Re: MD Intellect as Consciousness (formerly Collective Consciousness)

From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Thu Jul 21 2005 - 20:44:40 BST

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    Hi Ham,

    Thanks for introducing this topic. I'm with you. I think "collective
    consciousness" is a meaningless abstraction because human inhabitants of
    this world have never been of "one mind" As you point out, "intellect is
    an attribute of the individual." Just as we all have fingerprints but
    every fingerprint is individual and different, so too we all use similar
    symbols to represent our experience but every experience is individual and
    different. Certainly each of us is influenced by our respective cultures,
    using commonly understood symbols to express ourselves to others--family,
    friends and foes. But to say that my unique experiences and intellectual
    patterns combined with yours and that terrorist over there by the camel
    somehow comprise a "collective consciousness" stretches credulity.

    It does amaze me, as I'm sure it does you, that so many contributors to
    this site seem mesmerized by social pattern values, or as you put it, "the
    social/cultural reservoir." To many it appears we're all helpless captives
    of this reservoir, unable to have a single unique thought of our own and
    dependent for guidance on those with superior intellects (usually self-
    selected). Of course, the fact that all human evolution depended on
    unique thoughts by individuals apparently escapes them, including the guy
    who came up with the idea of the "collective consciousness" in the first
    place.

    So yes, I accept your challenge. Count me in, although don't expect me to
    explain consciousness any better than those smarter than me have
    been able to do. For starters, I believe consciousness to be a force in
    the cosmos, an energy field of value potential. But, proving it is another
    matter. :-)

    Best, Platt

    The Essentialist Challenge:
    > I think we are long overdue for an exploration of Consciousness itself --
    > not in the collective or historical sense, but as the uniquely human
    > process we all depend on to convert sensory awareness into our tangible
    > experience of the physical world.

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