Do aliens experience consciousness like humans?

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of consciousness and its relation to humans and potential extraterrestrial life. The idea that aliens may think and experience consciousness in a similar way as humans is challenged by considering the vast diversity of life on Earth and the possibility of completely different forms of consciousness on other planets. The conversation also delves into the evolution of consciousness and how it may have developed in different species. Overall, the possibility of understanding or even recognizing the consciousness of alien life is questioned.
  • #1
spicerack
78
0
In defining consciousness as it relates to humans, is it reasonable to assume that extra terrestrial life having evolved to an equivalent or higher state will interact with the physical universe in the same way, put simply do you think aliens think/experience like us on a deeper level ?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
spicerack said:
In defining consciousness as it relates to humans, is it reasonable to assume that extra terrestrial life having evolved to an equivalent or higher state will interact with the physical universe in the same way, put simply do you think aliens think/experience like us on a deeper level ?

Absolutely not. There is no reason that an alien species would develop our simian visual system with its close brain linkage to our manual control. These two facilities form the greater part of our conscious experience. Whales would think quite differently.
 
  • #3
so does a blind person given that the greater part of their conscious experience is disconnected think differently and thus experience consciousness in a more profound way ?
 
  • #4
off on a tangent I was wondering just what do blind people dream of and do they dream in colour ?
 
  • #5
one can only percieve what one can understand. if someone form the dawn of man, when we first started to dream, had a dream about our persent time he/she wouldn't know what he/she was dreaming of. maby a little recognition of our shapes, which would be near to the same as their own... somthing they could understand. but could they understan a computer screen? likely not. maby the images but they wouldn't have a clue wat they were seeing. I am not blind, and i have never even talked to a blind person... btu i would imagin thry would dream of wat they know of. maby their mind would try to paint them a picture of waht they can't see everyday, btu chances are they wouldn't be very acurate.

i have thought about aliens, it has to be possible. if there is such diversity of life on Earth then there must be life throughout the universe. an ant may not paint pictures but they do collect food for the well being of the nest... if that is the right term.

hypothetical: at the opposite region of the universe, billions of lightyaesr closre to the galactic core than us, there is a planet covered in a strange jelly/mold. it doesn't reproduce because it doesn't die. it has no time becuse it only collects light and space dust. half of it is infected with a hybrid version of itself that consumes its perdesor to create its intricate crystiline structure that it uses to colect even more light that its happen chance parent. evolution is simply the reaction to stimuli (please excuse my bad spelling). we were blessed with eyes because natural selection. as we evolved from apes who lived in forests, we needed morte complex food sorces. possibly there was a mutant ape who had a horrid skin complexion then made all his hair fall out. well he was also the dominat male. although his offspring all had fur, this introduction of the hairless gene would recure a few tiems every decade or so.
soon apes were experianceing somthin new, a small memory patern that alloud them to recognize varrious fruits and other food sorses.the heathy apes with the capacity to learn, thrived. they bred with the other apes and thus more were born with a fraction of thought. the strong survive.

back to our crystal mold: eyes are just complex solar colectors. the new and improved species could determine where the best sorce of light was, although it had no eyes. it just so happened that the best light was on the uninhabited side of the planet. it was uninhabited because the solar radiation was to intence for the former mold slime, but the new crystaliszed mold had no need to shelter itself from the harsh rays, if fact it thrived. so much energy.
i don't think i have to go any further because either u people are thinkin I am dum or you alrady see my point of view
 

1. What evidence is there that suggests aliens experience consciousness like humans?

Currently, there is no concrete evidence that suggests aliens experience consciousness in the same way as humans. However, some theories propose that intelligent alien life forms may have evolved similar cognitive abilities and consciousness as humans due to convergent evolution.

2. Is it possible that aliens have a completely different form of consciousness?

It is certainly possible that aliens have a different form of consciousness. Consciousness is a complex concept and there is no one definitive definition of it. It is possible that aliens may have a consciousness that is vastly different from our own, shaped by their unique evolutionary history and environment.

3. How do we even define consciousness for non-human beings?

Defining consciousness for non-human beings, especially aliens, is a difficult task. Some scientists define consciousness as the ability to have subjective experiences and self-awareness. However, this definition may not apply to all forms of consciousness, so it is an ongoing debate in the scientific community.

4. Could aliens have a higher level of consciousness than humans?

It is possible that aliens may have a higher level of consciousness than humans. Since we have yet to discover and study any intelligent alien life forms, it is impossible to say for certain. Some scientists believe that advanced alien civilizations may have evolved to possess higher levels of consciousness and awareness than humans.

5. Would aliens have a similar understanding of consciousness as humans?

It is difficult to say if aliens would have a similar understanding of consciousness as humans. Our understanding of consciousness is largely shaped by our biology and cultural beliefs. It is possible that aliens may have a completely different perspective on consciousness, making it difficult for us to fully comprehend their experiences.

Similar threads

  • General Discussion
Replies
17
Views
2K
  • General Discussion
Replies
9
Views
1K
  • General Discussion
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • General Discussion
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Media
Replies
8
Views
3K
  • Set Theory, Logic, Probability, Statistics
Replies
3
Views
409
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
5
Views
2K
Back
Top