I've had Skeptico bookmarked for a month and I would drop in, read, and listen, but casually. Last week I started listening to at least 2 sometimes 4 or 5 interviews a day. I didn't listen to all of them, but I think I've caught up enough to understand Alex's direction and his singular overriding question; "What is consciousness?".
It's approached from different angles; NDEs, OBEs, psi, etc..., but consciousness is the main component and structure that is the framework all is built upon. So, as usual, I would listen to the interviews and multitask random net searches based on the topic being discussed and any branching ideas or related research. I came across an image comparison I've contemplated several times before and now that I'm a member I'll ask a question of what not only appears to be a logical and rational forum, but a fair mind one;
Is this really just a coincidence?
One of the deciding factors that motivated me to join this forum was Alex's perspective on "God". It seems one not based on any religion or any predetermined world view and using the label "God" really isn't the concept Alex, and I'm guessing here of course, is trying to convey, but uses it because it's a common term. Creator or Cosmic Consciousness seems more appropriate and what I'd use, but IMO, all are still lacking when describing infinities.
I was raised completely secular and void of any religion, aside from the handful of times I attended a Baptist church with my grandparents my preteen years I saw once a year. Science was my guide and Carl Sagan was my hero. I read "Cosmos" twice when I was 10 or 11, before I saw the series. I even met Carl at a symposium. But, since then, I've read, studied, and researched my thoughts far beyond the taboo boundaries subjectively set by academic science and, more importantly, I have experienced several unexplainable phenomena that would give a pathological skeptic or skeptopath, a.k.a. debunker, hysterical frothing at the mouth hand-waving fits.
I intuitively feel there is something more. Feelings are of course subjective as well and what this something is, I have no clue and wouldn't even pretend to know, but when I see and study the image above overlayed with how science and life has defined my reality, IMO, I believe I'm looking at consciousness.
But, I'd really like to know what everyone else thinks. And I really hope this particular image and topic has not been discussed or debated already, if so, I apologize.
Matt
It's approached from different angles; NDEs, OBEs, psi, etc..., but consciousness is the main component and structure that is the framework all is built upon. So, as usual, I would listen to the interviews and multitask random net searches based on the topic being discussed and any branching ideas or related research. I came across an image comparison I've contemplated several times before and now that I'm a member I'll ask a question of what not only appears to be a logical and rational forum, but a fair mind one;

Is this really just a coincidence?
One of the deciding factors that motivated me to join this forum was Alex's perspective on "God". It seems one not based on any religion or any predetermined world view and using the label "God" really isn't the concept Alex, and I'm guessing here of course, is trying to convey, but uses it because it's a common term. Creator or Cosmic Consciousness seems more appropriate and what I'd use, but IMO, all are still lacking when describing infinities.
I was raised completely secular and void of any religion, aside from the handful of times I attended a Baptist church with my grandparents my preteen years I saw once a year. Science was my guide and Carl Sagan was my hero. I read "Cosmos" twice when I was 10 or 11, before I saw the series. I even met Carl at a symposium. But, since then, I've read, studied, and researched my thoughts far beyond the taboo boundaries subjectively set by academic science and, more importantly, I have experienced several unexplainable phenomena that would give a pathological skeptic or skeptopath, a.k.a. debunker, hysterical frothing at the mouth hand-waving fits.
I intuitively feel there is something more. Feelings are of course subjective as well and what this something is, I have no clue and wouldn't even pretend to know, but when I see and study the image above overlayed with how science and life has defined my reality, IMO, I believe I'm looking at consciousness.
But, I'd really like to know what everyone else thinks. And I really hope this particular image and topic has not been discussed or debated already, if so, I apologize.
Matt
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