Re: Altered states of consciousness

From: Brent Meeker <meekerdb.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:08:35 -0700

Stathis Papaioannou wrote:
> 2009/4/3 Brent Meeker <meekerdb.domain.name.hidden>:
>
>
>> But if you're going to derive physics from consciousness you need to
>> explain what connects across the gap - why is it still "you". I
>> appreciate that part of the answer is memories, although Bruno seems to
>> think they are inessential. But even if they are part of the answer
>> there still seems to me to be a problem in that almost all memories are
>> *not* in consciousness at any one time. So must we invoke "unconscious
>> memories" (which are where?) or some other factor that provides the
>> continuity of self or do we simply assert that you are no one in
>> particular when you are not remembering anything. My speculation is
>> that there there is subconscious "memory" on the very short term,
>> ~second, which provides continuity . This operates even when you are
>> asleep so that there is continuity of events in you dreams. If you
>> suffer a concussion the continuity is broken and you have gap in memory
>> and in consciousness. This immediate memory provides continuity between
>> times when you recall long-term memories, which are the ones Quentin is
>> concerned with.
>>
>
> I have been using the term "memories" to include more than just long
> term memories. For example, I have a feeling of "being me" which
> persists from moment to moment. Even though I can't put this feeling
> into words, I would know immediately if something happens to change
> it, since then I would no longer "feel myself". While specific to each
> person, nevertheless this basal feeling would be more generic than the
> feeling + superimposed complex cognition, since the latter would have
> higher information content.
>
>
>
And doesn't this feeling of "being me" requires very short terms
(~second) memory? I've called it "immediate memory" to distinguish it
from the short term memory which seems to be on the order of a few minutes.

Brent

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Received on Fri Apr 03 2009 - 09:08:35 PDT

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