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There is likely some sort of feedback loop between the brain and consciousness. Our conscious experience does have some unknown effect on the brain that alters

There is likely some sort of feedback loop between the brain and consciousness. Our conscious experience does have some unknown effect on the brain that alters our behavior and thinking, otherwise we wouldn't be able to speak of our conscious experience or practice introspection. However, I feel like you're implying this leads to some sort of paradox, but I see no reason to assume that it's paradoxical. In mathematics, self-references or infinites don't always result in contradictions.

mistermann 3y ago
By my way of thinking, the problem derives from what "reality" is. Is it the universe? Or is it something like the atmosphere, that we are "in"? Or, is it something else? > but I see no reason to assume that it's paradoxical. To a lot of people, the consequence of this is that "the reality (fact) of the matter" is that it is not(!) paradoxical...but is this actually true? Disagreements on this may be fairly trivial, just something fun to discuss. But what if the proposition is something that is important to the functioning of the country, and people can't sort out what "reality" "is"?
- waselighis 3y ago
  I have no doubt that there is an objective reality. Physics shows us that reality is weird and unintuitive, and we don't fully understand it. The mere existence of consciousness also raises big questions about the true nature of reality. But still I have no doubt there is an objective reality., There is massive amounts of evidence that show the universe evolved (matter condensed to form stars which formed heavier elements which formed planets and organized into galaxies ...) and also that life evolved (single celled organisms to multicellular organisms to animals which eventually gave way to sentient life). Why would there be such substantial evidence for any of this if there were no objective reality? If I take a psychedelic drug, my conscious experience is significantly altered. Why should that happen if there were no objective reality? Why should a chemical be able to have such a huge effect on my conscious experience if it "doesn't objectively exist"? Why should there be such a strong correlation between patterns of brain activity and our conscious experience if there were no objective reality? Why should the brain be organized into regions with well defined functions if there were no objective reality? Why should sensory organs be able to take in information from the environment through well understood physical processes, and transit that information through well structured nerve endings to the proper regions of the brain, if there were no objective reality? I don't claim to know the true nature of reality, far from it. I merely posit that there is an objective reality.

mistermann 3y ago

By my way of thinking, the problem derives from what "reality" is. Is it the universe? Or is it something like the atmosphere, that we are "in"? Or, is it something else? > but I see no reason to assume that it's paradoxical. To a lot of people, the consequence of this is that "the reality (fact) of the matter" is that it is not(!) paradoxical...but is this actually true? Disagreements on this may be fairly trivial, just something fun to discuss. But what if the proposition is something that is important to the functioning of the country, and people can't sort out what "reality" "is"?

waselighis 3y ago
I have no doubt that there is an objective reality. Physics shows us that reality is weird and unintuitive, and we don't fully understand it. The mere existence of consciousness also raises big questions about the true nature of reality. But still I have no doubt there is an objective reality., There is massive amounts of evidence that show the universe evolved (matter condensed to form stars which formed heavier elements which formed planets and organized into galaxies ...) and also that life evolved (single celled organisms to multicellular organisms to animals which eventually gave way to sentient life). Why would there be such substantial evidence for any of this if there were no objective reality? If I take a psychedelic drug, my conscious experience is significantly altered. Why should that happen if there were no objective reality? Why should a chemical be able to have such a huge effect on my conscious experience if it "doesn't objectively exist"? Why should there be such a strong correlation between patterns of brain activity and our conscious experience if there were no objective reality? Why should the brain be organized into regions with well defined functions if there were no objective reality? Why should sensory organs be able to take in information from the environment through well understood physical processes, and transit that information through well structured nerve endings to the proper regions of the brain, if there were no objective reality? I don't claim to know the true nature of reality, far from it. I merely posit that there is an objective reality.