*Consciousness Abstract*
*The Consciousness Question* Consciousness is the *sine qua non* of existence. Because of this it must be seen as the bedrock of existence. Everything that exists depends on the presence of consciousness. Objects are an emanation of consciousness, they are not an independent fact, they are a projection issuing from the subject. In other words, objects have no point of view, they are a subjective fact. This is in perfect agreement with quantum mechanics, which states that ‘energy’, typified by an interactive dualism, only ‘coalesces’ to matter as we focus on it. *The Reality Question.* Reality is a state that does not fluctuate, a state that is forever the same. The general consensus is that the world is real in the absolute sense. Since the world however, like the dream, changes from moment to moment, this perception is not tenable. The world, like the dream, is a creation of the brain and not an objective reality. In other words, the world must be seen as a projection of the brain. So what is it that gives us the sense that the world is real? The answer to this does not lie in the makeup of the world and its objects, because we also have that same sense of reality when we are dreaming. In short, it can only be consciousness. *The Intermittency Question* If consciousness were not constant and continuous, it would have to be seen as no more real than the phenomena it produces. At a casual glance it appears to be intermittent and changeable. But such apparent breaks in consciousness are really only variations of attention. Thus consciousness as such remains continuous like the light of the sun under all weather conditions and even at night when it illumines the other hemisphere. *The Double Premise* The broad consensus among current scientists is that the world is an objective reality. In other words, they must believe that it is a reality independent of the observer, one that persists even when we, as individuals, go to sleep. Such a view is based on the mistaken argument that since for the people who are still awake, the world clearly exists while we are asleep, it must be a persistent reality. Unfortunately this argument is based on a double premise and therefore invalid, for the sleeper can’t call upon the testimonial of those waking people. *The Domain of Consciousness* Thorough considerations suggest that the domain of consciousness is beyond the individual, that its source is not the brain, that the brain is merely one of its channels that captures, modifies and directs its input. But since science will require appropriate experimentation to verify logical inferences, we are forced to submit to such a task. *The Experiment* Such an experiment would require what in medical circles is referred to as ‘hypothermic arrest’, which by the medical profession is usually nicknamed ‘stand still’ because this procedure results in a complete shut down of all signs of life. Fortunately such an ‘experiment’ in the guise of an operation on a difficult aneurism has been successfully performed in 1998 by Dr. Spetzler and an auxiliary crew of twenty professionals. The result showed unambiguously that consciousness exists outside the brain and is continuous beyond the death of the body, so proving that it is not only the bedrock of life, but also that which lends reality to the illusive play of dreaming and waking life. (Full essay available from Kurt Forrer) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
