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If the brain is necessary to have a vision

Stopped_lurking

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So your thoughts are spatially located, and have mass?
They are obviously located in my brain. All my thoughts have occurred at the same location inhabited by my brain. What do you mean?
You seem to miss the point entirely, because mechanistic explanations are necessarily "physical" so you're simply begging the question with this.
Ok, what non-mechanistic explanations then?
 
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Fervent

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They are obviously located in my brain. All my thoughts have occurred at the same location inhabited by my brain. What do you mean?
Oh? How did you determine this? Cause it's certainly not obvious to me that mental events are all spatially located in the brain. So how is it obvious?
Ok, what non-mechanistic explanations then?
Causal efficacy of thoughts.
 
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Stopped_lurking

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Oh? How did you determine this? Cause it's certainly not obvious to me that mental events are all spatially located in the brain. So how is it obvious?
There have never been a thought in some other place where my brain isn't that I would call mine. Have you, that would be interesting?
Causal efficacy of thoughts.
How is this better explained by dualism than monism? Is this even an explanation?
 
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Fervent

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There have never been a thought in some other place where my brain isn't that I would call mine. Have you, that would be interesting?
I don't generally have the ability to locate thoughts, certainly not to a particular body part. But your response isn't an answer to my question, it's a deflection.
How is this better explained by dualism than monism? Is this even an explanation?
Because dualism allows for direct causation and being non-physical wouldn't be confined by physical conservation laws, while monism requires a mechanistic explanation not only from mental state to mental state but also from brain state to mental state and from brain state to brain state all while avoiding violating conservation laws.
 
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Stopped_lurking

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I don't generally have the ability to locate thoughts, certainly not to a particular body part. But your response isn't an answer to my question, it's a deflection.
So here is the direct answer. To me my thoughts and brain always co-inhabit the same space, in the sense when I answer the question "where were you when having this or that thought?" the position is that of my brain.
Because dualism allows for direct causation and being non-physical wouldn't be confined by physical conservation laws,
It would still be confined by conservation laws if it interacts with the physical. Otherwise we could use it to generate a net energy just by thinking. That would be cool.
while monism requires a mechanistic explanation not only from mental state to mental state but also from brain state to mental state and from brain state to brain state all while avoiding violating conservation laws.
Not all monists are physicalists, and I think they would just say that consciousness is an epiphenomenon. There are russellian (neutral) monists, they would to my understanding say that mind and body is two perspectives of the same thing. Idealistic monists would say that it is the physical that is a epiphenomenon of the mental.
 
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stevevw

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You are talking past him Hans, or rather so far over his head your words must require bottled oxygen. He just does not understand the difference between many anecdotes and a serious, well designed, properly conducted, independently verified study. He sees several aticles (popular articles, it seems, with click bait headlines) and in his mind that demonstrates that there is growing acceptance of the ideas that attract him. He fails to see that he subconsciously cherry pick such articles, fails to recognise that they are often sensationalised, or simply wrong, but in either case proceeds to misunderstand them.

I applaud your persistence in trying to get through to him and trust you are well supplied with blood pressure medication.
The articles literally state there has been an increase. Are you saying they are lying.
 
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Fervent

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So here is the direct answer. To me my thoughts and brain always co-inhabit the same space, in the sense when I answer the question "where were you when having this or that thought?" the position is that of my brain.
That isn't an answer to my question, which is how you determined your thoughts reside in your brain. You claim its obvious, which leads me to beleve you've never regarded the belief with skepticism
It would still be confined by conservation laws if it interacts with the physical. Otherwise we could use it to generate a net energy just by thinking. That would be cool.
Nope, it wouldn't have to conform to physical laws because it is non-physical. It is only if we presume a physicality to it and try to treat it as ersatz physical that conservation comes into play.
Not all monists are physicalists, and I think they would just say that consciousness is an epiphenomenon. There are russellian (neutral) monists, they would to my understanding say that mind and body is two perspectives of the same thing. Idealistic monists would say that it is the physical that is a epiphenomenon of the mental.
Sure, and saying it is an epiphenomenon is to deny causal efficacy. It's an absurd position that only becomes tenable if we pretend that the external "mind-independent" world is epistemically fundamental. But doing so undermines any reasoning that brought them to that point. Calling it epiphenomenal is saying that it only appears to be causally effective, but is actually causally inert. So it isn't an explanation, it's a denial.

Russellian monists can't explain what the sole subtance is such that it can produce both physical and mental properties while not reducing to one or the other while not being dualist. Idealists have trouble rescuing the world from solipsism, and epiphenomenon wouldn't really make sense as a category for physical under idealism.
 
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Hans Blaster

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The articles literally state there has been an increase. Are you saying they are lying.
I am saying they aren't quantitative. The "increase" that is implied in some articles, but I've seen no numbers offered.
 
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Stopped_lurking

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That isn't an answer to my question, which is how you determined your thoughts reside in your brain. You claim its obvious, which leads me to beleve you've never regarded the belief with skepticism
They always are at the same space. That makes it obvious. When I lose body parts other than my head (I haven't actually tried that one) I don't feel any loss of self, if you were thinking it resided in my feet or hands.
Nope, it wouldn't have to conform to physical laws because it is non-physical. It is only if we presume a physicality to it and try to treat it as ersatz physical that conservation comes into play.
Yep, if it has physical effects it have to confirm to physical laws. Perhaps you don't believe it has physical effects? But then I wonder in what sense your mean casual.
Sure, and saying it is an epiphenomenon is to deny causal efficacy. It's an absurd position that only becomes tenable if we pretend that the external "mind-independent" world is epistemically fundamental. But doing so undermines any reasoning that brought them to that point. Calling it epiphenomenal is saying that it only appears to be causally effective, but is actually causally inert. So it isn't an explanation, it's a denial.
They would say the cause is the brain states, that is no less of an explanation than positing a dualistic world.

It seems the Theory of Mind philosophers don't agree with you about physicalism being as problematic, according to this survey. Granted I only found this after some quick googling. Here is the article about the survey


And here are the survey results


They had a question about physicalism in the context of theory of mind. Support for physicalism increased when looking at those had set their as to thirty of mind.


Screenshot_2025-12-29-06-11-22-900.jpg




Russellian monists can't explain what the sole subtance is such that it can produce both physical and mental properties while not reducing to one or the other while not being dualist.
What is the the proposed dualistic mind substance that can interact with the physical and not conform to physical laws?
Idealists have trouble rescuing the world from solipsism, and epiphenomenon wouldn't really make sense as a category for physical under idealism.
Let's reformulate to that they see the physical as an manifestation of the mental.
 
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stevevw

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The DI article did not provide what I wanted which are statistics that show the claimed trend toward "prominence" that you have been claiming. (And you need better sources because DI is tainted by their abject dishonesty as are all of the creationist orgs.)
I did provide them. Why did you home in on the DI one when there were others.

AI Overview
While the mainstream scientific consensus largely views consciousness as a product of complex brain activity, there is a growing movement toward exploring postmaterialist or "beyond the brain" frameworks through rigorous scientific inquiry. Researchers in various fields are using new methods and revisiting existing evidence to investigate the nature of consciousness and its potential non-local aspects.

Research on Experiences Related to the Possibility of Consciousness Beyond the Brain: A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Scientific Output
Over the decades, there was an evident increase in the number of articles on all the areas of the field, with the exception of studies on mediumship that showed a decline during the late 20th century and subsequent rise in the early 21st century.

I have looked and there is no place where you can get stats showing the increase in the study of ideas associated with consciousness beyond brain.

The next best thing is peer review and I have now listed several that clearly state there has been an increase in openness to alternative ideas for non local consciousness.

You've posted the same experts (like Chambers) so many times that I recognize them individually. This does not bode well for the notion that this is anything more than a niche idea studied and supported by a few people.
I can get some more mainstream scientific articles including peer review that clearly states otherwise.
Don't confuse the study of consciousness for consciousness as fundamental.
Lol first you say that the study of alternative ideas for consciousness beyond brain is just a fringe psuedoscience. Then when I clearly show that its becoming more mainstream you retreat into the articles not being about the increase in ideas about consciousness beyond brain.

The heading of that particular clearly states exact;y this. Scientists Are Finally Taking Altered States of Consciousness Seriously.

I think I have provided ample support that there has been an increase in studies associated with consciousness beyond brain or non local consciousness.

The simple fact that there has been a massive increase in consciousness studies full stop in the last 30 years or so since Chalmers famous 'Hard Problem' seminal paper. In response to that hard problem and out of this has come the many alternative ideas.
I want stats as I have stated at least 6 times in this thread.
I have checks and there are none. Even Ai states this. So I have provided the next best thing in several peer reviewed papers which repeat the findings which is good science.
 
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stevevw

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I am saying they aren't quantitative. The "increase" that is implied in some articles, but I've seen no numbers offered.
Does it matter. If everyone is acknowledging theres an increase then we can safely say that is the case. Otherwise find stats that show it has not increased. How about that. Otherwise accept the next best thing. You continually demand peer review. Well I gave you ample peer review.

In fact I am so confident of this that I guarentee if someone does find the stats they will back up what I am saying.
 
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stevevw

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I found a couple of interesting articles

What if consciousness is not an emergent property of the brain? Observational and empirical challenges to materialistic models

Mind beyond the brain: evidence, hypotheses to be tested, and research proposals

I mean someone can literally go online and google 100s of these articles in mainstream peer review journals. I don't think there was such an openness to such ideas even 20 years ago.
 
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Hans Blaster

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I did provide them. Why did you home in on the DI one when there were others.

AI Overview
While the mainstream scientific consensus largely views consciousness as a product of complex brain activity, there is a growing movement toward exploring postmaterialist or "beyond the brain" frameworks through rigorous scientific inquiry. Researchers in various fields are using new methods and revisiting existing evidence to investigate the nature of consciousness and its potential non-local aspects.
I have no reason to trust any "AI". On top of that it just returned pablum. (As the usually do)
Research on Experiences Related to the Possibility of Consciousness Beyond the Brain: A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Scientific Output
Over the decades, there was an evident increase in the number of articles on all the areas of the field, with the exception of studies on mediumship that showed a decline during the late 20th century and subsequent rise in the early 21st century.

I have looked and there is no place where you can get stats showing the increase in the study of ideas associated with consciousness beyond brain.

The next best thing is peer review and I have now listed several that clearly state there has been an increase in openness to alternative ideas for non local consciousness.

I thought we were talking about either neuroscience & psychology support or physics (fundamental property of universe notion) support. This study covers reports of NDEs, past-life experiences and other woo woo. (Yep, I used it this time.)

I can get some more mainstream scientific articles including peer review that clearly states otherwise.

Lol first you say that the study of alternative ideas for consciousness beyond brain is just a fringe psuedoscience. Then when I clearly show that its becoming more mainstream you retreat into the articles not being about the increase in ideas about consciousness beyond brain.

The heading of that particular clearly states exact;y this. Scientists Are Finally Taking Altered States of Consciousness Seriously.

I think I have provided ample support that there has been an increase in studies associated with consciousness beyond brain or non local consciousness.

The simple fact that there has been a massive increase in consciousness studies full stop in the last 30 years or so since Chalmers famous 'Hard Problem' seminal paper. In response to that hard problem and out of this has come the many alternative ideas.
So far your collection of actually on-topic papers and articles (from the last several threads on the topic) only suggest it is a very niche area of study with few researchers involved.
I have checks and there are none. Even Ai states this. So I have provided the next best thing in several peer reviewed papers which repeat the findings which is good science.
Then there are none and the "more and more popular in mainstream science" type claims are not demonstrated.
 
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Hans Blaster

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Does it matter. If everyone is acknowledging theres an increase then we can safely say that is the case.
We cannot. Magazine editors and fanatics are not sufficient.
Otherwise find stats that show it has not increased. How about that.
Not how this works.
Otherwise accept the next best thing. You continually demand peer review. Well I gave you ample peer review.
Of stats, nope. But keep hope alive.
In fact I am so confident of this that I guarentee if someone does find the stats they will back up what I am saying.
When that happens we can talk.
 
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Stopped_lurking

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Does it matter. If everyone is acknowledging theres an increase then we can safely say that is the case. Otherwise find stats that show it has not increased. How about that. Otherwise accept the next best thing. You continually demand peer review. Well I gave you ample peer review.

In fact I am so confident of this that I guarentee if someone does find the stats they will back up what I am saying.
I can't help you with longitudinal data about views about consciousness directly. However, the idea that dualism is the majority idea among those who work with it seems to be faulty.


Please look at the link, the image doesn't show all outcomes. More info about the survey in post #130

Screenshot_2025-12-29-06-24-20-356.jpg
 
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stevevw

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I can't help you with longitudinal data about views about consciousness directly. However, the idea that dualism is the majority idea among those who work with it seems to be faulty.


Please look at the link, the image doesn't show all outcomes. More info about the survey in post #130

View attachment 374705
Actually I think this is the survey I was looking for years ago. Its the only one I have found. But this is not about whether there has been an increase in the study of ideas supporting consciousness beyond brain.

This is about the views and metaphysical beliefs of scientists in the fields. Not whether theres been an increase in openness of ideas beyond physical consciousness.
 
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Stopped_lurking

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Actually I think this is the survey I was looking for years ago. Its the only one I have found. But this is not about whether there has been an increase in the study of ideas supporting consciousness beyond brain.
No, sadly there is no longitudinal data on that particular question.
This is about the views and metaphysical beliefs of scientists in the fields. Not whether theres been an increase in openness of ideas beyond physical consciousness.
It shows that a mind-body divide haven't been established, as you expressed in post #36. Also they asked philosophers generally, not only those who work in theory of mind. You can see their specific results by using filters in the link.
 
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Jeff Bacon

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I think of children who are born without a brain, or at least most of it. Most die from it, I know, but some survive. But when they didn't have, let's say, the visual center at the back of their heads, they still saw. I know that the muscle attachment to the eyes is independent of a brain, and is controlled by the cerebral cortex, so the soul is probably in the cerebral cortex anyway, but they should really be blind when they don't have the "visual" center at the back of their heads:

View attachment 374580




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In theory, if we are talking about supernatural visions, then I would say a vision from God is possible under any circumstances. Philosophically, God would only give someone a vision if it was for their own personal use, or if he wanted them to communicate that vision to someone for a specific reason. In the latter, that would have to include a reason God did not want to give the recipient of the message the vision personally.
The person lacking most of their brain probably wouldn't be able to communicate the vision. Therefore, we would never really know if they even thought they had a vision.
 
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stevevw

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Actually the field is way more advanced since the last time I looked a couple of years ago.

Universal consciousness as foundational field: A theoretical bridge between quantum physics and non-dual philosophy
Building upon insights from quantum field theory and non-dual philosophy, a model based on the three principles of universal mind, universal consciousness, and universal thought is introduced.

 
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