• The mind, causality and evolution
    A problem in our examination of "mind" (I prefer to use the term "awareness") is our limited perception based on our physical aggregates. We are locked into a view determined by our sense organs.
    Only by cutting away the aggregates and sense organ limitations in deep meditation may we free our mind / awareness to be clear of the distractions preventing an experience of the infinite awareness that connects all of existence.
  • The Impact of the Natural Afterlife on Religion and Society
    a consciousness in the clear light of awareness is at complete peace as the clear light has infinite capacity.
    Nothing needs to be "done" as all of existence is within the openness of awareness.
    We are already there.
    In death our conceptions are stripped away.
  • The Impact of the Natural Afterlife on Religion and Society

    I agree with Wayfarer
    As Wayfarer states..
    clear light of reality is not a concept.
    Clear light is described in Buddhist philosophy. Call it what you like but in the calling it is missed.
    So very true.
    My initial post extends my apologies for my poor and fragmentary summations on the deep Buddhist philosophy of emptiness and clear light.
    The clear light of awareness is not knowable.

    From the texts I have studied it appears that beings will experience the clear light awareness briefly in the Bardo of dying between life and life.
    Without proper training and meditation the glimpse of the infinite clear light will be quite a confusing and perhaps frightening experience.
    Do I know this with certainty. No I do not.
  • The Impact of the Natural Afterlife on Religion and Society
    to be really clear I totally disagree with any sort of ideals of an "eternal life"
  • The Impact of the Natural Afterlife on Religion and Society
    so sorry to have run so far out of bounds on this issue. new be with little control
  • The Impact of the Natural Afterlife on Religion and Society
    the conception that we are some sort of divine receptacles of awareness or cognition seems very flawed on its face. There are undoubtably many biological cognitive receptacles of awareness and realistically this encompasses all biological structure, there is only the degree of cognition to differentiate our awareness.
  • The Impact of the Natural Afterlife on Religion and Society
    A biological aggregate has billion year old accumulation of structures to support cognition.
    These aggregates are extremely rare and precious.
    Even the most elementary particle or quark like structure must have some awareness to have any interaction with another particle, wave, whatever.
    The stream of infinite consciousness may be a bit difficult to divert to an AI.
  • The Impact of the Natural Afterlife on Religion and Society
    We should consider that the phenomena of consciousness may be of a stream nature, a continuum.
    Considering the potential infinite nature of existence, unless the arise of everything came from some mysterious godhead pulling all the strings, there seems a reasonable argument that such conditions are available for any suitable aggregate to provide the mechanism for the expression of the consciousness.
    AI may be a natural progression of the aggregates for the sustainment of expressible consciousness beyond the narrow constrictions of a biosphere.
    We may be the conduit for a much more "immortal" consciousness than our fragile biological state.
    It seems futile to speculate that our ID, our soul, or our memories would survive the dissolution of our aggregate reservoir of consciousness being our organic brains and associated sensory organs.
    However the open ability of awareness seems to be indispensable to cognition to arise within a material structure, whether organic or inorganic, the key may be the accumulation of the correct aggregate structure.
  • How can consciousness arise from Artificial Intelligence?
    I am a practicing Vajrayana Buddhist so my view is colored by the rationality of the clear light awareness arguments. In particular the arguments of Nagarjuna and the practices described by Tsong Khapa are very compelling, based on actual perceptions found in deep meditative near death practices.
  • How can consciousness arise from Artificial Intelligence?
    I am preparing to read some Hegel on the Phenomenology of Spirits.
  • How can consciousness arise from Artificial Intelligence?
    but first we must define or at least determine the characteristics of consiousness
  • How can consciousness arise from Artificial Intelligence?
    would of necessity be very complex and would be a defining differentiation between organic and inorganic aggregates as vessels of true awareness and cognition.
  • How can consciousness arise from Artificial Intelligence?
    Consciousness may be a phenomenon that develops when certain characteristics and aggregates accumulate in a combination that facilitates or favors the arise of cognition.
    AI may suffice.
  • The Impact of the Natural Afterlife on Religion and Society
    Buddhist philosophy entertains the concept of the "clear light consciousness".
    A timeless and infinite openness which is the so called "emptiness" of existence that is the nature of reality. Apologies for all the obvious mistakes in my description of such a deep concept.
    I have yet to read the article and look forward to any potential comparisons with this Buddhist philosophy.

David Thomas Roberts

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