Evolution of consciousness

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I take it most people accept natural selection. My question is, do you also believe that the subsequent stages of evolution include the evolution of consciousness? As we try to adapt to the environment, we change and grow as intellectual beings.

It is as if matter shapes our consciousness, and consciousness matter - a dialectical relationship. What do you think?

[Moved from Random Discussion to PPR]

The structure and function of our brains will continue to be governed by natural selection as it has always been.

It is now possible to connect the human brain with electronics and use brain activity to operate a robot or a computer.

In the near future it may become possible to augment the human brain to improve memory or other cognitive processes.

This is where we take control of evolution a bit and start selecting for augmentations that we find desirable.

An exciting and/or frightening prospect.

Not sure what the op means by "consciousness evolving".

There are several possible meanings.
In each case "evolution" occurs- although on different timescales.

Our brains (like every other body part) are the products of evolution through natural selection. Consciousness is the result of brain power. So as the hardware of our brains evolved so did the software of consciousness.

But it maybe the software you are talking about. That also evolves. Cultures evolve. Our whole outlook and world view evolves over time. We dont burn people at the stake for witchcraft as our ancestors did. So in that sense consciousness evolves even faster than the hardware of our brains evolves.

Naturalplastic sums up much of what is important.

I think that the consciousness, which is a product of the brain, is the one thing that natural selection and evolution have lost track of. It has grown and is growing into something that is impossible for us humans to understand. Because the consciousness is more than just reasoning and rationality, it's a part of the abstract mind.

I think it's hard to differentiate consciousness and mind, but I'm trying. I think that mind is the biggest thing a human being has, in its life. There are much that hasn't been explored yet, and it is far beyond what we can imagine and what science can explain. Consciousness is connected to mind, and therefore consciousness also contains the same properties as mind. I think that the most important thing in life is to expand what we know about consciousness, and what we know about mind. And that is something that us humans has to try to do. It's hard, but we can succeed.

So the answer is yes.

would be fun if our conciousniss could be conciously evolving.

What selection pressure would account for it. Things don't "improve" just to improve. There must be differential success in reproduction.

ruveyn

There's a theory of things being pushed from the past and a theory of things being pulled from the future i'm a proponent of the second.

The next step in consciousness is cybernetic brain. Imagine the ability to read books in nanoseconds, to not need to sleep, to be able to design things more complex than the most complicated machinery today. To comprehend entire libraries of knowledge. To be able to reprogram the brain.

I think it is all subject to change and consciousness will change along with our bodies over long periods of time. Before life evolved the ability to see with eyes there would have been no awareness of colour, or light and dark etc. If we take consciousness to be the combined result of what comes in through our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and nerves then it will co-evolve with them.

As humans we may be aware, indirectly, to UV rays. But an insect can see UV rays and so is more aware of them. Some animals can see infra-red and it allows them to hunt at night, so they could be said to be twice as aware of heat than humans are.

So I think life evolves and allows for different conscious views.