| >>how well you ..[can].. craft non-trivial, novel and creative proofs From A World Appears (Michael Pollan's latest book) <https://www.amazon.com/World-Appears-Journey-into-Consciousn...> : "Creative solutions to novel problems depend on consciousness" [p77] ... "consciousness creates a space for decision-making" ... "integrated information is consciousness, full stop. The two are identical" [xxiii]. "Any physical system properly configured to integrate information is, to some degree or another, theoretically conscious" [xxii] "We are encouraged to think of the body as a support system for the brain, when, as [Antonio] Damasio reminds us, the very opposite is true" [p72] "damage to the cortex has remarkably little effect on consciousness, while small lesions in structures of the upper brainstem ... will shut down consciousness completely" [p73]. "In Damasio's view, Descartes would have been closer to the mark with I feel, therefore I am" [p69] "Mark Solms: 'Consciousness if felt uncertainty'." [p52] "Karl Friston: '...the ability to predict the consequences of one's actions'." [p49] "Arthur Reber: 'every organic being, every autopoietic cell is conscious. In the simplest sense, consciousness is an awareness of the outside world'." [p37] "Stefano Mancuso: 'This is one of the features of consciousness: You know your position in the world [discussing plants perceiving pain, being goal-driven]. A stone does not'." [p25] "Researcher at Johns Hopkins have found that a single psychedelic experience dramatically increases the likelihood that a person will attribute consciousness to other entities, both living and nonliving" [p6] [†] [•] The entire book, just like existance, has been incredibly challenging. [†] Absolutely, fullstop. See also: Pollan's (first psilocybin experience @60yo) How to Change Your Mind |