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From: alan@sdcrdcf.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Consciousness
Message-ID: <1196@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 12-Jul-84 16:58:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1196
Posted: Thu Jul 12 16:58:31 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Jul-84 13:23:01 EDT
Reply-To: alan@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Alan Algustyniak)
Organization: System Development Corporation, Santa Monica
Lines: 41

*
	Re: The Origins of Consciousness

	This discussion is being moved here from net.books .

	When i wrote that i am not sure that i am aware of my existence,
i was being only partially droll.  It seems to me that there are
different levels of consciousness.

	Sometimes i am very aware of certain aspects of the external
world, and sometimes i am not.  Why shouldn't the same be true of my
internal 'self'?  For example, i am usually not aware that my blood
flows, that i am sitting down, that i am moving my mouth when speaking,
etc.  Also, i am rarely aware of any of the processes involved when i
speak English, divide numbers, etc.  Could it be said that i am more
conscious, or more aware of my existence, when i am aware of these
things?  I suspect that the answer is: yes.

	Going to the more controversial examples, i am rarely aware of
the reasons for most of the decisions i make in my daily life. Why am
i writing this? Why am i doing it now?

	I believe that if i was more aware of what i was deciding to do,
and why, i would be more productive and successful, probably maximizing
my long-term happiness far better than i do.

	I suspect that we, and many higher animals that i observe, drift
in and out of various levels of consciousness throughout the day, and
as we grow and age.  And i suspect that Nature selects for those who
are more aware of their existence than others.

	So, you see, i don't think that being aware of one's existence
is a binary parameter, either you are or you aren't.  It seems that there
is a continuum.  Maybe this is the ultimate 'measure' of intelligence.

	I'd like to hear what others think about this.


	Alan Algustyniak   (sdccsu3!sdcrdcf!alan)
        (ucbvax!ucla-vax!sdcrdcf!alan) (allegra!sdcrdcf!alan)
	(decvax!trw-unix!sdcrdcf!alan) (cbosgd!sdcrdcf!alan)