There seem to be these choices:
1 - consciousness evolved along with life and needs living matter to function.
2 - consciousness is a property of all matter, existing in all particles.
3 - consciousness is a property of only certain particle.
4 - consciousness exists outside of matter, sort of like light, and when it encounters matter it illuminates it, as well as uses it and manipulates it to suit it's purposes.
The simple single celled organisms divide. Assuming, a cell has a tiny soul, as it divides, the soul would either have to divide or to expand to envelope both cells. It appears to expand, because individual cells seem to know exactly what to do for the communal good. The amoebas, for instance, are able to gather together, to form a slug, and to crawl to another location, which would have been impossible for individual amoebas to do. The combined mind of the colony is able to communicate to each amoeba and to instruct it. Each amoeba is pretty stupid, it probably has an intelligence of a grain of sand. But a community of amoebas act much more intelligent than a pile of sand. The saying, "a whole is greater than the sum of it's parts" comes to mind. Just think: even if there was some sort of an instinct driving the amoebas to form a lump, how would each individual know where the gathering place is? And then how would each amoeba know in which direction to go? If they don't all move together as one the slug would fall apart. Then the amoebas specialize: some of them become the stem, and some the fruiting body that will produce seeds which will fly away in search of new places to live. I suppose, as life evolved, some communities of cells chose to stay together, attached for good, forming animals with bodies able to move much faster and further than slugs, as well as hunt.
Did consciousness originate in a cell, or a community of cells, or was it present already in amino acids, DNA chains, water molecules?
This might seem weird, but there was an experiment done with pinball machines back in the 70's which showed that the outcome was slightly influenced by the mind of the observer. To me it means a couple of things: that the mind of a living being extends way outside of that individual's body; and, possibly, that the so-called inanimate matter has to have some consciousness in order to react to the mind of an experimenter.
1 - consciousness evolved along with life and needs living matter to function.
2 - consciousness is a property of all matter, existing in all particles.
3 - consciousness is a property of only certain particle.
4 - consciousness exists outside of matter, sort of like light, and when it encounters matter it illuminates it, as well as uses it and manipulates it to suit it's purposes.
The simple single celled organisms divide. Assuming, a cell has a tiny soul, as it divides, the soul would either have to divide or to expand to envelope both cells. It appears to expand, because individual cells seem to know exactly what to do for the communal good. The amoebas, for instance, are able to gather together, to form a slug, and to crawl to another location, which would have been impossible for individual amoebas to do. The combined mind of the colony is able to communicate to each amoeba and to instruct it. Each amoeba is pretty stupid, it probably has an intelligence of a grain of sand. But a community of amoebas act much more intelligent than a pile of sand. The saying, "a whole is greater than the sum of it's parts" comes to mind. Just think: even if there was some sort of an instinct driving the amoebas to form a lump, how would each individual know where the gathering place is? And then how would each amoeba know in which direction to go? If they don't all move together as one the slug would fall apart. Then the amoebas specialize: some of them become the stem, and some the fruiting body that will produce seeds which will fly away in search of new places to live. I suppose, as life evolved, some communities of cells chose to stay together, attached for good, forming animals with bodies able to move much faster and further than slugs, as well as hunt.
Did consciousness originate in a cell, or a community of cells, or was it present already in amino acids, DNA chains, water molecules?
This might seem weird, but there was an experiment done with pinball machines back in the 70's which showed that the outcome was slightly influenced by the mind of the observer. To me it means a couple of things: that the mind of a living being extends way outside of that individual's body; and, possibly, that the so-called inanimate matter has to have some consciousness in order to react to the mind of an experimenter.
