Is experience and consciousness the same thing?: Philosophy Forums

Is experience and consciousness the same thing?

jsawvel
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Posted 10/27/09 - 05:39 PM: Subject: Is experience and consciousness the same thing?	#1
I have wondered if it is possible to be conscious, yet at the same time have no sensory experiences. If you do not experience, are you still conscious? Imagine not feeling, not seeing, not smelling, not tasting, not hearing. Would you still be conscious with no sensory input? I am excluding ALL sensory input, including that in dreams and in your mind. Is experience and consciousness the same thing?

Dragohunter
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Posted 10/27/09 - 05:47 PM:	#2
Consciousness includes percetion and experience to make intentional relations to the world, so experience is part of the system of conscoiusness. Would you still be conscious with no sensory input? There is a disease that affects the spinal chord that does block all sensory input so you have no senses. But the person is still conscious and well aware that he's alive in his thoughts. It's rather a horrible experience, being stuck in a dark empty shell. including that in dreams and in your mind That isn't sensory input.
"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." - Albert Einstein

rigelrover
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Posted 10/27/09 - 05:50 PM:	#3
You mean like if you were dead? Anyway, try Prof. Searle's argument about background consciousness. Maybe ask him in the 'emergentist dilema' thread that bert1 started.
I am more interested in questions than answers; dialog than dictation. If we can reasonably believe that there is not just a breach, but a fundamentally unclosable gap between the individual mind and the ultimate nature of the reality; the primordial thing in itself, then 'true' mystery does exist.

MrDobin
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Posted 10/27/09 - 07:03 PM:	#4
No. Consciousness is the present mind in progress with its basis for observation and interpretation being from that of past experience. So I would argue you cannot be conscious without experience. However you can experience and still be fairly unconscious, intelligence and awareness levels that is. How can you be conscious and thinking if you lack the ability to even gather information from which you can base a thought?. Can't. Sensory is needed to create the thought. Thus the experience and in turn, give consciousness. Hope that made sense.
We must find the courage to move forward without hesitation and fear. Avoiding the option of hiding within the comforts of our past.

jsawvel
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Posted 10/27/09 - 07:53 PM:	#5
" Prof. Searle's argument about background consciousness." Yeh, I've kind of thought that all matter might be conscious in some way for a while now. I am kind of a fan of Budhism and I think there is something to the concept of enlightenment. I see enlightenment as you being united with the universal consciousness (not to get onto the subject of religion). I have personally experienced varying degrees of consciousness. I relate this to the concept of denial. I can limit my perception if I choose to. To me, expanding your perception without limits is enlightenment.

MrDobin
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Posted 10/28/09 - 06:43 PM:	#6
Very much agreed. I learned this through the most difficult and painful periods in my life. The ability to see the world as is. Just blew my mind. I think its the state of vulnerability to which I credit the enlightenment I gained by struggle. You are totally vulnerable, thus leading you to losing almost all filter of perception. I value the insight such times has given me. Its well worth the time spent to learn being so open.
We must find the courage to move forward without hesitation and fear. Avoiding the option of hiding within the comforts of our past.

jsawvel
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Posted 10/28/09 - 09:26 PM:	#7
I like the idea of vulnerability. I was just listening to a song called "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen. A qoute from the song is "It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah." There's also a quote from the movie "Fight Club" that says, "losing all hope is freedom." There is something to be said for giving in and surrendering to reality.

jsidelko
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Posted 10/29/09 - 05:15 AM:	#8
I think we must make a distinction between one who is born without sensory input and one who is deprived of all sensation after several years of experiencing the world. Internal experiences serve as the props which allow us to be consciously aware. Without these props, our mind would be as blank as a new born baby.
thanatos

rigelrover
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Posted 10/29/09 - 06:02 AM:	#9
I would suggest that one could not be conscious enough to be self-aware w/out sensory experience.
I am more interested in questions than answers; dialog than dictation. If we can reasonably believe that there is not just a breach, but a fundamentally unclosable gap between the individual mind and the ultimate nature of the reality; the primordial thing in itself, then 'true' mystery does exist.

MrDobin
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Posted 10/29/09 - 10:03 PM:	#10
The mind relies on input to materialize thought. If there is no input to build thought or imagery upon. What does the mind do?. There would be no consciousness because there would be no basis for which the mind could have a thought even.
We must find the courage to move forward without hesitation and fear. Avoiding the option of hiding within the comforts of our past.

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