To overcome our addiction of anthropomorphism may be the first step to understanding the mechanics of existence. We get caught up in concepts like mind, consciousness, soul, etc., because they create a paradox where we fail to see the unity and harmony in all of life's processes. We won't accept a purely physical explanation because there are abstract (non-physical) relationships, and we won't accept the metaphysical because all proof we have is based on physical interactions.

However, suppose we eliminated the 'human form' from our considerations: what would consciousness, mind, soul, etc., be? For example, what do we mean by consciousness? Perhaps, awareness, responsiveness, experiencing, etc, etc. Can such aspects be observed outside the human condition? My answer is yes. Not only that, I would posit that, in every degree of existence, there is an activity or aspect which is analogous to what we refer as consciousness. In animals and plants, it is rather obvious, but it also exists in non-biological configurations. It is present in metals and plastics, and even in less complex configurations like molecules, atoms, etc., primarily as responsiveness. Some would object to such as being mechanical and inherently structural but, is there any existence which lacks structure or, to make reference to humans, character? Everything has a structure or form; everything has character or manner; everything has a way of being. Existence is an identity, an influence and an activity simultaneously.

And where humans speak of an innermost essence, a soul or ego, atoms have a nucleus. This is not pseudo-science, every configuration of existence must have its 'core' of representative significant utility. That is, every configuration of existence has a part, a character/manner, which exemplifies its significance in the utility it provides in whatever circumstance or conditions it is in. This 'core' manifests as both subjective (particular) and objective (in relation to others). In humans, it is the intelligence of our interaction whether attributed to soul, consciousness, mind etc; in animals and plants, to us, it is in provision of service, nutrition, company, etc; in non-biological configurations, it is in how much usefulness we can extract from them to enhance our circumstances, ...and so on.

I'm not preaching economics or some philosophy based on utility but, take a moment and think about what we know of life so far. What use are humans spending eternity in heavens and hells, stuck in those conditions of perpetual slavery to an unyielding stagnation? What would be the point of evolution? What would be the point of learning? How can the same intelligence which governs the evolution of a universe (and everything in it) lead to such an uncharacteristic and ignoble end?

There has been a great deal of existence before us (humans) and every probability points to a great deal more beyond us. So why should we get stuck anywhere? Our perspective seems to expand like a sphere, the more we know about our present, the better we realise our past and conceive of the future. So, perhaps we need to focus less on how unique we think we are and pay more attention to how we are a part of an unfolding panorama of existence. It seems the more practical approach.