3 ms·

I recommend looking up Donald Hoffman's theory of conscious agents. He proposes that all sentient beings are networks of conscious agents, the simplest conscio

I recommend looking up Donald Hoffman's theory of conscious agents. He proposes that all sentient beings are networks of conscious agents, the simplest conscious agent being binary (it has a world, and can only act in two ways). Any composition of conscious agents is itself a conscious agent. Interestingly, "the world" of each conscious agent might be only other conscious agents.

htwerwe34234 7y ago
This notion of the 'self' is "standard" in Dharmic traditions, and has been for over two millennia. Then again it remains very fashionable to steal ancient ideas from East and market them as "brand new" genius inventions of Westerners. The amount of uncited plagiarism that occurs in this manner is quite simply astonishing.
- ryannevius 7y ago
  If the "self" is an illusion, and if (as is proven in the preliminary exercises of Dzogchen) looking for the mind, or the thinker, or the one who is looking can provoke this kind of insight...what makes you think anyone would have to steal ancient wisdom to arrive at such a conclusion?
- Erlich_Bachman 7y ago
  The tone and the emotional message of your post though is not at all in the spirit of Dharmic traditions. What is "stealing" in a world where everything is one and the conscious universe is trying to understand itself in the best way? Why would it assign negative connotation to copying information, if that information is in fact truthful!?
elfexec 7y ago
> Any composition of conscious agents is itself a conscious agent. That's a very reductionist viewpoint and I'm not sure how correct it is. It's like saying water is wet because its hydrogen and oxygen molecules are wet. But who knows, it might turn out to be true. It will be interesting to know what the real cause of consciousness is though. Hopeful the question of consciousness will be definitively answered within our lifetimes.

htwerwe34234 7y ago

This notion of the 'self' is "standard" in Dharmic traditions, and has been for over two millennia. Then again it remains very fashionable to steal ancient ideas from East and market them as "brand new" genius inventions of Westerners. The amount of uncited plagiarism that occurs in this manner is quite simply astonishing.

ryannevius 7y ago
If the "self" is an illusion, and if (as is proven in the preliminary exercises of Dzogchen) looking for the mind, or the thinker, or the one who is looking can provoke this kind of insight...what makes you think anyone would have to steal ancient wisdom to arrive at such a conclusion?
Erlich_Bachman 7y ago
The tone and the emotional message of your post though is not at all in the spirit of Dharmic traditions. What is "stealing" in a world where everything is one and the conscious universe is trying to understand itself in the best way? Why would it assign negative connotation to copying information, if that information is in fact truthful!?

elfexec 7y ago

> Any composition of conscious agents is itself a conscious agent. That's a very reductionist viewpoint and I'm not sure how correct it is. It's like saying water is wet because its hydrogen and oxygen molecules are wet. But who knows, it might turn out to be true. It will be interesting to know what the real cause of consciousness is though. Hopeful the question of consciousness will be definitively answered within our lifetimes.