mikwut wrote:Hello DrW.
Do you believe that the laws of physics, as humankind presently conceives, mathematically describes, agrees upon, and verifies them, can be used to understand, predict and to some extent manipulate the universe, whether the universe is physical, due solely to consciousness, or is simulated or exists only through the attributes of some higher (universal) consciousness?
YES / NO
Yes. I don't believe there is present hegemonic understanding or interpretation of all the laws of physics.
2. Do you believe in a personal God who hears and answers prayers, punishes and/or rewards individual humans, and interacts directly in other ways, including by supernatural means, with humankind?
YES / NO
I believe in a personal God. I am an idealist and it seems the simplest implication of a mind that creates demonstrates intent which is a personal quality. Our own experience of mind which is fundamental in an idealist framework denotes personhood which derives from the fundamental mental fabric of reality. I don't believe in hell and interaction would take quite a long time but briefly of course it interacts we are conscious and consciousness is the fundamental basic of reality - we are interacting every minute.
3. Do you believe that humans have the capacity to alter or control reality, as perceived by third parties, by force of mind alone?
YES / NO
I conceived by mind a lone a law practice when I graduated from law school. I altered reality by making that mindful conception a reality which is perceived by third parties. In fact everything in my life is the same. Are you referring to ESP or something?
4. If you believe that universe we perceive only exists when being consciously observed, how would you explain this reality to someone totally unfamiliar with the concept?
PLEASE DESCRIBE
I would start with color. It is an obvious and important feature of experiencing objects. But we know that color is just a product of our brain which has been stimulated by wavelengths of light not an actual physical reality "out there" when we are so perceiving. Consciousness perceives color but without the consciousness process in our minds there is no color. Sounds, like colors, are the same just as smells, tastes or sensations. Things do not smell like, taste like or feel like anything, when nobody is smelling, tasting or feeling them. What is left?
ETA: I was very happy for you regarding your mother. I would be very grateful for one of my parents to be so enlightened. Best to you respecting that.
mikwut
mikwut,
Thank you for thoughtful responses to the 4 questions. From the response immediately below, I take it that you are not very confident that the laws of physics apply throughout the observable universe.
mikwut' wrote:Yes. I don't believe there is present hegemonic understanding or interpretation of all the laws of physics.
What about within our solar system?
Your response to Question 2 is fair enough. You seem to see and think about things in terms of metaphysics (instead of physics). I would be interested in any objective evidence you have or use to support (universal?) consciousness to personal consciousness interaction you seem to be describing.
Your response to Question 3 doesn't reflect the phenomena that I had in mind by asking it, but perhaps the question was poorly worded. I had so-called psychic abilities such as spoon bending and the ability to repeatedly pick winning lottery numbers in mind.
To your response I would note that making a plan for a career and then successfully executing that plan does not require, nor is it a demonstration of, a universal consciousness. People were able to do this back when the world was still physical.
DrW wrote: 4. If you believe that universe we perceive only exists when being consciously observed, how would you explain this reality to someone totally unfamiliar with the concept?
PLEASE DESCRIBE
mikwut wrote:I would start with color. It is an obvious and important feature of experiencing objects. But we know that color is just a product of our brain which has been stimulated by wavelengths of light not an actual physical reality "out there" when we are so perceiving. Consciousness perceives color but without the consciousness process in our minds there is no color. Sounds, like colors, are the same just as smells, tastes or sensations. Things do not smell like, taste like or feel like anything, when nobody is smelling, tasting or feeling them. What is left?
Your response to Q4 is a good analogy. It would seem that you have spent a lot of time thinking about the metaphysics of idealism and (universal?) consciousness.
However, it is only an analogy and the reality you describe could just as well arise under the assumption that the mind emerges from the material brain.
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Finally, there is one issue that I saw as a weakness in the documentary. It seemed to me there was the implication that, since entanglement and other quantum phenomenon have been demonstrated with multi-atomic "particles", or particle ensembles, that these phenomenon might not be limited to the domain of small dimensions, low temperatures, etc.
The documentary did not address thermal de-coherence, which severely limits the observation of QM behaviors such as entanglement / non-locality in systems at the human dimensional scale and in human thermal environments.
My final two question to you, and other idealists on the board, would be this:
1. If there is what I will call a "universal consciousness" as described by you (mikwut), for example, what are the practical implications in terms of physical science and engineering, social sciences, and for humankind in general?
2. What new phenomena or "laws of nature" (if any) might we expect to emerge as a result of this universal consciousness worldview?
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ETA: There have been experimental observations that were accurately predicted by, and consistent with, the holographic universe model that was described in the documentary.
So there is that.
