My Journey on How Conscious is Everything

A look at Panpsychism and the meaning it gives.

Thanks to my new friend,

Left Brain Mystic

I have embarked on a fascinating journey into the depths of the philosophical mind.

He has a profound philosophical understanding of Panpsychism, a concept that posits the presence of consciousness in everything.

According to Wikipedia, Panpsychism is the view that the mind or a mind-like aspect is a fundamental and ubiquitous feature of reality.

Have you ever wondered about your consciousness and where it came from?

As Google defines it, consciousness is not just an abstract concept.

It's the essence of our awareness, thoughts, feelings, memories, and sensations.

Grasping this concept is pivotal for comprehending ourselves and the intricate world we inhabit.

We have been having conversations about the mind and consciousness.

This philosophy competes with Materialism and Dualism.

These are two philosophical thoughts that attempt to explain consciousness and the Universe.

According to Britannica, Materialism, in philosophy, is the view that all facts (including facts about the human mind and will and the course of human history) are causally dependent upon physical processes or even reducible to them.

Dualism is the idea that the mind and body are segmented and separate from reality.

The view is that mind and matter are fundamentally different.

This post is a personal narrative of my journey into these philosophical thoughts and my evolving responses to them.

My journey into philosophy began when I was a first- or second-year student in college.

I remember sitting in a dimly lit lecture hall, listening to my professor discuss the nature of reality and the mind.

It was a moment that sparked my curiosity and set me on a path of philosophical exploration.

That was 13 or 14 years ago, and over the years, I have dabbled into different worldviews and philosophies.

Learning the areas of thought is essential as they guide our view of the world and direct our behaviors.

While I was introduced to Materialism and Dualism in college, Panpsychism is a new and fascinating concept for me.

It's like discovering a new color or a new flavor, something that adds depth and richness to my understanding of the world.

I'm genuinely excited about delving into this thought, as it holds the key to understanding the Universe's observations.

It's a straightforward account of the world around us.

Physics can't explain the why of consciousness.

It describes how things work but needs to address the why as to how things work.

Let's talk about where it originates from.

According to the internet, Panpsychism originates from ancient philosophical thought.

It is rooted in pre-Socratic Greek philosophy, where thinkers like Thales and Plato proposed that mind-like aspects are inherent in everything.

The term itself comes from the Greek words "pan," meaning "all," and "psyche," meaning "soul" or "mind," reflecting the idea that consciousness is a fundamental feature of reality.

What's fascinating is that Panpsychism suggests a tiny element of proto-consciousness in virtually everything.

According to Google, Panpsychism differs from physicalism, which claims that the mind can be reduced to physicality, and emergentism, which claims that minds arise from non-mental materials.

As I learn more about Panpsychism, I have found that there's an argument against the thought, which is the Combination Problem.

Generally, the Combination Problem is the problem of how precisely the fundamental conscious minds come to compose, constitute, or give rise to some further, additional conscious mind (especially our own).

My friend Left Brain Mystic says this is not a problem and is more of a red herring.

A red herring is a literary device or logical fallacy that distracts from an important question or misleads the audience.

It can be intentional or unintentional.

From my research, we can solve the Combination Problem with another thought, Cosmic Panpsychism.

Cosmic Panpsychism states that the whole Universe is consciousness, and consciousness is made up of the Universe.

It's a unity.

When we explore the idea of cosmic consciousness, it reveals the profound awareness that unites all existence.

It's more fundamental than our own experiences.

Although it may appear different from our conscience, it is still a form of conscience.

It has existed since before the dawn of creation and will remain long after we are gone.

Embrace its timeless nature.

I am a Christian, and the more I learn, this philosophical thought is compatible with my worldview.

Below are some points that come up when I search Christian Panpsychism.

God as the source of consciousness:

• They believe that God created the Universe with an inherent capacity for consciousness, meaning that even basic particles possess a rudimentary level of "awareness" that manifests in more complex forms as life evolves.

Holistic view of creation:

• This perspective often leads to a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of all creation, seeing every part of the Universe as having intrinsic value and participating in the divine plan.

Reconciling with science:

• Some Christians might find Panpsychism appealing as a way to integrate scientific understanding of the Universe with their religious beliefs, particularly when considering the evolution of consciousness.

Potential challenges:

Interpretation of scripture:

• Some may struggle to reconcile the concept of a consciousness present in all things with traditional interpretations of the Bible.

Defining "consciousness":

• Explaining the nature of this "universal consciousness" and how it differs from the human experience of consciousness can be complex.

Notable figures in Christian Panpsychism:

Teilhard de Chardin:

• A prominent Catholic priest and philosopher proposed a concept of "the Christogenesis of the universe," in which consciousness evolves towards its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.

Alfred North Whitehead:

• A philosopher who developed a process theology where God interacts with the world through "occasions of experience," which could be interpreted as a form of Panpsychism

Well, that's all I have so far.

I'll have more to write about as I learn more.