8 replies to this topic

[dimasok]

Found the following quote:

At the Consciousness Singularity, our consciousness will be expanded beyond the confines of an egocentric sense of self to include transpersonal experiences and transcendent self-identity. This new existence will be both a form of collective consciousness and a form of expanded individual consciousness. Though sounding like a contradiction, these two descriptions of transcendent consciousness are really flip sides of the same coin. The Consciousness Singularity is so far beyond our normal consciousness, that we cannot even begin to comprehend it, much less imagine what it's like to experience directly, unless we ourselves experience or have experienced transcendent states of consciousness.

Someone posted me a reply on another forum which I tend to agree with:

Well, until we develop some kind of wireless super-fast hookup that interconnect brain neurons of different people's brains in realtime, I don't think we'll move beyond the point of two people that know each other well enough to be able to tell what they are thinking very soon.

And even if that would ever happen, we'd be as 'aware' of it as an individual neuron is of our own consciousness.

My question is: how are the terms "collective consciousness" and "expanded individual consciousness" correlated? Aren't they an oxymoron?

Is it even possible to truly become someone else (as in, erase ourselves completely and get transferred to someone else's brain & body)?

[RighteousReason]

Well, until we develop some kind of wireless super-fast hookup that interconnect brain neurons of different people's brains in realtime, I don't think we'll move beyond the point of two people that know each other well enough to be able to tell what they are thinking very soon.

Unless you have an advanced nanocomputer or quantum computer that transfers signals arbitrarily close to c rather than 200 m/s, without using the massive, clunky bio-hardware, and modifications and optimizations of the crappy, messy evolution-generated code.

My question is: how are the terms "collective consciousness" and "expanded individual consciousness" correlated? Aren't they an oxymoron?

There are an infinitely large number of ways for consciousnesses to interact with each other.

Is it even possible to truly become someone else (as in, erase ourselves completely and get transferred to someone else's brain & body)?

I imagine you are saying transfer mind to a different substrate and then destroy the original (to do it in the opposite order would be pointless), in which case yes, you could, if you had sufficiently advanced bio- and/or nano-technology, at which point you would probably be doing this all in VR anyway.

[dimasok]

Great! Thanks for the insightful answers.

There are an infinitely large number of ways for consciousnesses to interact with each other.

Such as?

Also, is it possible to transfer mind to a different substrate something that was already destroyed (a person died for instance)?

[Richard Leis]

What is the source of the first quote? Sounds like a nightmare.

[dimasok]

http://www.answers.c...ess-singularity

[Richard Leis]

I'm not sure I understand how they are using consciousness. It seems to suggest that "an egocentric sense of self" is somehow undesirable, while "transpersonal experiences and transcendent self-identity" are somehow more desirable. I did not see a good explanation as why this was the case, though it appears there is little material to review on this subject.

Do you have a particular interest in this topic, dimasok?

I am not at this point considering joining a collective conscious or uploading. The enhancements I want are those (1) that relate to me only as an individual or (2) provide a mutually beneficial arrangement with another consciousness, as long as we both keep our identity and can dissolve the relationship at any moment.

[dimasok]

Do you have a particular interest in this topic, dimasok?

Not sure yet m8, but just like you, i'm kept in the dark as the specifics of their use of consciousness

I don't know what collective consciousness or uploading might mean for the individual. Will we become like characters in some sort of video game (if we preserve out individuality) and if we don't preserve it, then what would the agenda be of that "collective consciousness".

No idea. Maybe someone could step in and explain it a bit further.

[RighteousReason]

I don't know what collective consciousness or uploading might mean for the individual.

Like I said, there are an infinite number of ways that consciousnesses can interact with each other. It depends on how you implement it.

[dimasok]

Like I said, there are an infinite number of ways that consciousnesses can interact with each other. It depends on how you implement it.

I've read of 2-3 ways in which consciousness can be implemented in another substance (uploading, changin the brain into silicon, etc) but I don't see how will it change the fact that I experience my unique individuality and not someone elses and that the reality is what it is, despite whatever changes my consciousness will undergo.