Is consciousness at all mathematically describable?

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  • Thread starter Loren Booda
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In summary, the Global Consciousness Project is trying to measure the effect of consciousness on the world by measuring the response of the world to events. They say that if a person is totally isolated from communication and given this realtime data alone, they would be able to "sense" significant world events. However, they are worried about the possibility of unconscious manipulation. They also say that the events aren't selected, and that the input runs all the time, on a voluntary basis. They also say that other frequently reproduced experiments (like EPR) behave exactly according to quantum randomness, rather than representing the effects from past events of human conscience.
  • #1
Loren Booda
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Does consciousness essentially embody structure, process, entity, logic or other physico-mathematical properties?
 
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  • #2
What do you mean by 'essentially embody'?
 
  • #3
"essentially embody" - require for its wholeness; sine qua non
 
  • #4
I'm still unclear on the question... in any case, it may be that these things are necessary for consciousness, but they do not appear to be sufficient.
 
  • #6
That is really interesting. The whole "aura" thing may be scientific after all. hmm, i'll have to ponder this more.
 
  • #7
ICF,
http://noosphere.princeton.edu/fristwall2.html

They are trying

This Global Consciousness Project shows that the statistics of retrospect justify would-be predictions - to think that this is a Princeton project! If a person were totally isolated from communication and given this realtime data alone, would they be able to "sense" significant world events? I doubt it.

In some ways it's actually a worthwhile test but prone to unconscious manipulation. How would they distinguish whether the analysis itself is due to telepathy or purely physical phenomena? The number of physical events is myriad compared to, and also imbue, "significant" human circumstances. The former will also yield different deviations than if those events were deemed (after the fact) significant.
 
  • #8
(Feeling a bit like Ivan Seeking) Criticising it because you can't find the cause is irrelavant. You notice they don't try to assert the cause. The data exists. If you assert manipulation you should be specific, to my understanding the analysis is real time and automated.
 
  • #9
How are the events selected, and whose society determines their value? Are human events assumed more "telepathic" than those of other life? My guess is the GCP spend the majority of their time "establishing" worldly correlations to their subtle order, much like a "mind reader" fishes for clues.

Do they address arguments against their method? The data that's hidden, thus what counts as statistically random, worries me. Too obvious; they need to work out the human bugs. It seems a worthy attempt, on the right track nevertheless.

I stand by my previous post.
 
  • #10
Additionally, we must trust that the data is accurate and not fabricated.

Is there a double-blind built into their system?

Just think of the countless microelectronic and other quantum experiments ever performed that rely on randomness or a relationship thereto, and how their results have never been shown affected by such "consciousness."
 
  • #11
The "events" aren't selected. The input runs all the time, on a voluntary basis. Then they look at the record preceding strong events like 9/11 and compare the response then to normal responses.
 
  • #12
Why do other frequently reproduced experiments (e. g., EPR) behave exactly according to quantum randomness (e. g., violation of Bell inequality), rather than represent the effects from past events of human conscience?

What would be the cumulative effect of these extreme (even moderate) telepathic deviations to uncertainty on established quantum mechanics?
 
  • #13
It is not asserted that the participents in the experiment affected the subsequent events, but that there was some statistical, emergent, or collective awareness not of the paritcularity of event (9/11 or whatever) but that there would be an event. The only explanation I have ever seen was in terms of the quantum interpretation by consistent histories, where the reasonableness of anything doesn't appear until it's all over.
 
  • #14
The only explanation I have ever seen was in terms of the quantum interpretation by consistent histories, where the reasonableness of anything doesn't appear until it's all over.
Do you have any links where I could study this interpretation?

Thanks
 
  • #15
I used to. I'll try to find them again. Consistent histories is quite a respectable interpretation of quantum mechanics (alternative to Copenhagen, multiple worlds, etc.).

Added in edit: Try this site. In the FAQ, one of the questions is "Hasn't consistent Histories been proved inconsistent?". The work I found before, allowing mysterious correlations after the fact, was part of that effort to show inconsistence. I haven't found that stuff yet.
 
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  • #16
Try this site.
Thanks. I did. Now I need to study some of R. B. Griffiths work.
 

1. What is consciousness?

Consciousness is the state of being aware of and able to perceive one's surroundings and internal thoughts and feelings.

2. Can consciousness be measured or quantified?

While some aspects of consciousness, such as brain activity, can be measured, the concept of consciousness itself is difficult to quantify as it is subjective and can vary greatly from person to person.

3. How can mathematics be used to describe consciousness?

Mathematics can be used to model and explain certain aspects of consciousness, such as neural networks and information processing in the brain. However, it is still debated whether mathematics can fully capture the complexity and subjective experience of consciousness.

4. Are there any theories or models that attempt to mathematically describe consciousness?

Yes, there are several theories and models, such as the Integrated Information Theory and the Global Neuronal Workspace Theory, that use mathematical principles to explain consciousness. However, these theories are still being researched and debated.

5. What are some challenges in mathematically describing consciousness?

One major challenge is the subjective nature of consciousness, making it difficult to measure and quantify. Additionally, consciousness is a complex phenomenon that involves many different brain processes and levels of organization, making it difficult to fully capture with mathematics alone.

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