In the introduction is a proposal/suggestion that "every neuron has at least some form of sentience."
The author describes this word "sentience" as a more primitive (primary, basic, ancestral) kind of consciousness. Something that has:
"simultaneous access to many elements of information in defined inter-relationships, i.e. access to a pattern"
"in which the accessible pattern includes a useful map of some other 'outer' environment, normally the outside of a human being, with a sense of time and, in its fullest form, adult consciousness, a sense of self"
..which seems like a range/spectrum from sentient to fully conscious.
With such a definition, a cell could be considered "sentient", and organisms from molds, plants, animals to humans all demonstrate higher sentience.. I wonder how low it can go: since patterns and relationships are mentioned, could a standing wave be considered to have a low level of "sentience"?
Sure, everything has zero-sentience. Zero-sentience correctly reflects the lack of a sense of itself. Some structures have other levels of sentience in addition to zero-sentience.
In the introduction is a proposal/suggestion that "every neuron has at least some form of sentience."
The author describes this word "sentience" as a more primitive (primary, basic, ancestral) kind of consciousness. Something that has:
"simultaneous access to many elements of information in defined inter-relationships, i.e. access to a pattern"
"in which the accessible pattern includes a useful map of some other 'outer' environment, normally the outside of a human being, with a sense of time and, in its fullest form, adult consciousness, a sense of self"
..which seems like a range/spectrum from sentient to fully conscious.
With such a definition, a cell could be considered "sentient", and organisms from molds, plants, animals to humans all demonstrate higher sentience.. I wonder how low it can go: since patterns and relationships are mentioned, could a standing wave be considered to have a low level of "sentience"?