently. It concludes:-"What was thought before was that three brain areas in sequence were sufficient to produce visual attention in monkeys. What remains unknown? First, what other brain areas handle visual attention that is triggered by an overt cue. Second, when there's no cue, what aims the "searchlight of attention" that humans seem to control freely?"-I view this as an admission we have no idea what is going on although we'd like to believe it is all materialism. The admission is what is significant to me.

Consciousness: attention (reply)

dhw — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 13:27:07 +0000

DAVID: Studies continue to show that if it seems three regions of the brain are involved there are really more to find: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/10/10/how-the-brain-does-attention-... article begins as follows:-Humans can focus on one thing amidst many. "Searchlight of attention" is the metaphor. You recall a childhood friend's face one moment, then perhaps the dog you loved back then, and then...what you will. Your son's face on stage rivets your attention; the rest of the cast is unseen.-No "ghost" in the brain aims that searchlight. [My bold] What does? Neurons do, somehow, but how is a mystery that new research actually deepened.-This a scientific article in a scientific journal, but note how science is used as a cover for sheer prejudice. For the "searchlight of attention" you could substitute will, memory, imagination, consciousness, and this author would tell you the same: we haven't a clue how it works, and the more we try to prove our theory that it's all a matter of neurons, the less our theory seems to fit the facts. However, we won't even consider the possibility that there might be something other than neurons directing the neurons. There is definitely no "ghost" in the brain. I don't know if there is or isn't a "ghost" in the brain, and I don't know if NDEs and OBEs and other so-called paranormal phenomena are or are not reliable evidence that the mind is not just a matter of neurons. However, I do know that science is meant to be objective, and the totally unnecessary statement above (in bold) therefore has no place in a scientific study.

Consciousness: attention

David Turell — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 22:21:10 +0000

Studies continue to show that if it seems three regions of the brain are involved there are really more to find:-http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/10/10/how-the-brain-does-attention-is-still-unknown/?WT_mc_id=SA_DD_20121010