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If the brain is necessary to have a vision

Fervent

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Because people need to be taught that which is already known rather than having to relearn everything each generation.
Sure, but if it must be taught then it's not 'obvious"...it's learned. So claiming it to be obvious doesn't answer the question I asked.
That is called culture. The transmission of information through generations.
uh huh...it's also how dogma becomes dogma, especially when things that are in no way obvious are held up as obviously true.
The question I asked was how it was determined, at which point it was claimed to be obvious. The fact it must be taught shows that it is not obvious, so calling it obvious does not explain how it was determined.
 
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BCP1928

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Then are you open to the possibility of consciousness beyond brain.
I suppose it's a logical possibility, I just don't see what difference it makes. I'm glad someone is looking into it because it's an interesting question in an abstract sort of way but one way or another it will have little effect on me. What irks me is your insistence that scientists are denying the possibility because they are closet metaphysical materialists, which is a lie about scientists and ignorance about what metaphysical materialism entails.
 
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stevevw

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This is not "all sciences" and I am certainly not talking about philosophy. I don't know how clear it is to you (but it should be). I am carefully *not* discussing philosophy with you. I've told you before that I have no interest in discussing philosophy or your pointless invocation of "worldview" on this subject (consciousness) or any other science topic. (And as has been posted here by others, even the philosophers are not particularly supportive of the dualistic types of mind.)

Physics (because people claim consciousness is fundamental or tied to QM), neurobiology, and psychology are the only fields of relevance to me (and I think in general). You can take any talk of mind-rock duality to a geo-psychic thread. ( :) )
It seems strange that you would exclude philosophy considering it is probably the main area for which most ressearch has come as far as attempting to account for a theory of its nature. Its impossible not to include philsophy as consciousness involves subjective experiences. .
And they bury it in woo woo like past-lives memories. SMH.
So rather than admit your wrong you make another complaint. Ok they bury it in woo but that woo is what has been established as becoming more popular. It can't all be woo and thats the point to show that you can't dismiss what has become a fast growing area of research as quackery.
Again, a collection of papers on the debunked notion of NDEs
Another unfounded claim. Show me the peer review lol. Why is it that when I make a claim you demand stats and peer review. But you can make these outrageous claims with absolutely no support. As though your mere words are peer review. Double standards if you ask me.
is not evidence of *serious* study of consciousness, especially when you keep mixing in all of the "physics of consciousness" notions like these:
There are two destinct areas. NDE and the psychic aspect are one area looking at the direct experiences. Whhereas the physics and QM is the theoretic basis. Trying to formulate theories based on QM.

So both aspects are relevant and shows how far and wide the area of study can be. Thats why is is growing as its not just in Quantum consciousness and all the variations like Panphysism and IIT. But the testing and analysis of the actual people experiencing consciousness beyond brain.
They all come under the heading of the existence of a consciousness independent of the brain.
you just simply have failed to demonstrate are major or serious areas of study. Can you even find a survey in the professional magazine of some neurobiology society. (Or in Physics Today or Physics World to cover the "other side"? I've got a recent copy of PT right here. No mentions. We'll have to keep looking...)
So why doesn't the peer reviwed articles stand as evidence. Are you saying they are lying.
Part of the problem is that you seem unfamiliar with scientific journals. Your list of 3 contains only 1 actual scientific journal (OK, Nature has metasticized into a family).

SciAm is a popular science magazine. It is not a publisher of scientific results. PubMed is an online LIBRARY (literally the
OK let me check again. OK it actually said they searched scientific data basis. This is the exact words from the article.

This study aims to conduct a search of publications investigating experiences commonly associated with the possibility of the existence of a consciousness independent of the brain held on the main scientific databases (Pubmed, Web of Knowledge, PsycINFO, Science Direct, and Scopus).

So its not just journals but entire data basis of scientific journals. The other articles mention Springer Nature and the American Psychological Association.
"National Library of Medcine" from the NIH) containing thousands of journals (of various quality) and other articles. I'm not sure how things get in there. (I did a search on my name w/initials and it found 6 entries. One was from me [the other five had the same initials and were *definitely* not me] and I'm not sure how it got in their. It is about as far from medicine as I can imagine, even under a list of my own work. A properly indexed physics collection returns about 100 items from me.)

"research gate" is even worse, as it is clear that any old thing can be uploaded there.
It seems your only interested in the physics ones. So do you discount all other areas like Neuroethics, Psychology and philosophy of science.
I tried not to think about it "seriously". Doing so caused cognitive dissonance. Seriously, I think I only got through 10 years of science education and study and maintaining my faith at university by not caring that much about church and religion. (Not to mention the prior decade of being a voracious reader and viewer of popular science content like Cosmos and NOVA.) Mental separation of church and science is the best way to maintain support for both.
Thats interesting that you say if you think about it too much you get cognitive dissonance. Obvious you think the idea of belief in God or some immaterial reality is a contradiction to material science and atheism.

But what about those who do believe. Its not just about you. What do you say for those scientists who do believe and say they have no issue, no cognitive dissonance. Do you say they are believing in woo. Or are you open to others having a belief in these things without dismissing then as unreal.
The reality is that Edison had a team of inventors working for him at his lab. They were not quite "the universe" but they were external to his mind.
You find it hard to believe what people testify. Everything has to have a rational answer. No room for anything else. If Edison or someone told you honestly and swore it was the truth as it happened. You would still dismiss the possibility. Or is there anything to a persons direct experiences and testimony of them as being real. Or must it all be explained by some rational physical and naturalistic cause.
Perhaps you should avoid invoking the history of science if you don't know it.
I don't think tiy need to know a lot about science to know that there has been some pretty big changes and even paradigm shifts in thinking that required a complete revision of how people seen the world.

My point was that imagination, imagining outside the box and limits of what is known into spectulation is a part of moving scientific discoveries forward. I don;t know what you want to play hard ball over such a well acknowledged thing.
Then let us set it aside.
Lol, it has not even been something that has been discussed in any great length to be an issue that must be mentioned to set aside. It barely got a mention and you quickly shut it down lol. I was not intending to carry it on. It was a one off example. I think I can mention one off examples to make a point lol.
I don't study minds or biological organisms.
Ok so therefore we can't just restrict a thread seeking to find out whether there is vision beyond the physical brain to just one domain. Especially when it comes to mind. I would say all areas should be included such as neurology, psychology, physics and QM and philosophy of science.
 
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Warden_of_the_Storm

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It seems strange that you would exclude philosophy considering it is probably the main area for which most ressearch has come as far as attempting to account for a theory of its nature. Its impossible not to include philsophy as consciousness involves subjective experiences. .

Because philosophy is not a science.
 
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Larniavc

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Sure, but if it must be taught then it's not 'obvious"...it's learned.
Did I claim it was obvious? It is to modern day people with our science and machines of measurement.

What people in previous eras is irrelevant. It’s not obvious that the Earth orbits the Sun.

We have come so far BECAUSE we stand on the shoulders of giants; NOT because every person needs to learn the same things every generation.

The transmission of knowledge through time is a good thing.
 
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Fervent

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Did I claim it was obvious? It is to modern day people with our science and machines of measurement.
What science and machines of measurement have demonstrated that mind and brain are identical?
What people in previous eras is irrelevant. It’s not obvious that the Earth orbits the Sun.
It's not simply previous eras, but a matter of direct experience vs a supposed focus on "empirical" perspectives
We have come so far BECAUSE we stand on the shoulders of giants; NOT because every person needs to learn the same things every generation.
A meaningless platitude. Science proceeds one funeral at a time.
The transmission of knowledge through time is a good thing.
I agree, but when the question of how it was determined is replied to as it being obvious it is not an explanation to appeal to some vague notion of scientific progress.
 
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stevevw

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I suppose it's a logical possibility, I just don't see what difference it makes. I'm glad someone is looking into it because it's an interesting question in an abstract sort of way but one way or another it will have little effect on me.
It makes an importance difference I think. Because if someone is not open to such possibilities then I don't see any sense in debating the issue. Because they have already decided and nothing said will make any difference.

It means no matter what they will always see the evidence one way. Every possibility and answer will only be within a material cause and explanation. No other possibility is ever entertained.
What irks me is your insistence that scientists are denying the possibility because they are closet metaphysical materialists, which is a lie about scientists and ignorance about what metaphysical materialism entails.
I never said that though. I said that when a scientist or a person uses material science to defeat other metaphysical ideas like consciousness beyond brain or even belief in God. They are stepping beyond the mere science and into metaphysics themselves.

Because they are declaring an ontological truth beyond what science can do. I think most scientists will admit that they just don't know and that science does not have all the answers. So it is possible like you said.

But its a completely different story when a position is taken by using science to declare an ontological truth over all other possible metaphysics.

Thats why I find it silly that someone demands physical evidence. Because not being able to provide physical evidence is not going to prove that there is only a physical ontology. No more than science can declare there is no God.
 
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BCP1928

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It makes an importance difference I think. Because if someone is not open to such possibilities then I don't see any sense in debating the issue. Because they have already decided and nothing said will make any difference.

It means no matter what they will always see the evidence one way. Every possibility and answer will only be within a material cause and explanation. No other possibility is ever entertained.

I never said that though. I said that when a scientist or a person uses material science to defeat other metaphysical ideas like consciousness beyond brain or even belief in God. They are stepping bey9ond the mere science and into metaphysics themselves.
Consciousness beyond brain is not ipso facto metaphysics and has nothing to do with the existence or non-existence of God.
Because they are declaring an ontological truth beyond what science can do. I think most scientists will admit that they just don't know and that science does not have all the answers. So it is possible like you said.

But its a completely different story when a position is taken by using science to declare an ontological truth over all other possible metaphysics.

Thats why I find it silly that someone demands physical evidence. Because not being able to privide physical evidence is not going to prove that there is only a physical ontology. No more than science can declare there is no God.

We know that materialist and atheist have declared there is no God or anything beyond the physical world. Yet the majority of people still believe. They can't all be deluded or fooled.
It's not a question of delusion. The existence of God is an unfalsifiable proposition. It can be affirmed or denied without reference to science at all. But if you make falsifiable statements about God then you will be expected to provide evidence and a coreherent chain of reasoning leading to your statement.
 
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Fervent

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Consciousness beyond brain is not ipso facto metaphysics and has nothing to do with the existence or non-existence of God.

It's not a question of delusion. The existence of God is an unfalsifiable proposition. It can be affirmed or denied without reference to science at all. But if you make falsifiable statements about God then you will be expected to provide evidence and a coreherent chain of reasoning leading to your statement.
While the connection may not be obvious, consciousness beyond brain would render the project of naturalistic explanation deeply suspect especially without some teleologic explanation for how mental events coincide with physical events with such consistency. If consciousness exists beyond the reach of physics, then our entire current scientific model is undermined. At which point supernatural explanations become viable, because naturalistic explanation is impotent.
 
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Hans Blaster

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It seems strange that you would exclude philosophy considering it is probably the main area for which most ressearch has come as far as attempting to account for a theory of its nature. Its impossible not to include philsophy as consciousness involves subjective experiences. .
Philosophy is not science and it doesn't interest me. If they want to claim non-biological or non-physical consciousness it needs to be built on more than philosophical noodling and bong hits.
So rather than admit your wrong you make another complaint. Ok they bury it in woo but that woo is what has been established as becoming more popular. It can't all be woo and thats the point to show that you can't dismiss what has become a fast growing area of research as quackery.
Sorry "past lives" are spiritual woo woo, or is that part of your Christian theology now. (No? I didn't think so.)
Another unfounded claim. Show me the peer review lol. Why is it that when I make a claim you demand stats and peer review. But you can make these outrageous claims with absolutely no support. As though your mere words are peer review. Double standards if you ask me.
If even you find it laughable, then why should care.
There are two destinct areas. NDE and the psychic aspect are one area looking at the direct experiences.
Psychics and psychic powers are also "woo woo" nonsense. You are not helping your self or your credibility.
Whhereas the physics and QM is the theoretic basis. Trying to formulate theories based on QM.
For what? You posted a paper a few days ago where some nano-materials researcher "created" some "consciousness" field and wrote a basic quantum field formulation, but it was meaningless. There were no justifications given for the forms of the potential or operators. And certainly no connection to any experimental data regarding minds. If that's the "best" physics and QM formulations of mind have, then they are worthless too.

So both aspects are relevant and shows how far and wide the area of study can be. Thats why is is growing as its not just in Quantum consciousness and all the variations like Panphysism and IIT. But the testing and analysis of the actual people experiencing consciousness beyond brain.

They all come under the heading of the existence of a consciousness independent of the brain.
These things are *not* like NDEs or ghost studies. I think both are unlikely, but these things above are at least not "woo".
So why doesn't the peer reviwed articles stand as evidence. Are you saying they are lying.
This was a non-sequitor. I was talking about the sources you claimed were "peer reviewed" that were not. I'm asking you again to know what you are posting. Misused sources are just as useless as junk sources.
OK let me check again. OK it actually said they searched scientific data basis. This is the exact words from the article.

This study aims to conduct a search of publications investigating experiences commonly associated with the possibility of the existence of a consciousness independent of the brain held on the main scientific databases (Pubmed, Web of Knowledge, PsycINFO, Science Direct, and Scopus).

So its not just journals but entire data basis of scientific journals. The other articles mention Springer Nature and the American Psychological Association.
I'm not interested in catalogs of psyschic phenomena. We're not going to discuss a catalog of "studies" of reincarnations.
It seems your only interested in the physics ones. So do you discount all other areas like Neuroethics, Psychology and philosophy of science.
Discount and disinterest are not the same word, Steve.
Thats interesting that you say if you think about it too much you get cognitive dissonance. Obvious you think the idea of belief in God or some immaterial reality is a contradiction to material science and atheism.
Atheism is the non-belief in gods. It is not anti-supernaturalism and it is not relevant.
But what about those who do believe. Its not just about you. What do you say for those scientists who do believe and say they have no issue, no cognitive dissonance. Do you say they are believing in woo. Or are you open to others having a belief in these things without dismissing then as unreal.

You find it hard to believe what people testify. Everything has to have a rational answer. No room for anything else. If Edison or someone told you honestly and swore it was the truth as it happened. You would still dismiss the possibility. Or is there anything to a persons direct experiences and testimony of them as being real. Or must it all be explained by some rational physical and naturalistic cause.
I'm not them, but I will tell you that scientists do not sit around discussing religion with each other. I frankly think some of that is compartmentalization, keeping the two separate in their minds. It functioned that way for me, but then, find religion boring and it never held much interest for me. It wasn't something I wanted to spend time thinking about.
I don't think tiy need to know a lot about science to know that there has been some pretty big changes and even paradigm shifts in thinking that required a complete revision of how people seen the world.

My point was that imagination, imagining outside the box and limits of what is known into spectulation is a part of moving scientific discoveries forward. I don;t know what you want to play hard ball over such a well acknowledged thing.
I don't care what tiy think about "innovation" and how it works. The nature of innovation is not the subject of our discussion. Bring some hard evidence or go home.
Lol, it has not even been something that has been discussed in any great length to be an issue that must be mentioned to set aside. It barely got a mention and you quickly shut it down lol. I was not intending to carry it on. It was a one off example. I think I can mention one off examples to make a point lol.
It was an extraneous thing you didn't want to spend time discussing.
Ok so therefore we can't just restrict a thread seeking to find out whether there is vision beyond the physical brain to just one domain. Especially when it comes to mind. I would say all areas should be included such as neurology, psychology, physics and QM and philosophy of science.
The problem with threads you start or take over is that you want to discuss all possible things, in the same thread, at the same time and IN THE SAME POST. It is not a good way of conversing and like the bit just above, you lose track of what your wrote to get a particular response.
 
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Larniavc

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What science and machines of measurement have demonstrated that mind and brain are identical?
No one said that they are identical. But you can’t have one without the other.
 
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partinobodycular

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While the connection may not be obvious, consciousness beyond brain would render the project of naturalistic explanation deeply suspect especially without some teleologic explanation for how mental events coincide with physical events with such consistency. If consciousness exists beyond the reach of physics, then our entire current scientific model is undermined. At which point supernatural explanations become viable, because naturalistic explanation is impotent.

This may all be true, but without supporting evidence it's simply woo. I'm a solipsist, so I get it, but I still have to accept the fact that there are things that are demonstrably true, and there are things that aren't. With that in mind, what evidence do you have for consciousness existing outside of the brain that's demonstrably true?
 
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partinobodycular

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It can't all be woo and thats the point to show that you can't dismiss what has become a fast growing area of research as quackery.

Yes, it can all be woo, and popularity doesn't equate to substance... woo is still woo.
 
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Hans Blaster

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While the connection may not be obvious, consciousness beyond brain would render the project of naturalistic explanation deeply suspect especially without some teleologic explanation for how mental events coincide with physical events with such consistency. If consciousness exists beyond the reach of physics, then our entire current scientific model is undermined. At which point supernatural explanations become viable, because naturalistic explanation is impotent.
I forgot this was the case, but it is coming back to me. Your motivation in these discussions is to destroy naturalistic explanations generally so that they are replaced by your religious understanding. That's a huge part of why I'm not interested in engaging in your questions -- I don't find "debates" based on the religious conviction of the opposite party interesting. They are useless.
 
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Fervent

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No one said that they are identical. But you can’t have one without the other.
Perhaps, perhaps not. Just because we have correlates doesn't imply any sort of intrinsic relationship. And it is only if they are identical that we would be able to locate mind within the brain.
When did I say it was obvious?
You replied to an ongoing discussion in which I was responding to a poster who had claimed it was obvious, with my principal contention being that saying it is obvious is not an explanation of how such a determination was made.
 
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