Stuart Hameroff - What is Consciousness?

Consciousness is what we can know best and explain least. It is the inner subjective experience of what it feels like to see red or smell garlic or hear Beethoven. Consciousness has intrigued and baffled philosophers. To begin, we must define and describe consciousness. What to include in a complete definition and description of consciousness?

[luckyjinxer]

Damn, this is well produced. I like the kids playing in the background, actuality. Adds something organic to the deep discussion

[Atamastra]

This man has an intoxicatingly pragmatic intellect. I cannot get enough of his theories and just the dead-pan comprehensive grasp he has on the subjects he talks about. He is severely underrated and I think his discoveries, theories, and postulations throw such a massive wrench into nihilistic gears of pessimistic materialism. So many debates of free-will, soul, and quantum-woo I've heard where they use scientifically-dogmatic arguments that would flounder (or just straight die) in the face of these new breakthroughs.

[tourdeforce]

The most pragmatic, to the point explanation. I wish other scientists could think this way.

[Robinson]

Best way he ever explained it. Also not being combattant

[dr.satishsharma]

Humanity will always remain thankful for his sinscre efforts & hardwork for finding one day he may be right person to be interviewed for the same purpose. ( TRUTH)....I really like his style of interviewing the person. ... thanks 🙏

[kaielvin]

I cannot help but to relate this notion of discrete frames of consciousness with the feeling while on LSD that sight gets frozen in place for a noticeable period of time before getting replaced by "the next frame" (only at a frequency from 20Hz down to possibly 0.3Hz, i.e. frozen for 3 seconds). And of course, fractals, lots of fractals.

[mthwvr]

The truth is beyond conscious thought.

[nickfoxy]

I honestly think Stuart and Roger Penrose are nearly there on their microtubial consciousness theory and the amoeba argument is a good one. When you look at even smaller agents like viruses you have to wonder how they know what to do..ie infect a host. The way some viruses can adapt, evolve and even trick hosts demonstrates some form of capacity to learn. The virus is effectively coming up with a development strategy. How does it ‘know’ to do that as a single strand of DNA/RNA. No biologist has yet given me a completely plausible answer on this aspect. It seems these micro agents can some how ‘think’. I also work in anaesthetics by the way....

[ericmoyer]

I’ve suffered chronic sleep deprivation most my life and was acutely aware of how my consciousness slowed down. All my thoughts were gummed up. After a rare good night sleep it was amazing how easily my thoughts flowed and memories recalled. I want my money back for my poor experience of reality so far :p

[ingenuity]

The universe causes consciousness in any living entity. The universe is conscious.

[AwareLife]

Stuart Hameroff must be attended to much more by the scientists who have not made ANY headway in understanding consciousness, maintaining strict materialism. They are the ones closed and obstinate, fearful of the prevailing ideology (that gets all the funding). Very intelligent man, with highly credible research. One day he will be vindicated and honored.

[altonweston]

Your here to make memories and go threw human experiences your collecting everything for your after life .

[davidkatuin]

Definitely interesting topic, I think cellular maybe overshooting the target. Now I would say something like, identify the conscience, unconscious and subconscious systems. Map that out and then it will undoubtedly give you a unique perspective.

[gorojo]

I imagine consciousness as a multi-scale quantum entangled structure. A coherence beyond our capacity to measure. We can’t see the forest, only trees.

[drsatadrumahapatra]

Love this man, only he gets what it means

[daithiocinnsealach]

Can a protozoa comprehend itself? It takes something much more complex to comprehend what it is and explain its workings. I'm just not sure we can explain consciousness. All we can do right now is make some comments on its happenings.

It is to me clearly related to life itself so I don't think rocks are conscious or weather patterns as he says, but a plant or a cell might be. They seem to have some kind of a will or intentionality.

Is consciousness self awareness? What is self awareness? It could even be argued that the most simple life forms have a very basic sense of that too. Maybe thats all consciousness is: self awareness.

But what is life? How does inanimate matter become self aware? I think that's the bigger, more fundamental question here.m

[MrKydaman]

I think therefore I am.
Done deal thanks for coming out.

[coachafella]

A lot of verbiage, speculation, hypotheses, and some science thrown into the stew, but no closer to resolving the question of how awareness of awareness comes to be, and what the essential elements are for it to turn on. As long as civilization stays viable enough to support continuing scientific discovery I expect we will eventually create conscious machines. Whether that will be to our benefit or destroy us is a very open question.

[nickname]

`Consciousness is every(where)ness, expressed locally´, in: IPI Letters, Feb. 2024, downloadable

[wrackable]

I’m to stupid to read books but listening to people discuss these topics has put words to the weirdness I’ve experienced and felt.