Consciousness/awareness involves Simultaneous events? If so doess it contradict relativity?
- Consciousness/awareness involves Simultaneous events and it contradict relativity
- Consciousness/awareness involves Simultaneous events but it does not contradict relativity
- Consciousness/awareness does not involves Simultaneous events and it does not contradict relativity
- Undecided
Consciousness involves Simultaneous events
The brain is an area of neurophysiology activity. Neurophysiology activity consists of electrochemical reaction. Thus at any given time, the brain state is defined by a subset of electrochemical reactions, derived from a large set of possible reactions.
Consider the phenomenon of a. conscious thought. As at any given time the brain physical state consists of a collection of electrochemical reactions (events), it can be inferred that they are collectively responsible for the conscious thought. This means that at least in part, simultaneous events are responsible for thought. In other words, thought creates a connection between simultaneous events. This is in contradiction to the consequences of special relativity, which states that the fastest connection between events is the speed of light and thus excludes the possibility of connection between simultaneous events.
Consider the memorizing of, say, the value 5. This would necessarily involve more than I point in space as, say, if it is assumed a single electron records 5 by taking a particular potential. Then it by itself cannot define (or know) 5, as its magnitude would be defined only with respect to another datum or event defined as a unit potential, thus involving at least 2 simultaneous events.
Consider the experience of vision. While we focus our attention on an object of vision, we are still aware of a background and, thus, a whole collection of events. This would mean at least an equal collection of physical events in the brain are involved.
Consciousness is 4 Dimensional
Take the experience of listening to music. It would mean being aware of what went before. Like vision, it would probably mean that while our attention at any given time is focused at that point in time, it is aware of what went before and what is to follow. In other words, it spans the time axis. Many great composers have stated that they are able to hear their whole composition. Thus their acoustic experience is probably like the average person’s visual experience. While focusing at a particular point in time of their composition, they are nevertheless aware of what went before and what is to come. The rest of the composition is like the background of a visual experience. Experiencing the composition in this way, they are able to traverse it in a similar fashion to which a painting is observed. In this sense, an average person in comparison can be seen as having tunnel hearing (like tunnel vision) when it comes to music, thus
making it very difficult for him or her to reproduce or create new music. It can be seen that consciousness is a 4-D phenomenon.
Contradiction with Special relativity
As stated previously Special relativity states that the fastest connection between events is the speed of light. This proposition excludes the possibility of connections between simultaneous events. Simultaneous events are also known as space-like separated events in special relativity. Yet from the description given above it can be seen that consciousness creates a connection between simultaneous events in the brain. The contradiction with special relativity will remain, independent of the rate of propagation of nerve impulses, provided that this rate is equal to or less than the speed of light. In order to recognise the contradiction, it is important that the reader takes note of the following: When evaluating the statements made about consciousness, it is critical that this be done in relation to one’s subjective understanding (experience) of consciousness. Every tendency to project one’s imagination of it should be avoided.
This contradiction will now be further analysed.
A Need for “Connections of Consciousness”
Simultaneous events in the brain at some time, to, can and will give rise to another set of simultaneous events at the next instant. In fact, all activity in the universe can be viewed as a set of simultaneous events at one instant, giving rise to simultaneous events at the next instant. What is different with the simultaneous events of the brain is that while it shares the common property of giving rise to simultaneous events at the next instant, it also forms part of, or is fully responsible for, consciousness in the PRESENT. It is this “Connections of Consciousness” between simultaneous events that is in contradiction to the consequences of special relativity.
Computer Technology
This same problem is inherent in any attempt to explain consciousness by way of current computer technology. Consider the case of a computer made of discrete components arranged in a synchronised circuit. Let the data transmission between components be done through wires. To say the computer is conscious is to imply a “connection of consciousness” between the multitude of simultaneous events taking place in the computer at any given time. In order not to confuse the need for “connections of consciousness” with the physical connections present, the following
thought experiment might prove useful.
Let the rate of the clock synchronising the circuit be reduced to one impulse every hour. Now at this slow rate, it would be possible to replace the wires by mechanical devices, that travel between the components. Thus, now at any given time the computer will consist of components totally separated from each other physically. This highlights the need for “connection of consciousness” between simultaneous events.
Here is another thought experiment. The inputs to each component of a conscious computer are recorded, and the computer is then dismantled and the components run through the same phases using the recorded inputs. This situation would also have to be conscious.
If the need for such connection is still not evident, then consider the following consequences.
Consider the case of this computer communicating with another. Would not assigning any sort of consciousness to the computers imply a third consciousness created by the two together? By analogy, this would also apply to two people talking to each other. They would necessarily create a third person, which is the collective consciousness of them both.
It might also help to compare the activity of this computer with the activity associated with the fall of a set of rocks down a mountain. If the computer is conscious, so will be the rocks +activity, thus the whole universe would have to be conscious.
This is in total contradiction with the subjective understanding of consciousness to be personal.
Einstein-Podolski-Rosen (EPR) Phenomenon
Einstein, on studying quantum mechanics, found it highly disturbing that it implied an instantaneous correlation between space-like separated events (Simultaneous events). He suggested the EPR experiments with the hope of falsifying quantum mechanics. If it had occurred to Einstein that he is instantaneously aware of space-like separated events , (Simultaneous events) I wonder what he would have inferred on the nature of consciousness.