4 ms·

Consciousness is the aggregate of emotional, sensory, and thought formations. With these forming a thread into a narrative through memory, we forge identities.

Consciousness is the aggregate of emotional, sensory, and thought formations. With these forming a thread into a narrative through memory, we forge identities. All of this happens in the substrate that is consciousness. If it is unclear why consciousness is not a social construct, you can experiment with isolation and introspection. Retreats, meditation, psychedelics, anything that involves observing the movements of your mind without getting tangled up into words and semantics.

ericmay 3y ago
> Consciousness is the aggregate of emotional, sensory, and thought formations... That's one theory among many. Are these identities static or dynamic in nature? > If it is unclear why consciousness is not a social construct, you can experiment with isolation and introspection. Retreats, meditation, psychedelics, anything that involves observing the movements of your mind without getting tangled up into words and semantics. I don't find this compelling because it's really difficult to find a person who wasn't born to another person and lived amongst other people in order to run this experiment. "Observing" myself thinking of a movie while I meditate seems circular and I don't think you can be an observer and be the observed at the same time.
- yadingus 3y ago
  It's as much a theory as saying that a body is formed of limbs, torso, head, etc. I have a body, I inhabit it and can observe it directly. You're trying to word your way out of words. It's like you're asking me what's atop a mountain and you keep making conjectures and assumptions about what is or isn't up there. The answer is to just go climb it instead of taking your assumptions for reality. > I don't think you can be an observer and be the observed at the same time. I can, because I practice it.

4 ms·

Consciousness is the aggregate of emotional, sensory, and thought formations. With these forming a thread into a narrative through memory, we forge identities.

by yadingus 3y ago

ericmay 3y ago
> Consciousness is the aggregate of emotional, sensory, and thought formations... That's one theory among many. Are these identities static or dynamic in nature? > If it is unclear why consciousness is not a social construct, you can experiment with isolation and introspection. Retreats, meditation, psychedelics, anything that involves observing the movements of your mind without getting tangled up into words and semantics. I don't find this compelling because it's really difficult to find a person who wasn't born to another person and lived amongst other people in order to run this experiment. "Observing" myself thinking of a movie while I meditate seems circular and I don't think you can be an observer and be the observed at the same time.
- yadingus 3y ago
  It's as much a theory as saying that a body is formed of limbs, torso, head, etc. I have a body, I inhabit it and can observe it directly. You're trying to word your way out of words. It's like you're asking me what's atop a mountain and you keep making conjectures and assumptions about what is or isn't up there. The answer is to just go climb it instead of taking your assumptions for reality. > I don't think you can be an observer and be the observed at the same time. I can, because I practice it.