3 ms·

Sincere question: do we have a good definition of consciousness to be able to say there are different ones? May be experience might be the right word ?

ivape 1y ago
How about “the current properties of your relationship with reality”. Adjust the properties, and your relationship with reality changes. For example, the properties of the relationship to reality of a six year old is different than that of the relationship to reality of a twenty year old. They are not conscious in the same way. Experiences are byproducts once the system is set (adjust the properties, perceive reality based on that), and then experiences pop out. I would consider consciousness (a state) different from the byproducts of consciousness (the things that happen in that state).
riffic 1y ago
qualia
- miki_oomiri 1y ago
  That's a not a definition. Just another fuzzy word to say subjective experience.
  - gentooflux 1y ago
    One's state of consciousness is very much their subjective experience while conscious
    - miki_oomiri 1y ago
      Yes. But qualia, subjective experience, state of consciousness, phenomenal consciousness, etc. these are not good definitions (as asked by OP). These are just all talking about the same thing without a proper definition that would allow us to define its different states. Measure, quantify, understand, sort, etc etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_problem_of_consciousness https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_problem_of_consciousness
      - gentooflux 1y ago
        That seems a bit like trying to put a number to how hungry you are. "Experiencing a desire or need for food" doesn't even begin to describe the sensation, but that doesn't mean it's not a real phenomenon that can't be induced or adjusted in a fairly predictable manner
bandrami 1y ago
"Altered state of consciousness" is a well-defined term in neuroscience; there's an inventory you can use to assess if a person is in an ASOC (actually three competing inventories, IIRC, though that may have settled down since I left grad school back in the Pleistocene).
rramadass 1y ago
You might find the paper A landscape of consciousness: Toward a taxonomy of explanations and implications and discussion interesting - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40844824 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40844824
calebm 1y ago
Consciousness means "felt experience", or the content of your experiences.

ivape 1y ago

How about “the current properties of your relationship with reality”. Adjust the properties, and your relationship with reality changes. For example, the properties of the relationship to reality of a six year old is different than that of the relationship to reality of a twenty year old. They are not conscious in the same way. Experiences are byproducts once the system is set (adjust the properties, perceive reality based on that), and then experiences pop out. I would consider consciousness (a state) different from the byproducts of consciousness (the things that happen in that state).

riffic 1y ago

qualia

miki_oomiri 1y ago
That's a not a definition. Just another fuzzy word to say subjective experience.
- gentooflux 1y ago
  One's state of consciousness is very much their subjective experience while conscious
  - miki_oomiri 1y ago
    Yes. But qualia, subjective experience, state of consciousness, phenomenal consciousness, etc. these are not good definitions (as asked by OP). These are just all talking about the same thing without a proper definition that would allow us to define its different states. Measure, quantify, understand, sort, etc etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_problem_of_consciousness https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_problem_of_consciousness
    - gentooflux 1y ago
      That seems a bit like trying to put a number to how hungry you are. "Experiencing a desire or need for food" doesn't even begin to describe the sensation, but that doesn't mean it's not a real phenomenon that can't be induced or adjusted in a fairly predictable manner

bandrami 1y ago

"Altered state of consciousness" is a well-defined term in neuroscience; there's an inventory you can use to assess if a person is in an ASOC (actually three competing inventories, IIRC, though that may have settled down since I left grad school back in the Pleistocene).

rramadass 1y ago

You might find the paper A landscape of consciousness: Toward a taxonomy of explanations and implications and discussion interesting - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40844824 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40844824

calebm 1y ago

Consciousness means "felt experience", or the content of your experiences.