The term cognition is derived from Latin word ‘cognitio’ which means knowledge which is related to the Latin word ‘cognoscere( co-, together + gnoscere, know) which means the act or process of knowing. Cognitive Science involves the study of all human activities related to knowledge. These activities include attention, creativity, memory, perception, problem solving, thinking, and the use of language. Cognition is the process involved in knowing, or the act of knowing which includes awareness and judgment. Cognition is often viewed as a psychological function and its nature is described as the relationship between the knowing mind and external reality. The Cognitive Science of Spirituality that I would like to describe is related to the cognitive abilities of a living cell or living organism; the abilities such as recognition, responsiveness, communication using signals, memory, ability to process, store, retrieve, and use information that could be innate or acquired, the ability of adaptation to changing internal or external environmental conditions, and the fact of awareness of its own existence; the awareness of its internal condition, and the awareness of its external environment.
Amoeba proteus and Cognitive Science of Spirituality : To understand the human person as a Spiritual being, we need to know and understand the Spiritual nature of Living Matter or Living Substance and describe its Cognitive abilities.
The purpose of Cognitive Science of Spirituality is not that of describing a cognitive theory of human personality. The Behavioral Science is primarily involved in the study of stimuli and responses; it observes human activities particularly social behavior and not that of higher mental processes which are not available to direct examination. While Cognitive Science is concerned with mind’s ability to acquire, process, store, and use information, the information processed need not be represented in cortical awareness. Cognitive Psychology does not rely on conscious introspection or mental reflection. The Cognitive Science of Spirituality that I describe does not involve acts of Meditation or mental introspection to discover the spiritual nature of man. I suggest that Spirituality can be understood without regard to the machinery of brain/mind’s information processing. The organism that we all know as Amoeba( Greek word – ‘Amoibe’ which means change) is a spiritual entity as it is Conscious or Aware of its existence, it shows responsiveness by changing its shape as it likes, it is Intelligent for it uses, processes, stores, retrieves, and uses information to perform its metabolic functions, and it displays abilities such as adaptation and memory of its acquired experience. I tend to view these biological functions and characteristics as an attribute of the spiritual nature of its living substance and this spiritual nature brings functional harmony to sustain its existence as a biological entity.
THE THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE AND COGNITIVE SCIENCE OF SPIRITUALITY:
Bertrand Arthur William Russel, b. May. 18, 1872, d. February. 02, 1970. English logician and philosopher, best known for his work in mathematical logic, his advocacy of both Pacifism and Nuclear Disarmament. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950.
I am not concerned about Bertrand Russell’s skeptical atheist temperament. The Spirituality that I describe is not about religious faith or belief and the Spirituality that I write about is not concerned with religious practices or rituals. I claim that man is a Spiritual being because of the spiritual nature of his living matter or living substance. It is important to know that Russell was determined not to be beguiled by human pretensions to knowledge. He had never supported unbacked assumptions either about the foundations of knowledge or about what may be said to exist. He endorsed application of rationality to all aspects of human thought and language. He was seriously concerned with application of logical analysis to epistemological questions and attacked this problem by trying to breakdown human knowledge into minimum statements that were verifiable by empirical observation, reason, and logic. He was convinced that all knowledge is dependent on sense experience. His primary aim was to inquire with skeptical intent, “how much we can be said to know and with what degree of certainty or doubtfulness.” In 1898, with Trinity Fellow G.E. Moore, he rebelled against Idealism and became an Empiricist, a Positivist, and a Physical Realist or a Materialist. He held that the scientific view of the world is largely the correct view. He addressed the problem of the pretensions of human knowledge in his books, An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth(1940) and Human Knowledge, Its Scope and Limits(1948). His aim was also analytic and he assumed that it is possible to infer something about the world from the language in which it is correctly described. Russell analyzed that language must be used to state its minimum requirements, its atomic facts and avoid the use of descriptive phrases which may postulate the existence of objects. He held that a proposition is a picture of the facts that it asserts and must have in a sense the same structure. He stressed importance of similarity of structure as a criterion in inferring causal relationships. In a Lecture titled ‘Why I am not a Christian’ given on March 06, 1927, Russell explained the nature of his beliefs about God and Mortality. In his opinion and personal belief, he held the view that Life suitable to Protoplasm could be possible under certain physical conditions like temperature. Russell’s speculative assumption about the existence of Life or Protoplasm is not supported by scientific evidence. He had no scientific data to support his view. The ideal conditions for Life and Protoplasm exist now and what we know is that Life is always born from previously existing Life. However, he had concluded his Lecture by stating that, “it needs hope for the future……., the future that our intelligence can create.” His assumption that human intelligence is the basis for man’s biological existence is incorrect and is not consistent with the scientific reality about human existence and its nature. At a very fundamental level, man’s ability to acquire energy from an external source in the physical environment does not depend upon his physical or mental work or effort. If green plants with Chloroplasts have ability to trap Sun’s energy, it could not be attributed to man’s intelligence and the fact of Chloroplasts and their ability is not dependent on man having any kind of intelligence. Russell’s theoretical claims have no relationship with observational evidence and his opinions could be easily refuted for lack of validity. Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences provide accepted body of information about the world and human body. We need to arrange this information into a meaningful pattern and interpret it to describe the reality. The purpose of Cognitive Science of Spirituality is to describe and codify observations and experiences to explain the biological basis for human organism in its given environment as an individual, and as a member of a biological community.
SPIRITUALISM AND CONSCIOUSNESS: Amoeba proteus is a living organism as it has the ability to perform vital, living functions.
Spirit or Soul is often defined as a vital, animating principle found in all living things. Professor Sir Roger Penrose, English mathematical physicist, and Dr. Stuart Hameroff, Professor of Anesthesiology, Director of Center of Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona shared a view claiming that Spirit or Soul lives in cellular structures called microtubules found in brain nerve cells or neurons.
Professor Sir Roger Penrose (born 8 August 1931) is an English mathematical physicist renowned for his contributions to general relativity and cosmology. He is also a recreational mathematician and philosopher. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Dr. Stuart Hameroff, Professor Emeritus Department of Anesthesiology, Director of the Center of Consciousness Studies at The University of Arizona. Toward a Science of Consciousness Conference, Arizona (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
WHAT IS SOUL ?
The Anatomy of Cell – Endoplasmic Reticulum. The Protoplasm or Cytoplasm consists of a network or honey-combed reticulum called Endoplasmic Reticulum. It is a network of sacs and tubules that act as channels for materials passing through the Cell. This network is described as Spongioplasm. The homogeneous substance contained in the meshes of the network is known as Hyaloplasm.The Anatomy of Cell – Golgi Apparatus and Endoplasmic ReticulumBIOLOGICAL MEMBRANE IS A NATURAL BARRIER BETWEEN A LIVING CELL AND ITS EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT. IT IS NOT A SIMPLE PROTECTIVE WALL. IT HAS COGNITIVE ABILITIES AND CAN CONTROL MATTER THAT ENTERS OR LEAVES THE CELL. USING BIOLOGICAL MEMBRANE CELL CONTROLS ITS INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT FROM EXTERNAL INFLUENCES.
I am pleased to share a story about ‘the quantum theory of consciousness’ that appears under this post. We need to know as to how the terms Soul and Consciousness are defined. What is Soul? Is it a material principle or is it an immaterial principle? What is Consciousness? Is it a mental function? Is it a psychological function? Is it a biological function? What is the relationship between Soul and Consciousness? Microtubules are cellular skeletal components found in all living cells of all living organisms other than bacteria, blue-green algae, and viruses. If microtubules are found inside brain cells or neurons, it is not a surprise. They tend to perform the same functions in all types of living cells called eukaryotes(cells with true nuclei). All cells of the human body are derived from a single, fertilized Egg Cell. We need to discuss this topic called Soul and consciousness in relationship with this Egg Cell. Does this Egg Cell display consciousness? If Egg Cell is Conscious, does it have a Soul? In that context, we have to answer similar questions about Amoeba proteus, is it Conscious? and does it have a Soul?
Human Ovum Structure and The Quantum Theory of Consciousness.
I have been writing about consciousness and like these authors, I have been speaking about the role of Cytoplasm, the living substance found inside living cells. The microtubules are related to the plasma membrane/biological membrane, the outermost layer that separates the cell from its external environment. This membrane performs cognitive functions and it can process information and transmit information which the cell further uses to perform its various living functions. The cytoplasm exists in a constant condition of motion called ‘amoeboid motion or it displays a streaming motion. The cell structures called microtubules and microfilaments maintain this motion all the time.
Like all cells, brain cells or neurons experience cellular death. We can remove several brain cells or kill them using drugs or radiation while treating problems like brain cancer. The person still remains conscious and we clearly know the term ‘consciousness’ as used in Clinical Medicine refers to the ‘AROUSAL’ state.
Penrose and Hameroff make no distinction between the clinical definition of ‘consciousness’ and the function performed by microtubules. Their views about gravitational force and its impact upon information processing by the brain’s nerve cells have no theoretical basis. We send astronauts into outer space and they function without experiencing any significant gravitational pull or force while they literally float inside their spaceships. To collect information, to process information, to retrieve information, and to utilize information to perform a guided function, a living, material principle called Spirit or Soul is required as it has awareness or consciousness of the fact of its own existence.
The Physiological basis of Consciousness. The mechanism called CELLULAR RESPIRATION provides the basis for Conscious Existence of the Living Things.
When Consciousness is viewed as the awareness of one’s own existence, the fact of Consciousness can be verified by observing the vital living function called Respiration or breathing. The cells, the building blocks of Life exhibit their Individual Consciousness which can be verified by observing the vital living function called Cellular Respiration. Consciousness is a physiological function associated with Living Molecules of Life. Consciousness demands a complex structural organization and functional integration of the activity of Biomolecules which are energy-dependent and actively seek matter and energy from an external source.
SCIENTISTS OFFER QUANTUM THEORY OF SOUL’S EXISTENCE
The Science of Consciousness. The Quantum Consciousness Theory.
Scientific proof: according to the Quantum Consciousness Theory, the soul lives within structures called microtubules that live inside brain cells.
A PAIR of world-renowned quantum scientists say they can prove the existence of the soul.
American Dr. Stuart Hameroff and British physicist Sir Roger Penrose developed a quantum theory of consciousness asserting that our souls are contained inside structures called microtubules which live within our brain cells. Their idea stems from the notion of the brain as a biological computer, “with 100 billion neurons and their axonal firings and synaptic connections acting as information networks”. Dr. Hameroff, Professor Emeritus at the Departments of Anesthesiology and Psychology and Director of the Centre of Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona, and Sir Roger have been working on the theory since 1996. They argue that our experience of consciousness is the result of quantum gravity effects inside these microtubules – a process they call orchestrated objective reduction (Orch-OR). In a near-death experience, the microtubules lose their quantum state but the information within them is not destroyed. Or in layman’s terms, the soul does not die but returns to the universe. Dr. Hameroff explained the theory at length in the Morgan Freeman-narrated documentary “Through the Wormhole”, which was recently aired in the US by the Science Channel. The quantum soul theory is now trending worldwide, thanks to stories published this week by The Huffington Post and the Daily Mail, which have generated thousands of readers comments and social media shares. “Let’s say the heart stops beating, the blood stops flowing, the microtubules lose their quantum state,” Dr. Hameroff said. “The quantum information within the microtubules is not destroyed, it can’t be destroyed, it just distributes and dissipates to the universe at large. “If the patient is resuscitated, revived, this quantum information can go back into the microtubules and the patient says ‘I had a near death experience’.” In the event of the patient’s death, it was “possible that this quantum information can exist outside the body indefinitely – as a soul”. Dr. Hameroff believes new findings of the role quantum physics plays in biological processes, such as the navigation of birds, adds weight to the theory.
Amoeba proteus and The Quantum Theory of Consciousness.
The Vitruvian Man. c. 1492. The painting by Leonardo da Vinci displays the spirit of scientific inquiry. The inquiry of Man must begin with investigation of Consciousness.
What is Man? The motivation for asking this question comes from a statement expressed in Sanskrit language: “Sarvesham Swastir Bhavatu”, a statement which seeks the well-being of all humans, of all races, of all cultures, of all religions, and of all nations. The meaning and purpose of human life are affected by whatever we think is the real or true nature of man. But, more importantly, our efforts to support the well-being of Man would require correct understanding and knowledge of the real or true Man. Consciousness is the biological characteristic of Life or of living matter and this functional attribute must be distinguished from ‘Mind’, the chief organ of Sense Perception( such as vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch ), the seat of thoughts, feelings, moods, cravings, emotional states, dreams, intellect, and self-pride. Knowledge about Self begins with Consciousness and not as sense experience.
THE THEORY OF CONSCIOUSNESS :
In the Divine Song of the Lord known as the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter X, Vibhuti-Vistara Yoga, The Opulence of The Absolute, verse 22, Lord God Krishna states: “Indriyanam Manah, bhutanam asmi Chetana.” The Divine is associated with the attribute called Mind, the chief organ of Sense Perception and other mental functions; and among all living entities the Divine is associated with the function known as Chetana or Consciousness.
“INDRIYANAM MANAH, BHUTANAM ASMI CHETANA” – MIND AND CONSCIOUSNESS: I would like to propose The Theory of Consciousness to explain the Spiritual nature of Consciousness which is stated in the Divine Song known as the Bhagavad Gita. Human Mind and its uniqueness as an organ of Sense Perception( such as vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch ), the seat of thoughts, dreams, emotions, desires and cravings, intellect, and self-pride represents operation of a divine attribute, or of divine potency. The Human Mind is not an attribute that is shared by all living entities. The biological attribute that is shared by all living entities is known as Consciousness. The contents of Consciousness would help us to identify Consciousness as the following: 1. Consciousness is a mental experience, 2. Consciousness is a sense experience, 3. Consciousness is a homeostatic experience, 4. Consciousness is a social experience, 5. Consciousness is a moral experience, and 6. Consciousness is a spiritual experience. These various aspects of Consciousness could be verified by examining the features of Man that identify him as a Physical, Mental, Social, Moral, and Spiritual being. At a fundamental level, the role of Consciousness in a living organism relates to its ability to acquire energy from its external environment. A living cell is conscious or aware of its energy dependent existence in the given environment. The nature of conditioned existence that involves dependence upon continuous supply of energy from an external source is the essential, or primary content of Consciousness. In the human organism, the cells of the gastrointestinal tract are primarily involved in energy acquisition. The cells of the brain are not involved in primary energy acquisition. The cells of the human gastrointestinal tract have the awareness or Consciousness of the substances present in the digestive tract, they recognize the presence and nature of specific molecules, and interact with them in selective manners either to absorb or reject those substances for the benefit of the entire human organism. Hence, The Theory of Consciousness that I propose would define Consciousness as the spiritual mechanism to support the living organism to maintain its living functions.
“I AM CONSCIOUSNESS” – MAN’S ESSENCE AND EXISTENCE :
It would be helpful to understand the difference between Spirituality and the Philosophy of Existentialism shared by Jean Paul Sartre. The Man described by Sartre “exists” in his thoughts, feelings, and consciousness that is viewed as a mental or psychological function. The ‘Consciousness’ described by Sartre is not the Essence of a Substance and he thought of it as ‘Nothingness’. I describe a Man who exists in the physical world because of his Consciousness which is the functional characteristic of Man’s corporeal substance and this functional mechanism is operated by Spirit or Soul, the vital, animating Principle that brings human essence and existence to come together.
In this proposition, “I am Consciousness”, the subject known as “I am” is related to an object or an idea described as “Consciousness.” The truth or reality of a relationship or correspondence between the subject and its object could be verified. The subject is the entire human organism consisting of trillions of individual cells which function as tissues and organ systems of the human body. The subject “I am” cannot be merely defined as a single, individual, specific organ like brain or entity called mind. The functional relationship between the subject and the object operates and involves the activities of the entire organism and not limited to the activities of brain, or mind. The body organ called brain has no independent existence of its own. Brain and its neuronal structures, tissues, and cells need energy to sustain their metabolic functions and activities. The process, the mechanism, and the power by which a living cell acquires energy to perform its living functions is called ‘Nutrition’. Consciousness is the awareness of energy dependent existence in a given external environment. Consciousness is the biological characteristic of all living cells irrespective of their functional adaptation, functional differentiation, functional subordination and identification as specific organs or tissues such as brain and nerves. The idea or object called “Consciousness” is fundamentally related to the subject called “I am” both at the level of the entire or Whole Organism and at the level of individual living cells that constitute the Organism. Hence, Spirituality could be stated as potency of the subject called “I am” who is associated with the object called “Consciousness” to maintain his own existence and living functions.
SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – FUNCTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS: The understanding of Consciousness demands the recognition of difference between mechanical performance (Transitive Action), and intelligent performance (Immanent Action). Consciousness cannot be explained by elementary Laws of Physics and Chemistry. Living Functions are primarily Oxidation-Reduction Chemical Reactions.Spirituality Science – Function of Consciousness: The actions performed in Nature have to be observed to know if it involves selection of a purpose and the use of means to attain the desired goal. There is a difference between the forest fire and the bonfire. Consciousness cannot be explained using the mechanistic principles.
To make the fundamental distinction between the animate or living, and inanimate or non-living things, we may have to describe the nature of functions that can be observed in the actions performed by things. There is a difference between mechanical performance and intelligent performance. In the actions performed by the living things, the agent is perfected by its own actions, and activities. Actions such as growing, sensing, and understanding are called “Immanent” actions because they are activities which affect the growing, sensing, or understanding agent called the living thing. Action of one inert body upon another inert body is called “Transitive” action. For example, heating is a transitive action. In heating, the hot thing loses its own heat while heat is transferred to the cold thing. In the “Mechanistic” view, continuity of nature is described in terms of universality of purely mechanical principles. The mechanistic concept asserts that the phenomena of life are merely processes and transformations obeying elementary chemical and physical laws. However, it should not be very difficult to make distinction between a forest fire and a bonfire, or a fire ignited in the kitchen in preparation of a meal. Both the actions represent a chemical reaction called combustion, or rapid oxidation. Both actions may generate light, heat, and warmth. But, the forest fire may lack the purposiveness of the bonfire, or the kitchen fire used in cooking. The understanding of the living and the non-living things involves the difference between vital operations and mechanical operations. There is a difference between the vital power of the living thing and the mechanical capacity of inert, non-living thing.
The Vital Power of Living Things:
SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – FUNCTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS: Amoeba proteus is a living organism as it has ability to perform vital, living functions. Amoeba knows the fact of its own existence, it knows as to where it exists, and knows as to how it is existing. It displays two kinds of awareness; 1. What goes on around in its external environment, and 2. What goes on within its internal environment.
The word “Animal” derives from the Latin( anima, animus ) name for vital principle called “Soul” which is a life principle associated with functions like breathing, or the principle called animation. Breathing is a vital function as it is associated with the “Power” of self-nutrition. The power of self-nutrition is the originating power, possession of which leads us to speak of things as living, and non-living. Nutrition is a vital power as the action is not a mechanical performance. Nutrition is a function associated with a purpose and it is guided to achieve a future end and it involves the choice or selection of specific means to attain the desired goal of its action. A non-living thing like a stone gets heated on exposure to Sun’s radiation and the action is not goal-oriented; it is not guided action to attain a specific purpose of that non-living agent. A living thing like a plant can convert thermal energy from Sun to a new form of chemical energy that it can further use to perform a variety of its own living functions like growth, and reproduction. Living functions are intelligent functions that involve the use of knowledge or information to perform goal-oriented, sequential actions.
Soul and the Cellular Function of Consciousness:
Brain Stem Reticular Formation shown as a red band in the image represents an integrative focus of consciousness functioning through its widespread interconnections with the Cerebral Cortex and other regions of the Brain. It functions to compose the contents of consciousness that would be revealed as Cortical Awareness. Reticular Formation describes “The Capacity of Consciousness” and without this function the contents of consciousness( or cortical awareness) will not be known to the individual.SRI AUROBINDO GHOSH IN HIS BOOK, “LETTERS ON YOGA”, Page 576 DESCRIBED CONSCIOUSNESS: “Just like you: you have lots of cells in your body; each cell has its own consciousness and you have a consciousness which is the consciousness of your total individuality, though made up of all these small cellular consciousness.”SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – FUNCTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS: A LIVING, ANIMAL CELL PERFORMS VITAL FUNCTIONS USING ITS COGNITIVE ABILITIES. WHAT IS THAT “SOMETHING” THAT IS RECOGNIZED BY CONSCIOUSNESS?
Consciousness describes the ability to perform intelligent action. Consciousness describes the difference between vital operations and mechanical operations. Consciousness describes the difference between vital powers and the capacities of inert matter. Consciousness describes the difference between living things and non-living things. Consciousness is a biological, vital, or living (Immanent) function that characterizes the actions, and activities of living things. Consciousness can include psychological, and mental functions; but it is not a function that can only be performed by living matter of an anatomical structure, or organ called brain. In literature, religion, and philosophy, the term Consciousness is often used meaning, “attention to the contents or workings of one’s own mind.” John Locke defined consciousness as a psychological condition; it is described as perception of what passes in a man’s own mind. In popular belief, consciousness is viewed as a form of relationship or act of the mind toward objects in nature. Consciousness is claimed to be a continuous field or stream of mental “sense-data.” Very often, neuroscientists describe consciousness as a neurophysiological mechanism that depends on the functions of the brain. It is true for the Brain Stem Reticular Formation represents an integrative focus of consciousness functioning through its widespread interconnections with the cerebral cortex and other regions of the brain.Consciousness involves recognizing the existence, the fact of knowing something; it describes the fact of being aware of some information. What is that ‘something’ that is known or recognized by Consciousness? A living thing which has substance called living matter is conscious, or aware of the fact of its own existence in its given environment. There are two aspects of Consciousness that are subjectively registered by the living thing; 1. Consciousness is a state of knowing or awareness of what goes on around the individual living thing in its external environment, and 2. Consciousness is a state of knowing or awareness of what goes on within the individual living thing, its own internal environment. Consciousness is not simple awareness. It is awareness that involves the ability called “Cognition” which involves knowing; the processing of information, the analysis of information, the storing of information, the retrieval of information, and application of information to perform a selected action. In other words, Consciousness represents presence of “Intelligence.” A living thing has Consciousness of its nature of existence that demands the supply of energy from its external environment. The living thing uses its cognitive ability, to recognize the substances, presence of both living, and non-living matter present in its external environment. It uses the power of self-nutrition to attract these substances to acquire energy, manipulate energy, transform energy, and exploit energy to perform its vital, living functions. Thus, Consciousness becomes an absolute attribute of life; it is the fundamental, biological characteristic of living matter or living substance. For the reasons that I have stated, I define Consciousness as a function by which a living thing knows the fact of its own existence; it knows as to where it exists and knows as to how it is existing. Since Consciousness is a function that operates at a level of structural, and functional organization that is the characteristic of complex, organic molecules, this function cannot be observed, or measured by quantum physicists who study structures and functions of subatomic particles. I define Consciousness as the ability to establish a connection, or a relationship between energy-demanding molecules, and energy-yielding molecules. A Fundamental Force like the force of Gravitation is very important for existence of man on planet Earth. Man recognizes the physical reality of his own existence with the help of gravitation which provides experience of his body mass or body weight. At the same time, it must be noted that man exists on the surface of a very fast spinning celestial object. Perception of this basic reality of Earth’s speed and velocity by the human organs of sense perception would endanger the ability to live. Man’s physical existence is defended, and is protected by the shielding effect of the force of gravitation. Gravitation helps to block the sensory awareness of the speed of Earth’s motions. This function of gravitational force must be distinguished from the intelligent function called Consciousness.
The Function of Consciousness. The man’s existence is conditioned to experience Day and Night on the surface of Flat Earth with its Arched Dome. There is no direct sensory awareness of the reality of earth’s motions.
Adi Shankara’s Unqualified Non-Dualism – The Theory of Pure Consciousness:
ADI SHANKARACHARYA – THE PROPONENT OF UNQUALIFIED NON-DUALISM: He based his view on his Theory of “PURE CONSCIOUSNESS.”
The Indian School of Philosophy known as “SUDDHADVAITA”, or Unqualified Non-Dualism of Adi Shankara is based upon a system of thought that may be called “ATMADVAITA” that describes one, universal, eternal, and self-illuminating self whose essence is “Pure Consciousness” without a Subject (ASRAYA) and without an Object (VISAYA) and from a transcendental point of view, “Pure Consciousness” is the only Ultimate Reality. The phenomenal world and finite individuals could be empirically true, but from the higher point of view are merely false appearances. Adi Shankara based his view on his definition of “Reality: The “Real” is that whose negation is not possible. The only thing that satisfies this criterion is consciousness; because denial of consciousness presupposes the consciousness that denies. It is conceivable that any object is not existent, but absence of consciousness is not conceivable. Adi Shankara used his immense logical skills and relied upon reasoning to claim that consciousness is the only reality and anything different from it would be unreal. The basic problem of Adi Shankara’s philosophy is that of explaining as to how such “Pure Consciousness” appears in ordinary experience to become individualized as “my consciousness.”
I am pleased to share this view posted by Gaurachandra Das of IIT, Kharagpur, India.
MYSTERY OF CONSCIOUSNESS : LIFE versus NON-LIFE
Gaurachandra Das, B. Tech, M.Tech, Electrical Engineering-IIT Kharagpur
General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanical Theory (QM) are the two most prominent theories in the field of Physics. General Theory of Relativity given by Einstein in 1915 states that direction of light propagation should be changed in a gravitational field. It predicts that “light coming from a strong gravitational field should have its wavelength shifted to larger values (a red-shift). The electromagnetic field can have waves in it that carry energy that we call light. Likewise, the gravitational field can have waves that carry energy and are called gravitational waves. These may be thought of as ripples in the curvature of space-time that travel at the speed of light.”1 On the other hand Quantum Mechanical Theory predicts the behavior of particles as waves as they drift away from the classical domain. Both these stalwart theories till date have been unable to predict the function of consciousness in living bodies. In fact, they do not even stand unwavering scrutiny and are subject to reformations, time and again. Albert Einstein himself stated in this regard in 1954-“I consider it quite possible that physics cannot be based on the field concept, i.e., on continuous structures. In that case, nothing remains of my entire castle in the air, gravitation theory included, and of the rest of modern physics.”
In the words of Roger Penrose – “I definitely believe that Quantum Mechanics is not a final theory and it is incomplete. I agree with Einstein in that sense.” Quantum Mechanics has proved insufficient to describe the nature of reality so far. He further says-“Quantum Mechanics has two parts: the first is Schrodinger’s equation, which tells how a system evolves, it is a very precise equation yet it does not tell you how the world behaves. The second part of QM is the measurement process. The measurement process is inconsistent with Schroedinger equation. It is non-deterministic, probabilistic, etc. Although these two parts are inconsistent with each other, they do fit together in a rather remarkable way. To me, it suggests that QM is not perfectly correct.” 2 Another is the famous Schrodinger’s cat example. (Experiment parallel to it is being done in Santa Barbara, California under Dirk Baumeister.) Penrose remarks – “ Schroedinger pointed out that his own equation tells that you could produce a cat that is both alive and dead at the same time. It is ridiculous because in reality you don’t see cats that are both alive and dead at the same time. This means there is something wrong with the equations at the level when the objects become big enough”.2
Schrodinger’s cat set-up
Along with Hameroff, Penrose constructed a theory of human consciousness in which human consciousness is pointed to as being the result of a quantum gravity effect in microtubules. That was presented in his “Orchestrated Reduction of Quantum Coherence in Brain Microtubules: A Model for Consciousness”. However, he also says “Our present scientific knowledge cannot describe consciousness. On the other hand, boundaries of what we call scientific are not fixed on this view. Perhaps we may never be able to understand the Ultimate Reality through a rigorous scientific approach. Some fundamentally new insights are needed. If perhaps there will eventually emerge some kind of ultimate theory that may explain part of the reality, that theory must differ enormously from what we have seen in physical theories so far” 2. So as per his opinion, a fundamentally new theory with remarkably different features is needed to explain the paradigm of consciousness. Thus, what is this consciousness, a mystery to the world of physics so far.
Robots are another field in which distinction between life and non-life can be seen approaching a border-line. Nowadays robots are quoted to be even writing poems. But such collection of words is an artificial attempt from the word-bank fed to computers and arranged with algorithms. The machine has no feelings and emotions and the purpose of poetry –“to satisfy the poet’s heart” remains forever absent to a machine. The computer may also play chess but that is the computational (mechanistic) part done by it from the strategies fed by the programmer. A machine may also pass the Turing’s test3 but the Chinese room argument by John Searle refutes the conscious sense coming from this resemblance. Actually to prove computers intelligent, one needs to design a robot that can play any surprise or unexpected game brought before it, not just the chess game. It should be able to learn any game by speech or text inputs and then play that game reasonably well. But it is not possible to design such a robot because playing a surprise game requires an understanding in both learning and devising strategy. A robot can do computation, but it will never have understanding because it can’t be conscious.
A Robot cannot play an unprogrammed game.
After the tragic event of 9/11 many scientists have shown remarkable interest in these ideas concerning search of an Ultimate Theory, absolute Reality and depths of the conscious paradigm. They look for a scientific clue from the known sources of scientific knowledge. This brings them closer to the ideas of fine-tuning and intelligent design in the universe which have a valid and very reasonable role in the creation. The fine-tuning of water molecule (H2O) and preciseness of universal constants verify this claim.
There are various directions to proceed on the basis of the Anthropic Principle.5 One of the interesting insights is that Vedantic literature points in this direction about the presence of different universes which have life and are also spiritual in nature. This idea is feasible from the strong Anthropic principle as Roger Penrose says – “This is the argument that only the physical constants of nature which have specific values may be suitable for life. Only in the world where the numbers are suitable for consciousness we will find beings present in that world. It may be a completely different kind of life, which is not like us at all, which does not depend on chemistry the way we do. So that may open up the possibility of a world or spiritual world.” 2
Looking into Einstein’s life, we all admire his great insights for a scientific worldview having mathematical foundations. At same time he also had some profound feeling for religion. In other words, he tried to relate both scientific and religious worldviews in his life. He said-“Science without religion is lame and religion without science is blind.” Another of his famous quotes is –“God doesn’t cast dice.” This may be a serious question posed to the propaganda that life is a chance phenomenon. Roger Penrose remarks in this connection – “There are remarkable interrelations between truth and beauty. Even there is a mystery of our perceptions of mathematical truths. I would say that these are higher and deeper aspects of reality of which we have little conception at the present time.”2 Einstein didn’t see any conflict between science and religion while he considered them complementary. He could live happily by synthesizing both the worldviews. It is from this religious paradigm, especially Vedantic paradigm where we get a precisely correct understanding of consciousness which is a mystery for the modern thinkers.
Universe and life is not created by humans so the proposal to study and demarcate its ingredients and intricacies by research-based approach may not be well-placed and successful. It may actually be like an ant’s attempt to study the architecture of Mercedes-Benz, which is quite too much for the ant! However the religious side in this direction, particularly the Vedantic conception offers interesting comprehensive facts and insights…for example, Bhagavad Gita says that “the soul (atma) or spiriton is the cause of consciousness. This spiriton or atma interacts with matter through the agency of the Paramatma or the all-pervading conscious aspect of the absolute truth. This interaction depends on higher order, non-mathematical laws relating to psychological principles such as desire and free-will.”6 Bhagavad Gita mentions that “the size of spiriton or atma is 1/10000 of the tip of a hair; it is inconceivable or spiritual in nature and it is eternal and unborn.”7 In fact, our present science cannot explain this. As some prominent scientists (as Max Born, Roger Penrose and William D. Phillips) say – “We need a new science, a higher dimensional science to explain this subtle conception of the source of life.” Yet, its presence in the form of consciousness can be experienced by us all. Max Born says – “I saw in the atom the key to the deepest secret of nature and it revealed to me the greatness of creation and the Creator.”8
Roger Penrose and Dr T.D. Singh
So, probably, the sincere mind of a great scientist would need to blur these boundaries between science and religion and sincerely take up this quest to understand life and conscious paradigm. This has been the attitude of a galaxy of prominent thinkers, scientists and vastly learned men such as Nicholas Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, James Clerk Maxwell, Albert Einstein, Max Born, Srinivasa Ramanujan, Werner Heisenberg, Charles Townes, William D. Phillips and hundreds more. Albert Einstein says-“I sense these things deeply…the most beautiful and profound religious emotion that we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. And this mysticality is the power of all true science. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power which is revealed in the comprehensible universe forms my idea of God.” In the words of Charles Townes-“I believe there is no long-range question more important than the purpose and meaning of our lives and of the universe.” 8 Indeed, such a positive and synthesized approach offers a key to solve this mystery of life and consciousness, to know the distinction between life and non-life and to delve deeper into Absolute Reality.
References: 1. General Theory of Relativity http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/cosmology/gravity.html 2. Discussion between Sir Roger Penrose and Dr T.D. Singh entitled “Science, Spirituality and Nature of reality”, Bhaktivedanta Institute, 2005. 3. Turing Test : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test 4. Chinese room Argument : http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/chinese-room/ 5. Anthropic Principle – see Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking, Bantam Trade Paperback, 1996. 6. “Life, Matter and their Interactions “ by Dr T.D. Singh, Bhaktivedanta Institute, 2006. 7. “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. New York: Macmillan 1972. 8. “God is a Person”, Reflections of two Noble Laureates, Bhaktivedanta Institute, 2006. 9. Lincoln Barnett, “The Universe and Dr. Einstein, 2nd Edition, New York, 1957, pp.108-109.
The Function of Consciousness. Why is this baby crying? Is it hunger? Is it thirst? Is it a wet diaper? Is it earache? Is it fever? Is it too hot? Is it too cold? Is it gripes or colic? Is it to get attention? Is it Consciousness? The baby is aware of something. The baby is aware of its existence in an environment and is also aware of its internal condition.
The Truth about Self, The Inquiry about Self, WHO AM I?
The term Truth suggests confirmity with facts, experience, or with Reality, either as an idealized abstraction or in actual application to statements, ideas, acts, etc., Truth signifies an established or verified fact, or principle. Truth is related to the validity of what we mean. Plato defined the nature of Truth as correspondence between thought and reality. Dr. William Jones in his book, ‘The Principles of Psychology’ states : “True ideas are those we can assimilate, validate, corroborate, and verify.” The universe is vast and man’s role in it is insignificant. Man’s great need is not only to know the world around him but also know himself better. Man has to know the Truth about himself.
THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF TRUTH :
1. Truth is correspondence between a statement and the reality of external world.
2. Truth is correspondence between the observer and the reality of the observed fact. Here, we need to recognize the method used for the observation such as intuition, sense experience, or revelation.
3. Truth is correspondence between man and his true nature.
LORD JESUS CHRIST – TRUTH AS PROPHECY :
The Truth of Jesus, The Book of John, Chapter 20, verse 29: Jesus said to him(Thomas), “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Truth-Is it a matter of sight or sense experience, or is it a matter of faith and belief?
TRUTH AND REALITY – I AM CONSCIOUSNESS : ROMAN GOVERNOR PILATE ASKED JESUS, “WHAT IS TRUTH “?
The Truth about Lord Jesus Christ had come to a very critical scrutiny while he got arrested and stood before Pilate, the Roman Governor. The Book of John, Chapter 18, verses 37 and 38 record the conversation between Jesus and Pilate: So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a King?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a King. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Jesus did not answer the question as the truth must have correspondence with reality in external world. The truth of Jesus is about establishment of Kingdom of Heaven upon Earth. It was a prophetic truth and the truth would be evident only when the Prophecy comes true.
LORD GAUTAMA BUDDHA – TRUTH AS EXPERIENCE :
Lord Gautama Buddha stated: “The greatest miracle was to explain the truth and to make man realize it.”
Lord Gautama Buddha known as Siddhartha( He who will accomplish ), c. 563 B.C to c. 483 B.C., left the palace at the age of 29 leaving behind his young wife and infant son. After six years of ascetic life, while meditating under a Pipal tree ( later called BODHI or Enlightenment Tree ), he became Supreme Buddha( c. 528 B.C. ) at the age of 35. He had preached his first sermon at Sarnath. He had outlined his Doctrine of Four Noble Truths and the First Noble Truth is that of suffering, the experience of pain and sorrow called DUKHA is implicit in human existence. Buddha’s truth is related to man’s experience of the nature of his existence in the world. I maintain that man exists at any stage of his existence, at any given age, under any given circumstance, in either good health or ill health, in pain and suffering or that of joy and happiness due to the operation of a Fundamental Force/Power/Energy that delivers Mercy/Grace/Compassion. If suffering describes one face of the coin called human existence, Compassion describes the second face of the same coin. Compassion is implicit in human existence and that of all living things.
LORD RAMA – TRUTH IN ACTION :
“WHO AM I? WHY I AM LIKE THIS?” were the questions asked by Lord Rama and these are the questions that we need to ask ourselves to know the Truth about Self.
In an epic poem known as Ramayana, Indian poet Valmiki described Lord Rama’s life journey. Rama spent 14 years in the forest to help fulfilment of the word or promise made by his father. In the final Chapter, Book Six, Yuddha Kanda, Chapter( Sarga ) 117, verse 11, he had asked the following question:
so aHaM yasya yatashchaahaM bhagavaMstadbraviitu me.”
“I think of myself to be a human being, by name Rama, the son of Dasaratha. You, as a gracious Divintiy tell me who I am and why I am like this?”
In the story of Ramayana, the Creator Lord Brahma responded to the questions asked by Lord Rama. These are the questions that we need to ask ourselves. To know Truth about Self, man must begin his inquiry with the question of WHO AM I?
THE INQUIRY ABOUT SELF – WHO AM I? :
Socrates before taking poison that would end his life had stated: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” “Know thyself” is a virtue and to defend that virtue, Socrates made no attempt to save his life.
The tradition of knowing oneself is a longer tradition than any other Science. This is a study in which the Knower and the Known are one. The object of scientific inquiry is the nature of the scientist.
HOW TO DISCOVER THE TRUTH ABOUT SELF? :
Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud: “No knowledge can be obtained from revelation, intuition, or inspiration.”
Religion, Philosophy, and Science may represent three distinct fields of learning about Truth and Reality. Each tries to answer fundamental questions about human life. All three differ from each other in the selection of method and subject matter. Auguste Comte, the 19th century French philosopher, the founder of Sociology had described Positive Science as the study of natural, mental, and social phenomena by empirical methods. In his view, Philosophy is mere speculation and Religion is superstition or irrational belief. Speculation represents a futile attempt to go behind the phenomena in order to discover ultimate causes or substances and such speculative methods may result in guess work or conjecture and not in knowledge. Philosophy may use Logic and system and yet its conclusions may lack the validity or objectivity of Science.The philosophical inquiry does not involve investigation by experiment. Science not only provides the knowledge that something is true, but also the reasons why it is true. The famous Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud had categorically claimed that no knowledge can be obtained from revelation, intuition, or inspiration. There is a tendency in modern times to reject the methods used by Religion and Philosophy. Philosophy may use intuitive generalization or induction fromordinary sense experience. The scientific method involves induction from an inference from experiments which involve testing and verifying a hypothesis. The observations of scientist go beyond the experiences which ordinary men have in the course of daily life. The instruments that are invented and used by scientists have immense abilities to collect numerous kinds of empirical data with precision, accuracy, and consistency. However, it may not be easy to conclude that Science alone can arrive at correspondence with Truth and Reality. Could we extend scientific methodology of investigation to every field of Inquiry? Could we obtain clarity and certainity in all matters using scientific methods? Could Science be the only avenue to Truth? Could we find Truth and Reality as an external experience? Could man use scientific information to experience Truth and Reality?
Sir Issac Newton demonstrated the properties of Light rays using experimets. Science explains this optical illusion. Could Science remove the optical illusion and give man a chance to experience the reality of this Pencil. The Reality of this Pencil would be known when the Pencil is removed from water and man has no ability to change the properties of Light rays.
When a object exists in a conditioned state, like this Pencil in water, Science may explain the illusion generated. Science and scientific information may not provide the direct experience of Truth and Reality. Man is the observer, and the reality or truth of Earth’s Angular Speed, or Linear Speed is not an observed fact obtained by direct human sense experience. Scientific information can not provide the experience that could be generated by the truth and reality of Earth’s Motion.
THE PURPOSE OF SCIENCE : THE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SELF :
The purpose of Science is to describe observation and experience and provide accepted body of information and arrange it into a meaningful pattern to explain truth and reality.
The purpose of Science is to describe and codify observation and experiences. Natural Sciences such as Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Medical Sciences provide accepted body of information about the world and human body. We need to arrange this information into a meaningful pattern and interpret it to describe the Reality or Truth about man. We need to apply a reasoning process which involves analysis of basic concepts to determine their consistency. Something could be said to be true if, and only if it could be verified by logical or scientific procedures. We need to use a reasoning process, a philosophical analysis to clarify statements, to verify or refute a theoretical claim by demonstrating relation between the theoretical claim and the observational evidence.
THE SELF AND THE KNOWING SELF :
I divide man into two categories; 1. The Self : it represents the man as a physical, mental, and social being. The Self represents the thinking person or the person having thoughts, and feelings. 2. The Knowing Self : it represents man as a moral, and spiritual being. The Knowing Self is aware or Conscious of the thoughts and feelings of The Self.
THINKING vs CONSCIOUSNESS :
Dr Florian Mormann & Dr Christof Koch have defined Neural Correlates of Consciousness as the minimal neuronal mechanism jointly sufficient for any one specific Conscious percept. This definition basically makes no distinction between Thinking and Consciousness. The NCC definition is not based on correct understanding of the function known as Consciousness. It fails to speak about the role of Reticular Formation, and Brain Stem Nuclei that have the Capacity of Consciousness. The Capacity of Consciousness is an essential precondition of the Content of Consciousness. The Reticular Formation filters incoming stimuli to discriminate irrelevant background stimuli and composes the Content of Consciousness before relaying the information to the Cerebral hemispheres to cause Cortical awareness.
The Self may think about the nature of consciousness, but Thinking and Consciousness are two distinct functions. Thinking and Consciousness are not one and the same. Consciousness functions to provide Awareness and it is not involved in mental activities such as Thinking. The Reticular Formation supports functions such as AROUSAL and it maintains wakefulness, alertness, and sleep. In the absence of this Brain Stem function, the Individual is not capable of generating thoughts, and feelings and would not be aware of what goes on inside the Individual, and what goes on outside the Individual.
In Clinical Medicine, the medical practitioner evaluates the Level of Arousal or Alertness of his patient.
THE INDIIDUAL – IDENTITY AND INDIVIDUALITY – THE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN :
The Self has two aspects- External Reality describes the Identity of the Individual; Internal Reality establishes the Individuality of the Individual.
If man is viewed as a living thing, the thing is made of Matter and Form. The Form establishes the morphological appearance in the external world. The Matter establishes the Individuality of the Individual. The external appearance or Phenotype of man undergoes constant change and is not the same at all times. The Individuality is related to the Genotype which remains constant while man goes through various stages of his existence from conception to old age. As per The Law of Individuality and Creation, man is a created being who would always exist as an Individual with Individuality and man has no choice other than that of existing as an Individual. The Truth about Self is not about the Identity of the Individual in terms of his anthropometric measurements, biometric information, name, gender, race, ethnicity, language, religion, nationality, education, social occupation, social status or social ranking, and affiliations. This external reality has a degree of correspondence in the external world as it is often confirmed and is recognized by others who can observe the Individual. But this knowledge is subject to change and the information it provides is not experienced in a constant, and objective manner. The Truth about Self is the Truth about the human organism which is multicellular. We need to know as to who or what is the subject who lives because of the functions of the trillions of cells that comprise the human organism.
WHO AM I? – “I AM CONSCIOUSNESS” :
WHO AM I? This question must be answered by applying a reasoning process to Inferential Knowledge about Cell Structure(ANATOMY) and Cell Functions(PHYSIOLOGY). Life is defined as “Knowledge in Action.”
All living organisms use similar building units called cells. Basically, the cell has a membrane, a nucleus, and a living substance known as Protoplasm. The nucleus has nucleic acids like DNA/RNA which have no independent existence of their own. The genome functions when it is associated with Protoplasm which has the exclusive ability to obtain energy( food ) from its environment. Consciousness is a natural principle that describes the condition of an Individual; the condition of knowing, awareness, or recognizing the fact, the state, and the act of biological existence in a given environment. The term environment refers to all the conditions, circumstances, and influences surrounding, and affecting the existence of a given Individual, or a group of Individuals. Who is this Individual who has the ability to know and be aware of its external, and internal environment? The Individual is a living organism and the organism could be unicellular or multicellular. The most fundamental aspect of Consciousness as a living function that establishes biological existence is that of acquiring energy from environment. The living cell is a thermodynamically unstable system. This means that without continuous input of energy, a cell will degrade spontaneously into a non living collection of molecules.
“I AM CONSCIOUSNESS” – THE VERIFICATION OF THE PROPOSITION :
The proposition that “I am Consciousness” could be subjected to a reasoning process in two manners: 1. The Coherence Theory of Truth, and 2. The Correspondence Theory of Truth.
1. “I am Consciousness” – The Coherence Theory of Truth : The standard of Truth is the logical consistency of a proposition with a large system of propositions. “I am Consciousness” is the proposition. The propositions to support my proposition are :
a. Consciousness is a mental experience.
b. Consciousness is a sense experience.
c. Consciousness is a physical or body experience.
d. Consciousness is a social experience.
e. Consciousness is a moral experience.
f. Consciousness is a spiritual experience.
g. Consciousness is a cellular experience.
The Subject “I am” of the proposition could be defined as a physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual being based upon the contents of the ‘Total Consciousness’ experience of that Individual.
2. “I am Consciousness” – The Correspondence Theory of Truth : Truth is viewed as a relation between an idea or proposition and its object. “I am Consciousness” is the proposition. The Subject known as “I am” is related to an idea or object described as “Consciousness.” We need to verify the Truth or Reality of a relation between the Subject and its Object. The Subject is the whole or entire human organism comprising of trillions of individual cells which function as organs and tissues of the body. The Subject “I am” can not be defined merely as a single individual,specific organ like brain or mind. The body organ called brain has no independent existence of its own. Brain and its cells( neurons, axons, and connective tissue ) need energy to sustain its metabolic activities. The functional relationship between the Subject and the Object operates and involves the activity of the entire organism and is not limited to the activities of brain or mind. The purpose of Consciousness at cellular level is to foster functional unity of the multicellular organism and establish it as an Individual. A living thing maintains it Individuality while being a member of a given social group. The process by which a living cell acquires energy to perform its living functions is called ‘NUTRITION’. Consciousness is the awareness of energy dependent existence in a given environment and it is the characteristic of all living cells irrespective of their differentiation, functional subordination, and identification as the constituent parts of specific organs, tissues, and organ systems. The idea or Object called “Consciousness” is fundamentally related to the Subject called “I am” both at the level of the entire organism and at the level of individual cells.
HUMAN KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE :
WHO AM I? Lord Krishna described Himself in The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter X, The Opulence of the Absolute, verse 22:”Of the Vedas, I am the Sama Veda; of the demigods, I am Indra; of the senses, I am the Mind; and in Living Beings, I AM CONSCIOUSNESS.”
Human Knowledge is of two kinds; 1. Acquired Knowledge that is dependent upon sense experience, and reason, and 2. Innate or Intuitive Knowledge, the genetic information, the biological information that all living cells and organisms use to perform living functions and to exhibit biological behavior and instincts. Knowledge about Self, or Self-Knowledge begins with the implantation of Consciousness in Matter and not as Sense experience, and not on account of rational thinking with application of reason.
Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Professor of Anatomy and Physiology, Dean of the Harvard Medical School 1847-1882. “To live is to function and that is all there is in living.” Life is defined by the nature of its living functions. Consciousness is the absolute characteristic of all living functions and so I define Life as “Knowledge in Action.”
WHAT IS CONSCIOUSNESS?
Why is this baby crying? Is it hunger? Is it thirst? Is it a wet diaper? Is it earache? Is it fever? Is it too hot? Is it too cold? Is it gripes or colic? Is it to get attention? Is it Consciousness? The baby is aware of something. The baby is aware of its existence in an environment and is also aware of its internal condition.
Consciousness is described as a state of knowing, or awareness, or recognizing the existence, truth, or fact of ‘something’. What is that ‘something’ that is known or recognized by Consciousness ? I propose to explore the contents of Consciousness to answer the question of what is Consciousness ?
CONSCIOUSNESS IS A SENSE EXPERIENCE:
What is Consciousness? Is it awareness of Sense Perception? Is it awareness of Thought? Is it awareness of Mood and Feeling? Is it awareness of Existence? Can there be any Perception without Existence? What is that Exists and Knows that it Exists?The Neural Correlates of Consciousness defined by Mormann & Koch explores Consciousness as a sense experience. It fails to understand the Totality of Consciousness.
Consciousness is generally viewed as a form of relationship or act of the mind towards objects in nature. Consciousness has been described as a continuous field or stream of mental sense-data. Some biologists and neurophysiologists view Consciousness as a brain function and describe it as an exclusive function of the nerve cells; neuronal and axonal function. Dr. Florian Mormann and Dr. Christof Koch have defined Neural Correlates of Consciousness( Florian Mormann & Christof Koch(2007) NCC, Scholarpedia 2(12):1740 ) as the minimal neuronal mechanisms jointly sufficient for any one specific conscious percept. Further, Mormann & Koch state that, “Consciousness is a puzzling, state-dependent property of certain types of complex, biological, adaptive, and highly connected systems. A Science of Consciousness must strive to explain the exact relationship between phenomenal, mental states and brain states.” They have posed the question: ” What is the nature of the relationship between the immaterial, conscious mind and its physical basis in the electro-chemical interactions in the body? The answer to this question is very simple. Consciousness is related to a material substance that is called Protoplasm and electro-chemical interactions in the body describe the properties of this living substance or material. The brain cells and all other cells have the same basic features; they are constituted by Protoplasm which has a Biological Membrane to define the limits of the Cell. Mormann & Koch also erroneously suggest that, “Only a few particular systems can experience anything, why they are Conscious and other systems such as the enteric nervous system or the immune system are not Conscious.” The enteric nervous system does in fact provide a wide range of Conscious experiences. A baby would respond with a cry when it experiences gripes or colic. In the practice of Clinical Medicine, evaluation of pain as a symptom and as a diagnostic clinical sign plays a very significant role. The pain experienced by an individual with gastrointestinal, or genitourinary problems, or from inflammation of tissues and organs, and from problems with skeleton and musculature is registered by Consciousness. The immune system behaves in a Conscious manner and displays specificity, selectivity, and memory. A Living Cell is a highly complex, biological, adaptive, and highly connected system known in Natural Science. A simple understanding of various cell functions would explain this issue. For example, mitochondria are organelles found within most cells which provide the cells with energy. Extensive protein translocation occurs in mitochondria where about one thousand different polypeptides are imported from the cytosol. This event is orchestrated by distinct translocation machineries in the outer and the inner mitochondrial membranes. Mitochondria display functional awareness and perform the task of oxidising sugars and fats in a deliberate, and sequential manner that involves the use of different enzymes to facilitate each chemical reaction.
CONSCIOUSNESS IS A PHYSICAL OR BODY EXPERIENCE – THE CONCEPT OF HOMEOSTASIS :
Apart from thoughts, intellect, feelings, moods, and perception of various sensory information, man is aware of the fact of and the state or condition of his physical existence. Man is aware or Conscious of hunger, thirst, and sexual drive. Man is aware of vital functions like respiration, and circulation. Man is alerted and often reacts with a sense of fear when these vital functions are disturbed or threatened in a significant manner. Consciousness or awareness includes awareness of bodily functions such as appetite, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting sensation, deglutition( the act of swallowing food and drink ), satiation, and the functions of excretion and the associated sensations like the fullness of the bladder, and rectum. The human organism has awareness of its internal condition such as the state of hydration, water and electrolyte balance, and acid/base balance. The chemical events collectively called “metabolism” require concentration of hydrogen ions and electrolytes to remain within narrow limits in the tissue cells and in the fluids which bathes them. Body responds to both volume changes and changes in the osmotic pressure of the body fluids. Life is possible only if the hydrogen ion concentration of body fluid is kept within a narrow range. In health, a blood hydrogen ion concentration of 36-44 nmol/liter or pH 7.37 – 7.45 is maintained by several closely integrated but widely differing mechanisms. 19th century French physiologist Claude Bernard had defined “Homeostasis” as “all the vital mechanisms, varied as they are, have only one object; that of preserving constant the conditions of life.” All living things maintain a constant internal environment or Internal Milieu. Living cells and organisms are aware or Conscious of the environment in which they exist as well as the state of their own internal environment making possible to witness this phenomenon of Homeostasis.
CONSCIOUSNESS IS A CELLULAR EXPERIENCE:
All the solid tissues in the human body consist of cells that are essentially similar to an Ovum.
Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, the former Dean of Harvard Medical School had defined Life by stating that, “To live is to function and that is all there is in living.” Who or what is the subject who lives because of its living functions? Consciousness is a cellular experience of the cells of the brain and the body. It is an experience shared by the Whole Organism. It is an experience shared by all the living cells. The living functions of cells include uptake and conversion of nutrients, synthesis of new molecules, production of energy, and regulation and coordination of metabolic sequences apart from function of reproduction by asexual cell division. All the solid tissues in the human body can be shown to consist largely of similar cells, differing it is true, but that are essentially similar to an ovum. The most significant feature of similarity between the cells is presence of a soft, gelatinous, semi-fluid, granular material inside the cell. This substance known as Protoplasm is similar to that found in the ovum or the egg cell. This viscous, translucent, colloidal substance is enclosed in a membrane called Plasma Membrane or Biological Membrane. A small, spherical body called nucleus is embedded in the protoplasm. The protoplasm could be differentiated into cytoplasm/cytosol, and nucleoplasm based upon its location. Cytoplasm refers to protoplasm located outside the nucleus. Nucleoplasm refers to the protoplasm located inside the nucleus. The two essential features of any living cell in the human body are that of presence of protoplasm and the nucleus. The most striking characteristics of protoplasm are its vital properties of “MOTION”, and “NUTRITION”. Protoplasm has the intrinsic power to change its shape and position and the motion is described as amoeboid movement as the motion is similar to the motion that is observed in Amoeba proteus. Nutrition is the power which protoplasm has of attracting or drawing the materials that are necessary for its growth and maintenance from surrounding matter/environment. Nutrition is not a passive, unguided, and physical event. The Biological Membrane or the Plasma Membrane allows a highly controlled exchange of matter across the barrier it poses; some compounds are able to pass through the Membrane easily, others are completely blocked. The Biological Membrane helps to maintain cell’s internal environment or constant interior milieu in which intracellular reactions occur. To maintain life, the cell not only repairs or replaces, ( or both) its structures by continual synthesis of new organic molecules. This is characteristic of functional awareness or Consciousness that is at work at the cellular level. The human organism uses a repair process and it is described as Inflammation and Repair. Wound healing, and hemostasis (or blood leakage or bleeding from an injured blood vessel is controlled) are natural mechanisms operated by Cellular Consciousness. Human existence is possible because of this valuable and protective healing process which comes into immediate play after an injury or damage. Similarly, the human organism defines its identity and defends its existence by deploying unique protein molecules such as the antibodies. Antibodies recognize their antigens or foreign protein molecules with high affinity and extreme selectivity. The ability to develop specific immunity to infection is only one consequence of a wider capacity in the individual to recognize and to specifically respond to the foreignness of an extensive range of biological substances that are not normally present in the body of that individual. The adaptive immune system remembers that particular infectious agent and can prevent it causing disease later. The immune system consists of a variety of molecules and cells that are distributed throughout the body. They play an important role in inflammation, tissue damage and repair, the killing of bacteria, viruses, and tumor cells. Cellular Consciousness defends human existence.
CONSCIOUSNESS IS A SOCIAL EXPERIENCE:
Sociology lays claim to the whole of human life beyond the biological level because virtually all human activities possess a social aspect. Consciousness can be viewed as the capacity in an individual to form harmonious relations with others and to participate in or contribute constructively to changes in the social environment. Man is a social being and he is aware of the social structures and the social organization that he is part of. Parental instincts and social instincts describe an aspect of social behavior exhibited by all animals. Animals exhibit social behaviors and form parental societies to care for their offspring. Bacteria come together to live as colonies. At cellular level, the social aspect of Consciousness is reflected by the cell’s abilities such as association, cooperation, communication using signaling molecules, recognition, and functional subordination in its interactions with other living cells present in its environment. In an Ecological System, the Consciousness plays the role to establish the interrelatedness, the interdependence, and the interconnectedness.
CONSCIOUSNESS IS A MORAL EXPERIENCE:
Consciousness is the attribute of a conscientious person. Conscious behavior is often described as conscientious action that is scrupulous, characterized by or done with careful attention. Conscience describes awareness of one’s own acts and the application of knowledge to discern an act as right or wrong, good or evil, selfish or altruistic. Man has the intrinsic ability to recognize his acts of transgression or sinful conduct. Man is a creature with conscience and hence exists as a moral being.
CONSCIOUSNESS IS A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE:
The word spiritual is often used to describe the fact of having a relationship based on sympathy of thought or feeling. Consciousness has a spiritual function as it establishes a relationship between the energy dependent living cell and its energy provider. The living cell is a thermodynamically unstable system. This means that without continuous input of energy, a cell will degrade spontaneously into a nonliving collection of molecules. The life’s journey of the human organism begins as a single cell, that of a fertilized egg cell. This single fertilized egg cell is Conscious of its existence, is Conscious of its energy dependence and it promptly connects itself to its energy provider. Human life begins to move forward when this egg cell implants itself into the maternal tissue and the biological mother has no cortical awareness of this implantation. Cortical awareness does not describe the Totality of Consciousness. The Science of Consciousness must describe the mental, the sensory, the physical, the cellular, the social, the moral, and the spiritual aspects of Consciousness.
CONSCIOUSNESS IS AWARENESS OF EXISTENCE IN AN ENVIRONMENT:
Amoeba proteus – Is this organism aware of its own existence in an environment? Is it aware of what goes on around it and what goes on within it?
Consciousness describes condition of an individual; condition of knowing, awareness, or recognizing the fact, the state, and the act of existence or living in a given environment. Thus, Consciousness is a natural principle that could explain what an individual knows and experiences about the world around one and inside one. There are two aspects of Consciousness that is registered subjectively by an individual; 1. Consciousness is a state of knowing or awareness of what goes on around an individual, and 2. Consciousness is a state of knowing or awareness of what goes on within the individual. Who is this individual who has ability to know and be aware of its external and internal environment ? The term environment refers to all the conditions, circumstances, and influences surrounding, and affecting existence of a given individual, or group of individuals. The individual is a living organism and the organism could be unicellular or multicellular.
CONSCIOUSNESS AND MATERIAL SUBSTANCE:
Consciousness is an absolute attribute of Life; it is the fundamental characteristic of living matter or living substance described as Protoplasm, Cytoplasm, Cytosol, Nucleoplasm, and etc.,
Consciousness is an absolute attribute of Life; it is the fundamental characteristic of living matter or living substance described as Protoplasm or Cytoplasm, the essential living matter or material substance of all animal, and plant cells. Wherever Protoplasm is found, irrespective of the size, shape, and form of the cell or of the living organism, the contents of its Consciousness could be discovered.
CONSCIOUSNESS – THE LAW OF INDIVIDUALITY AND CREATION:
Identity and Individuality are the two sides of the same Coin. The genome establishes the Identity, and Consciousness establishes the Individuality of a Living Cell or of a Living Organism.
The contents of Consciousness vary from individual to individual. There are individualistic variations in the contents of Consciousness. There can never be two identical living individuals. Even when the cells are cloned and have the same or identical genomes, the state, or condition of Protoplasm that is Conscious is never identical. With the same genome, or different genomes, the living cells can only exist or live as individuals and they have no other choice. The living substance is the same, and the nature of Consciousness is the same and yet the contents of Consciousness are not the same. This Individualistic variation of Consciousness is the characteristic of what I describe as ‘The Law of Individuality and Creation’.
THE PRINCIPLES OF CONSCIOUSNESS:
Consciousness is the natural, vital principle that moves and animates all Life. The Living Cell knows the fact of its existence, it knows as to where it exists, and knows as to how it is existing.
Consciousness is the natural principle, the vital principle that moves and animates all Life. It has a set of defining features; it is the principle by which a living cell or organism knows the fact of its own existence, it knows as to where it exists, and knows as to how it is existing. Cognition is described as the act of knowing. Cognitive Science involves the study of all human activities related to Knowledge. These activities include attention, creativity, memory, perception, problem solving, thinking, and the use of language. Cognition is the process involved in knowing, or the act of knowing which includes awareness and judgment. The nature of cognition, the relationship between the knowing mind and external reality, is applicable in the study of living functions that are characteristic of the living substance or material called Protoplasm. These functions at cellular level that require cognition include nutrition, reproduction, metabolism, and association with other living cells present in the immediate environment. The human brain is often viewed as the Seat of Knowledge. Human brain’s ability to acquire, process, store, and use of information is essentially function of the cytoplasm of the brain cells. Cognitive functions like perception and memory would establish Protoplasm as the Seat of Knowledge.
CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE HUMAN ORGANISM:
The Human Organism is an association of trillions of individual living cells. Consciousness serves the purpose of Functional Unity and all the cells display adaptive functional subordination to serve the purpose of the Whole Organism or the Individual. There are two distinct aspects of human Consciousness;1. The Capacity for Consciousness, and 2. The Contents of Consciousness.
There are two distinct aspects of human Consciousness namely the Capacity for Consciousness and the Contents of Consciousness. When Consciousness is viewed as a psychological or strictly as a mental function, it is represented by the Contents of Consciousness, function of Cerebral Cortex. When Consciousness is understood as a biological or living function, it is represented by the aspect of Capacity for Consciousness. The upper brain-stem, the neural structures like the Reticular Formation, and Thalamus function to compose the contents of Consciousness and project the contents to the cerebral hemispheres via the tracts of the Ascending Reticular Activating System. Integrity of these neurons and neural connections is important to maintain the alertness, and Arousal State of the Whole Organism in its relationship to its environment and internal maintenance of coordination of various living functions.
THE GRADING OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN CLINICAL MEDICINE:
Apart from philosophers, psychologists, psychics, theologians and others, the term Consciousness is frequently used by the practitioners of Clinical Medicine. It is a useful term with several practical applications in management of individuals with a variety of conditions that impact the neural functions, particularly the Arousal. In medical practice, the assessment and grading of Consciousness serves the purpose of being good predictor of the eventual long-term outcome or prognosis of the underlying disease or medical condition.
In Clinical Medicine, the medical practitioner evaluates the Level of Arousal or Alertness of his patient.
In Clinical Medicine, the medical practitioner evaluates the Level of Arousal or Alertness of his patient. The different levels of Consciousness are :
a. alert or awake, fully Conscious and fully Oriented to person, place, and time. This Orientation represents the normal operation of Higher Intellectual Functions. A person who is Conscious, but is under influence of alcohol or other psychotropic drugs, neural stimulants or depressants may not be fully oriented.
b. phase of automatism – the person is not fully alert as in Sleep-walking, or recovering from the effects of anesthesia.
c. Lethargic – drowsy, sleepy, but easily arousable.
d. Delirium – a state of mental confusion, a toxic condition, altered physical, and mental state or condition.
e. Stupor – semiconscious, responsive only to painful stimuli.
f. Coma – Unconscious or not responsive to painful stimuli.
Similarly, the Edinburgh method of grading Consciousness is :
Grade 0 – Fully Conscious
Grade 1 – drowsy but responsive to vocal command.
Grade 2 – Unconscious but responsive to minimal painful stimuli.
Grade 3 – Unconscious but just responsive to strong painful stimuli.
Grade 4 – Unconscious with no response to verbal commands and all other painful stimuli.
The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS ) is universally used in assessment of the head injury victim. This Scale measures and provides a score that ranges from 3 to 15 points by evaluating three kinds of responses from the patient.
1. Eye Opening : Spontaneous eye opening=4; Eye opening in response to command=3; Eye opening in response to painful stimuli=2; and no response of eye opening=1.
2. Motor Response : Obeys commands=6; Localizes pain=5; Shows flexion( decorticate ) response to pain=3; Shows extension ( decerebrate ) response to pain=2; and no response( no reflex muscular activity )=1.
3. Vocal Response : Oriented to person, place, and time=5; Confused=4; Shows inappropriate speech=3; Makes incomprehensible sounds=2; and no vocal sounds=1.
Such neurological evaluations are repeated periodically to record significant changes in the medical condition of the patient. However, it must be noted that Clinical Medicine always evaluates totality of all living functions and the medical usage of the terms Conscious and Unconscious represent a careful interpretation in the context of the medical condition of the patient.
THE TOTALITY OF CONSCIOUSNESS:
The Science of Consciousness must explore and investigate the entire contents of Consciousness. By understanding the nature of experience provided by the Totality of Consciousness, the condition, the state, or the act of being Conscious could be explained.
Consciousness is a Mental Experience:
The term consciousness is most widely used as meaning ” attention to the contents or workings of one’s own mind.” English philosopher John Locke defined Consciousness as a psychological condition; it is described as perception of what passes in a man’s own mind. In Indian tradition, mental activities are of four kinds and collectively constitute what is named as “ANTAHKARANAM”; these are : 1. “MANASSU”- the seat of thoughts, 2. “BUDDHI” or intellect and knowledge, 3. “CHITTAM” or the seat of emotions such as Kindness and Love, and 4. “AHAMKARA” or self-ego. The mental experience or knowing of these activities of thoughts, intellect, moods, feelings, and self-ego describe Consciousness as a mental experience. Using this view, many philosophers, religious thinkers, and mystics have shared their experience of different levels of Consciousness and have given names to the higher levels or states of Consciousness. Terms such as Pure Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, and Super Consciousness may describe some kind of mental experience and such terms may not add any information to understand the Totality of Consciousness and its experience.
The Neural Correlates of Consciousness defined by Mormann & Koch basically ignores existence of specific Conscious percept like NUTRITION by which the Living Organism shows its awareness of Energy dependence for its existence or living.
VITRUVIAN MAN, BY LEONARDO DA VINCI(c. 1492). This picture is used as the cover page for Best & Taylor’s Text-Book of Human Physiology. Medical Science and Medical Education is knowledge built upon the foundations of understanding and knowing Human Anatomy ( Structure ) and Human Physiology ( Function).
SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE: MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY – THE INQUIRY ABOUT SELF, SPIRIT, AND SOUL:
I would submit that we have to arrive at an understanding of ‘self’, spirit, and soul by knowing the structure and functional organization of the Living Thing or Being that exists.
THE IDENTITY OF MULTICELLULAR HUMAN ORGANISM:
“ManO buddhyaHamkaara, chittani na aHam, Na karnam, na jihvaa, na cha ghraana netre, Na cha Vyoma, Bhuumir na Tejo, na VaayuH; Chidaananda Ruupah, Shivo aHam, Shivo aHam.” Adi Shankaracharya has described that his Identity does not pertain to his mind, intellect, the intellectual pride/ego, mental functions, his organs of sense, the five primordial elements of Nature. His Identity could only be stated as SAT+CHIT+ANANDA, the Identity of Ultimate Reality. However, the human organism has an Identity described by Human Anatomy and the organism’s functions(Physiology) establish and defend this Identity of the Human Person in Nature.
SPIRITUALISM AND IDENTITY – THE CONFLICT AT KURNOOL MEDICAL COLLEGE: Cunningham’s Manual of Practical Anatomy has provided me the learning tools to know and understand Man’s External and Internal Reality and its Identity as described by Cells, Tissues, and Organ Systems.
I learned about the human body while dissecting the body in a systematic manner. The Manual of Practical Anatomy which guides us through this entire process was published in England. The author Dr. Daniel John Cunningham prepared the Manual while dissecting cadavers of British or Irish citizens. He had never encountered cadavers of Indian citizens. At Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India, where I was a student, the Department of Anatomy obtains dead bodies from Government General Hospital Kurnool and most of the deceased are the poor, illiterate, and uneducated people of that region. None of the deceased had the chance to know this man called Cunningham and Cunningham had no knowledge about the existence of these people who had arrived on our dissection tables. But, as the dissection of the human body proceeded, inch, by inch, we recognized the anatomical parts as described by Cunningham. The manual also lists some anatomical variations and we very often exchanged information between various dissection tables and recognized the variations mentioned. The dissections also involve slicing the organs and studying them, both macroscopically, and microscopically. We did not miss any part of the human body. So what is the Identity of this Human person or Human subject? How does the living Human organism maintain its Identity and Individuality? Apart from the Cultural Traditions of India, several Schools of Religious Thought claim that the Human Individual and its Identity is represented by Human Soul. Where does this soul exist in the human body? What is the location if the soul is present in the living person? Does man have a soul?
THE KNOWLEDGE OF FIELD AND THE FIELD OF ACTIVITY: ‘KSHETRA AND KSHETRA JNANA’ :
The term soul has to be carefully defined if I have to find it by exploring the human body. In the Indian tradition, the human body is described as ‘KSHETRA’ or Field. The individual who knows and enjoys this body, Kshetra, or field is often described as ‘PURUSHA’. The knowledge of the body is called ‘KSHETRA JNANA’. The person called Purusha could explore his body called ‘Kshetra’ and acquire knowledge called ‘Kshetra Jnana’. So, I had explored my body to find out if I have a soul and as to where it exists. I can explore my body while I am alive. If I am dead, only a different living person may get the opportunity to explore my dead body, but he may not be able to discover the soul which may have already departed from the body. If the soul exists in the cadaver, Cunningham would not have missed it, and we the diligent students dissecting human cadavers would not have missed it. By definition, the soul does not exist in dead bodies. It has something to do with life and the characteristics of a living person or organism. With the intellectual insight I had gained by studying human anatomy, I can explore my living body without placing it on a dissection table.
THE FUNCTIONAL UNITY OF MULTICELLULAR HUMAN ORGANISM:
Humans are multicellular organisms. Who or what is the Subject who lives because of the functions of the trillions of cells? Multicellularity found in complex organisms like humans is accompanied by definite capabilities of cells for differentiation. The design of cells has been modified to serve specialized functions of tissues and organs. To achieve a proper numerical balance between functionally related cell groups, the death of many cells is necessary for others to reach maturity. This programmed cell death plays an important role during embryological growth and development of the human fetus. Waves of genetically driven cell deaths are critical to the proper modeling of organs, and organ systems. Such programmed cell death events are essential if the organism as a whole is to develop its normal final form by which its Identity as an Individual is established. The constituent cells of the organism do not display functional individuality while living as individuals. The cell in a complex organism is not truly an independently functioning unit. The cell exists and functions to achieve Unity of the Organism as a Whole. The one very important part of the environment of a cell is other cells. The Consciousness, the Awareness of individual cells in multicellular organism functions to achieve the Functional Unity of the Whole Organism. Consciousness brings Functional Unity by providing the abilities of recognition, association, and cooperation between all the cells of the multicellular organism. Multicellular organisms are characterized by the ‘Adaptive Subordination’ of the constituent cells to the requirements of the organism as a Whole. For example, mature Red Blood Cells or RBCs have no nuclei and they cannot divide or replicate. They are exclusively adapted to transport Oxygen and serve the whole human organism. The RBCs have short lives as individual cells. The human organism has a life span of its own. During the lifetime of a human person, RBCs live for short periods of time and are constantly replaced by new RBCs. Thus it may be stated that the purpose of Consciousness at the cellular level is to foster Functional Unity of the multicellular organism and establish it as an Individual. If the term ‘Soul’ represents the Identity of this Individual, the Soul is a Functional Attribute of Consciousness at the cellular level.
Adaptive Subordination of Red Blood cells to the requirements of the whole Human Organism. The mature RBCs have no nuclei and they cannot divide. They are exclusively adapted to transport Oxygen and serve the Human Organism. During the life span of the Human Organism, the RBCs live for short periods of time and are constantly replaced by new RBCs.
THE BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN SOUL:
Reticular Formation is shown as a single ‘red’ bar in this figure. It consists of numerous Brain Stem nuclei. It is a network of nerve pathways and nuclei throughout the Brain Stem. A single neuron in this network may have synapses/connections with as many as 25,000 other neurons/nerve cells.Capacity for consciousness is an upper Brain-Stem Function and the Content of consciousness is a Function of the Cerebral Cortex. The Reticular Formation which is located in the central Brain Stem helps to coordinate and integrate actions of different parts of the Central Nervous System such as regulation of muscle and reflex activity; central transmission and composition of sensory impulses; respiration; cardiovascular responses; behavioral arousal; and sleep.
I had explored my body called Kshetra. The Kshetra Jnana or Knowledge of my body is as follows: My soul is represented by an anatomical structure described as Reticular Formation in the Brain Stem. Just like my body is composed of trillions of individual cells which collectively represent and establish my physical identity in this world, my soul derives its existence and identity from trillions of these individual units or cells that comprise my body. My soul is actually a composite of trillions of units of consciousness of trillions of individual cells that comprise my human body. The Functional Unity in relation to Consciousness is achieved in the Reticular Formation, the site where Consciousness of the Whole human organism is composed and then is relayed to the Cerebral hemispheres. It is just like a picture or a photo which represents trillions of spots of varying degrees of light intensity or brightness. The term soul has to be defined as the manifestation of “Consciousness”. If there is no “Consciousness”, there is no soul. The existence of the soul is witnessed by the presence of “Consciousness”. This biological characteristic described as “Consciousness” exists in every single living cell. If a living organism is made up of one single cell, it has a soul as manifested by its “Consciousness”. For the human person, when identified as an Individual, the anatomical location of his Soul is the Reticular Formation of the Brain Stem which receives input from the rest of the body and shapes the information and sends it to Thalamus and to Cortical Areas of the Brain which provide the awareness, the functional knowledge with which the human organism exists as a living entity. The man enjoys an existence characterized by Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility, for the Soul, or the Life Principle operates most of the vital functions of the complex organism. Further, the soul does not relay all this enormous amount of information to the cortical areas where it would be then known to the Man who exists because of these vital functions. For the soul does not relay, Man is protected from a huge information overload that is not compatible with mental peace and equilibrium.
“I AM CONSCIOUSNESS, THEREFORE I AM :
DESCARTES, RENE (b. March 31, 1596, d. February 11, 1650 ), French Mathematician and Father of Modern Philosophy.
Could we extend the scientific methodology of an investigation into every field of inquiry? Could we find Truth, and Reality as an external experience? Is it possible to visualize Truth and Reality in the realm of Intuition and Conscience? Jean Jacques Rousseau, the French philosopher had suggested that man has to find his way to his pure nature, and this through feelings. Man’s duty is to look for his most deep interior feelings and follow them. Rene Descartes advanced a philosophy based on certitude. He sought to devise a method of inquiry for reaching the Truth. He proposed a method for guaranteeing Knowledge. He argued that in order to provide a secure foundation for Knowledge it was necessary to discover “clear and distinct ideas” that could not be doubted and could serve as a basis for deriving further truths. He found such an idea in the proposition “I think, therefore I am” ( “Cogito, ergo sum” ). Descartes stressed a world of metaphysical truths that could be discovered by pure reason. He had subjected his beliefs to a series of skeptical hypotheses. He had invoked skepticism as a means of reaching certainty. As per his conclusion, “I think, therefore I am” is beyond skeptical doubt.
CARTESIAN PHILOSOPHY – THE VALUE OF “SYSTEMATIC DOUBT” :
The human body is composed of cells and each of these cells is a conscious entity. Consciousness is a biological, cellular function which brings about Functional Unity of the Whole Organism. Cellular consciousness provides the abilities of recognition, association, and cooperation between cells. Cells are characterized by Adaptive Subordination to meet the requirements of the organism as a whole. Rene Descartes proposition to divide the human body into two parts; a thinking part, and a mechanical part is incorrect.
I truly admire Descartes for adopting a strategy of withholding his belief from anything that was not entirely certain and indubitable. Skepticism is an attitude that rejects claims to certainty. Its basic philosophical contention is that the possibility of knowledge is limited by the limitations of the mind itself or by the inaccessibility of the object. Descartes is known as the Father of the Mind-Body Problem. He claimed that human beings are composites of two kinds of substances, mind, and body. A mind is conscious or thinking being, that is, it understands, wills, senses, and imagines. A body is being extended in length, width, and breadth. He thought that minds are indivisible, whereas bodies are infinitely divisible. The “I” of the “I think, therefore I am” is the mind that he had claimed could exist without being extended so that it can in principle survive the death of the body. Descartes argued that colors, sounds, tastes, heat, cold, and pain are merely sensations existing in mind/thought and that there is nothing in bodies that resembles the sensation. He thought that all complex functioning of living organisms including human bodies could be explained solely by mechanistic physics. He even denied that consciousness could be attributed to animals in order to explain their behavior. Descartes had influenced the whole course of the philosophical inquiry. Using the same Cartesian Philosophy, I found Descartes proposition to be invalid and incorrect based upon my understanding of the human body, mind, and consciousness. The proposition which I would use is, “I am Consciousness, therefore I am”. This clear, and distinct idea, which is beyond doubt would help me to discover man’s awareness of God or what I describe as the “GOD CONNECTION”. This “Connection” is the foundation for man’s existence in the natural world.
Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,
M.B.B.S., Class of April 1970.
LORD KRISHNA IN THE HINDU SCRIPTURE OF BHAGAVAD GITA, Chapter 10, The Opulence of the Absolute, verse 22 claimed that “…in living beings I am Consciousness.” Similarly, in Chapter 7, verses 9 and 10, Lord Krishna claims that “I am the life of all that Lives”, “I am the Original seed of all existences.”
Neocolonialism describes the revival of Colonialist exploitation by a foreign power of a region that has achieved independence. Colonialism is the system or policy by which a country maintains foreign colonies especially in order to exploit them economically. Colonization refers to the extension of political and economic control over an area by an occupying state that has organizational or technological superiority. Imperialism has been a major colonizing force. The Colony’s population is subdued to assimilate them to the Colonizer’s way of life.
The Great 13th Dalai Lama of Tibet declared Tibet’s independence from Manchu China(Qing or Ch’ing Dynasty) on February 13, 1913. Tibet expelled Manchu China’s diplomats and its military contingent posted in Lhasa, Tibet’s Capital. For centuries, Tibet came under foreign conquests by Mongols and Manchu China but Tibet was never colonized. Red China’s military invasion of Tibet in 1950 describes the typical features of Colonialism. Tibet’s population is repressed by brutal force in an attempt to fully assimilate Tibetans to the Colonizer’s way of life. Red China’s Colonial Rule is a direct threat to the existence of Tibetan way of life shaped by centuries of Natural Freedom. Apart from wiping out Tibetan System of Governance known as Ganden Phodrang, The Institution of Dalai Lama at Potala Palace, Lhasa, the tyrannical rule of Red China is destroying every attribute of Tibetan Culture including Tibetan language, and Tibetan religious institutions putting Tibetan Identity at a great peril. Red China’s colonization of Tibet is defacing and degrading Tibetan territory and its fragile environment totally upsetting its delicate ecological balance. The Land of Tibet is scarred by Red China’s reckless mining activities, deforestation, diversion of rivers, and dumping of toxic chemical and nuclear wastes.
Colonization was the vehicle of European expansion from the 15th century into Africa, the Americas, and Asia. The Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, and Dutch established Colonies worldwide that have for the most part obtained independence from imperial system only in the 20th century.
Red China determines the economic development of other countries from which it extracts vast amounts of raw materials. With the sole exception of Tibet, Red China is able to get raw materials and flood world markets with Made in China products without the need to fight the wars of the previous Colonial Era. With threats of its muscle power, Red China has entered a new era of Colonialism. People of the World have to awaken to the threat imposed by Red China – Neocolonialist.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE – RED CHINA :
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE – RED CHINA.
I have a great pleasure in sharing the blog post titled “CHINA’S OPENING TO RUSSIA” by Dina Badie published by Huffington Post on April 27, 2015. It clearly exposes Dr. Henry Alfred Kissinger, PhD as #WholeVillain WholeVillain, Whole Villain for he formulated the US-China relations without any concern for values that define United States of America. Red China’s opening to Russia will compel the United States to define its national values while it defends its security interests in present day world.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE – RED CHINA : US PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN ADDRESSED NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALS ON MARCH 08, 1983. HE COINED THE PHRASE “EVIL EMPIRE” TO DESCRIBE SOVIET UNION AND HE FRAMED THE US – SOVIET CONFRONTATION AS “GOOD VS EVIL.”
WHAT IS EVIL ?
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE – RED CHINA : THE WOMAN RIDING THE SCARLET BEAST IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF THE EVIL RED EMPIRE – RED CHINA .
The term “EVIL” describes conduct regarded as morally bad, morally wrong, wicked, depraved, causing pain, or trouble, harmful, injurious, offensive, disgusting, threatening, and bringing misfortune and misery to those affected by it. Red China is Evildoer for it does evil actions habitually. Red China is Evil-Minded for its disposition is malicious. Red China is the Evil One, a term used for The Devil or Satan.
When Henry Kissinger returned from a secret meeting in China in 1971, he laid the groundwork for a historic diplomatic opening after more than 20 years of rejecting the Communist Party government. Within a year, Richard Nixon visited Mao Zedong in Beijing, the Shanghai Communiqué was signed, and the process of normalizing Sino-America relations began. Since then, most scholars and analysts have considered Nixon’s opening to China to be a resounding foreign policy success. In the midst of the Cold War, it successfully exploited existing divisions within the communist bloc and improved the U.S. strategic position vis-à-vis the USSR. Rather than three powerful states existing in isolation of one another, it was now 2 against 1: the U.S. and China vs. the USSR.
At the time, however, Nixon’s policy did not come without criticism. Mao Zedong’s brand of communism along with his brutal implementation of a “cultural revolution,” made him an improbable target for U.S. policymakers looking for diplomatic partners. Given the importance of the “democracy and capitalism” narrative of the Cold War, trading the recognition of the old Kuomintang government in Taiwan for the Communist Party state in the mainland was a contentious move. Yet, Nixon and Kissinger looked beyond ideology to open dialogue for strategic purposes.
Today, the U.S. is on the other end of an opening.
American and European statesmen are currently boycotting, sanctioning, condemning, and isolating Russia as punishment for its Ukraine policy. In the way that the U.S. picked off China after recognizing the Sino-Soviet split, China is now picking off Russia given the American-Russian split. The Ukraine crisis indirectly created an opportunity for China to expand a “strategic partnership” with Russia as the only major power not taking part in the sanctions regime. This is not to say that Russia and China had no diplomatic relations prior to the Ukraine crisis; rather, that Western policy toward Russia is creating an opening that China can easily exploit. As far as Russia policy goes, the further the West goes, the closer China comes.
While it is easy to criticize China’s noninterference policy and neutrality on Ukraine, it is not significantly different from Nixon and Kissinger’s decision to look beyond ideology in the 1970s. Pursuing a tangible national interest over ideological considerations, China has been able to deepen economic ties with Russia to ease the impact of Western sanctions. To address its growing energy needs, China is working on a second pipeline project with Russia to import much-needed natural resources. And next month, Xi Jinping will be the guest of honor at Russia’s WWII commemorative parade, which American and European leaders plan to boycott.
China’s strategic opening should come as no surprise to the U.S. There remain significant differences between Russia and China but the more Washington pushes and pivots, the closer Moscow and Beijing will become. Rather than continually isolating Russia over its actions in Ukraine and denouncing China for remaining neutral, the U.S. would be best served to once again cast off ideologically motivated policy in favor of real politik.
Special Frontier Force vs The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China.
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China.
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China.
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China . Kissinger was sworn in as Secretary of State in September 1973. He was the Adviser, National Security Affairs when he misused his position to formulate the US Foreign Policy.
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
Special Frontier Force VS The Evil Red Empire – Red China .
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF TIBET??? FOR HOW LONG TIBETANS HAVE TO LIVE UNDER THE TYRANNY OF OCCUPATION??? WHEN WILL COMMUNIST CHINA LOSE ITS MILITARY GRIP OVER LHASA???
On Wednesday, April 15, 2015, People’s Republic of China released a white paper to describe Tibet’s Progress and Development. The Tibet it describes is known as TAR or Tibetan Autonomous Region that Red China created in 1965. As such this white paper does not describe the national entity called Tibet. The white paper traces the history of origin of Tibetan Resistance Movement that eventually resulted in creation of a military organization called Special Frontier Force. This Organization aims to evict the occupier of Tibet. China’s white paper describes China’s position on the demand for full autonomy. China claims that it is rejecting the demand for full autonomy as it may lead to Tibet’s full independence. In human history, empires have risen, and empires have fallen. The Evil Empire of Red China will not be an exception and I predict that Beijing is Doomed and its fate or destiny was written long ago and sealed in a scripture called ‘REVELATION’ which describes The Day of Reckoning.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : FOR SIXTY FIVE YEARS, TIBETANS HAVE LIVED UNDER MILITARY OCCUPATION . WHAT IS TIBET’S FUTURE???? HOW TO EVICT THE EVIL RED EMPIRE FROM TIBET????
In my view, the occupier of Tibet faces inevitable destruction by an apocalyptic event without the need to fight him in a direct battle. The prophetic vision of this enemy’s defeat is in The Old Testament Book of Isaiah, The Book of Psalms-Psalm 137, and The New Testament Book of Revelation.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : IN MY PROPHETIC VISION, I PREDICT THAT THE EVIL RED EMPIRE WILL BE DESTROYED BY AN APOCALYPTIC EVENT FORETOLD IN THE BOOKS OF BIBLE.
They predict a sudden destruction of Evil not through warfare but by a cosmic event which involves the Evil Empire getting hit by an asteroid thrown down to cause its utter ruin.
THE EVIL RED EMPIRE:
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : MAO ZEDONG OR MAO TSE-TUNG PROCLAIMS THE FOUNDING OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN PEKING (BEIJING) ON OCTOBER 01, 1949. THIS NATION IS FOUNDED ON THE IDEOLOGY OF COMMUNISM FOLLOWING “RED REVOLUTION.” THIS RED CHINA IS AN EVIL EMPIRE FROM ITS BIRTH .
I am using this name to specifically describe a political entity called People’s Republic of China proclaimed by Mao tse-Tung or Mao Zedong on October 01, 1949.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : RED CHINA FOUNDED BY MAO TSE-TUNG IS MORE EVIL THAN HITLER’S NAZI GERMANY. AFTER THE FALL OF SOVIET UNION, RED CHINA HAS BECOME THE MOST EVIL EMPIRE OF THE PRESENT DAY WORLD .
In the past, US President Ronald Reagan may have used the phrase ‘Evil Empire’ to describe Soviet Union.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : APRIL 26, 1984 . US PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN WITH EVIL CHINA’S PRESIDENT LI XIANNIAN IN PEKING . RED CHINA IS MORE EVIL AS COMPARED TO RED SOVIET UNION IN 1984.
To the Jews of Biblical times, Babylonia became a byword for evil, for she was the nation that had destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple to God. The New Testament Book of Revelation refers to Babylonia and many experts recognize the symbolism of “Babylon The Great.” It is more likely Revelation used the word Babylon as a coded name and it simply intended to predict the downfall of Roman Empire.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : THE WOMAN ON THE SCARLET BEAST . “THE WOMAN YOU SAW IS THE GREAT CITY THAT RULES OVER THE KINGS OF THE EARTH . ” IT IS NOT BABYLON . IT IS NOT ROME . IT IS NOT BERLIN . IT IS NOT MOSCOW . INDEED IT IS BEIJING .
Now, world is not facing any danger from former Evil Empires like Babylonia, Rome, or Soviet Union. Those empires wiped out and do not exist any more. For all practical purposes, after the fall of Nazi Germany, the breakup of Soviet Union, the only Evil Empire that exists is that of Red China. Historically, China’s rulers include The Shang dynasty, Chou dynasty, Chin dynasty, Han dynasty, T’ang dynasty, Sung dynasty, Yuan dynasty, Ming dynasty, and Ch’ing or Manchu dynasty, the last one ruled from 1644 to 1912. Red China formulated by Communist Party Chairman Mao tse-Tung is ideologically driven and he and his party is responsible for pain and suffering imposed on millions of people.
THE RED DRAGON:
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : RED DRAGON IS A MYTHICAL OR LEGENDARY ANIMAL OF FRIGHTENING PROPORTIONS . IT IS ANOTHER NAME FOR SATAN, THE DEVIL, WHO IS OFTEN DEPICTED AS A SERPENT , BEAST , JACKAL, MALE GOAT, SEA MONSTER, AND OTHERS SYMBOLIZING EVIL POWER WHICH IS PHYSICAL FORCE APPLIED IN RECKLESS MANNER TO EVENTUALLY CAUSE PAIN AND SUFFERING .
Dragon is a mythical or legendary animal which combines several features of snake and lizard. It symbolizes force and power that evokes a sense of great fear. In China, and Japan, the dragon may have some benevolent attributes.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : DRAGON SYMBOLIZED IMPERIAL CHINA’S POWER . THE RED DRAGON OF BIBLE SYMBOLIZES SIN, DISOBEDIENCE , RECKLESSNESS, FORCEFULNESS, REBELLIOUSNESS OF SATAN, THE DEVIL .
In China, from ancient times, dragon was the emblem of the Imperial family, and until the founding of the Republic(1911), the dragon adorned the Chinese flag. In Christian tradition, the dragon symbolizes an evil power and it is thought to be a physical manifestation of Satan or The Devil. Satan symbolizes Sin, Disobedience of God, rebelliousness, recklessness, wickedness and supernatural power which brings people to utter ruination or eternal damnation in Hell.
The Hebrew words “TANNIM” and “TANNIN” appear thirteen and fourteen times respectively in The Old Testament Books. They are translated as Dragon, Jackal, sea-monster, Serpent, Whale, Wolf, and The Beast. These are large creatures with a frightening aspect.
In The New Testament Book of Revelation, Satan is referred to as a dragon in Chapter 12, verse 3: “Then another sign appeared in Heaven; an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.” The relationship between the Evil Empire called Babylon and The Devil is described in Revelation, Chapter 17, verse 3: “Then the angel carried me away in the spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.” Revelation, Chapter 17, verse 18 describes the symbolism of The Woman on The Beast: “The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” In present times, the only great city associated with The Evil Empire is Peking or Beijing. It matches with description of Babylon as the seat of Power and Wealth.
THE FALL OF EVIL EMPIRE: A PRAYER IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS:
Psalm 137 was composed by captive Jews in Babylon. Verse 8 reflects their hope and expectation: “O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us….” People in occupied Tibet are held captive in their own Land and they are all waiting for their release, for liberation, and for salvation that will end the pain, and misery of decades of brutal oppression and tyrannical rule by Beijing. Babylon is a coded substitute for Beijing and the Fall of Babylon is The Fall of Beijing.
THE FALL BY A SUDDEN CATASTROPHE:
God predicts that the Great Queen Babylon(Beijing) will become a harlot, and will be surprised by a sudden catastrophe. Prophet Isaiah reveals the scenario of this sudden catastrophe in Chapter 47, verses 10, 11, 12, and 15:
“You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you When you say to yourself, ‘I am and there is none besides me.’
“Disaster will come upon you that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you.”
“Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror.”
“That is all they can do for you – these you have labored with and trafficked with since childhood. Each of them goes on in his error; There is not one that can save you.”
THE FALL OF BABYLON(BEIJING)- PROPHESY IN ‘REVELATION’:
The Book of Revelation, Chapter 18 gives a detailed account of the Fall of Evil Empire and describes the mechanism for its destruction. The kings of the earth who committed adultery with her, the merchants of the earth who traded with her, every sea-captain, the sailors, and all who earn their earn their living from the sea will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn and cry out:
“Woe! Woe , O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!”
In one hour, the great wealth and power of Beijing will be brought to ruin as foretold in verse# 21:
“Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.”
China calls on Dalai Lama to ‘put aside illusions’ about talks
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The Dalai Lama gestures during a public talk and teachings event at St. Jakobshalle, in Basel February …
BEIJING (Reuters) – China on Wednesday urged the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to “put aside his illusions” about talks on Tibet’s future and accused him of insincerity and covertly pushing for independence, rather than autonomy.
China has ruled Tibet with an iron fist since troops “peacefully liberated” the region in 1950. The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule.
Representatives of the Nobel Peace laureate held rounds of talks with China until 2010, but formal dialogue has stalled amid leadership changes in Beijing and a crackdown in Tibet.
In a lengthy white paper released by the official Xinhua news agency, the government said that having failed to use violence to achieve their goals, the Dalai Lama and his supporters had little understanding of modern Tibet and “a sentimental attachment to the old theocratic feudal serfdom”.
“The only sensible alternative is for the Dalai Lama and his supporters to accept that Tibet has been part of China since antiquity, to abandon their goals of dividing China and seeking independence for Tibet,” it said.
“The central government hopes that the Dalai Lama will put aside his illusions in his remaining years and face up to reality,” the government said in the white paper, released in both English and Chinese.
Beijing has been disappointed that the Dalai Lama remains committed to the Middle Way – which he says merely seeks genuine autonomy for the Himalayan region – and this is something China cannot accept as its real goal is still independence, it added.
“None of the negotiations were conducted in good faith – it was always the intention of the Dalai Lama and his supporters to divide China and achieve independence for Tibet,” it added.
The Tibetan government in exile, based in India, said in an emailed statement that condemning the Middle Way showed Beijing’s failure to come up with an alternative.
“The Middle Way Policy seeks genuine autonomy within the framework of the constitution of the People’s Republic of China which is a win-win proposition for all parties and one lauded throughout the world including various governments,” it said.
The Dalai Lama denies espousing violence and says he only wants genuine autonomy for Tibet, though China has repeatedly said he is insincere.
China has recently stepped up its rhetoric against the Dalai Lama. He is being received by fewer and fewer foreign leaders in recent years, because of the anger it draws from China, the world’s second-largest economy.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : APRIL 26, 1984 . US PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN WITH EVIL CHINA’S PRESIDENT LI XIANNIAN IN PEKING . RED CHINA IS MORE EVIL AS COMPARED TO RED SOVIET UNION IN 1984.
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SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : IN MY PROPHETIC VISION, I PREDICT THAT THE EVIL RED EMPIRE WILL BE DESTROYED BY AN APOCALYPTIC EVENT FORETOLD IN THE BOOKS OF BIBLE.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : RED DRAGON IS A MYTHICAL OR LEGENDARY ANIMAL OF FRIGHTENING PROPORTIONS . IT IS ANOTHER NAME FOR SATAN, THE DEVIL, WHO IS OFTEN DEPICTED AS A SERPENT , BEAST , JACKAL, MALE GOAT, SEA MONSTER, AND OTHERS SYMBOLIZING EVIL POWER WHICH IS PHYSICAL FORCE APPLIED IN RECKLESS MANNER TO EVENTUALLY CAUSE PAIN AND SUFFERING .
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SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : FOR SIXTYFIVE YEARS, TIBETANS HAVE LIVED UNDER MILITARY OCCUPATION . WHAT IS TIBET’S FUTURE???? HOW TO EVICT THE EVIL RED EMPIRE FROM TIBET????
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : MAO ZEDONG OR MAO TSE-TUNG PROCLAIMS THE FOUNDING OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN PEKING (BEIJING) ON OCTOBER 01, 1949. THIS NATION IS FOUNDED ON THE IDEOLOGY OF COMMUNISM FOLLOWING “RED REVOLUTION.” THIS RED CHINA IS AN EVIL EMPIRE FROM ITS BIRTH .
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SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : RED CHINA FOUNDED BY MAO TSE-TUNG IS MORE EVIL THAN HITLER’S NAZI GERMANY. AFTER THE FALL OF SOVIET UNION, RED CHINA HAS BECOME THE MOST EVIL EMPIRE OF THE PRESENT DAY WORLD .
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SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : DRAGON SYMBOLIZED IMPERIAL CHINA’S POWER . THE RED DRAGON OF BIBLE SYMBOLIZES SIN, DISOBEDIENCE , RECKLESSNESS, FORCEFULNESS, REBELLIOUSNESS OF SATAN, THE DEVIL .
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SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : THE WOMAN ON THE SCARLET BEAST . “THE WOMAN YOU SAW IS THE GREAT CITY THAT RULES OVER THE KINGS OF THE EARTH . ” IT IS NOT BABYLON . IT IS NOT ROME . IT IS NOT BERLIN . IT IS NOT MOSCOW . INDEED IT IS BEIJING .
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SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE VS THE EVIL RED EMPIRE : WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF TIBET??? FOR HOW LONG TIBETANS HAVE TO LIVE UNDER THE TYRANNY OF OCCUPATION??? WHEN WILL COMMUNIST CHINA LOSE ITS MILITARY GRIP OVER LHASA???
Whole Dude - Whole Spirituality 