Does it help to have the answers "out there"(see details)?

Question

In the movie 'Waking Life', a character talks about a study that found a random group performed significantly better on day-old New York Times crossword puzzles (people were secluded so they didn't see them personally) than on brand-new ones, which suggests that once hundreds of people have done a crossword puzzle, it becomes easier for others, because the knowledge is "out there" in our collective mind.
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The Question: Do you feel we have a collective consciousness that works together on a level that's unconscious to the individual? Thoughts, opinions, experiences...?
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DISCLAIMER: I'm not finding anything that shows this study occurred. It may have just been part of the movie. I'm asking the question here because I think it's a really intriguing idea, and wondering what your thoughts are. :)

Answer 1

Ever thought of a great idea for a new product, not acted upon it and then a year, two years, or less, someone else comes out with that almost exact product?
I've heard theories, and give them weight (in my book) that thought is a form of energy, and energy can not be destroyed. Yet can it be created? or has it always existed- our minds having the ability to unlock any energy's secret, or bend it to mold new ones?
I do believe in the collective subconscious, and I worry that the current state of our world, the turmoils faced globally are a direct result of our stress, worry, and negativity.
Still it's hard to be positive when bombarded with the horrors of man continuing to wage war upon his fellows.

I'm not breaking out the beads, or wearing a flower halo on my head... I do wish however, that there was more time spent on positive thoughts, proactive activities, people caring for each other. And because of this new bend in acts and thoughts- globally people feel better and the effects expand and grow bigger.
Will start small.
Will start with myself.
Will hug and kiss and love and smile, and when not doing that I'll learn... about new things, about new people, about new ideas, and even about old things-people-ideas.....

It does help to know the answers are out there, now if I could just get my radio tuner to bring in the channels a little clearer...

Answer 2

Yeah, Sheldrake. Very interesting person. It isn't just humans though.

He also conjectured that once you could get a compound to crystalize anywhere, you could do it easier anywhere else.

He believes there is a collective consciousness for matter, not just humans.

Frankly I think it is a fascinating subject. It means that memory, and maybe even your soul, are not actually stored in your physical body, they are out of 3 dimentional space.

When you lose memory, it is not because it does not exist anymore, it is because your mind, which acts like a radio receiver, is defective.

It also makes a good argument for past and future memories.

Interesting guy, and interesting ideas.

Good question by the way.

-Dio

Answer 3

First of all, 'Waking Life' was a very underrated film. It was thoughtful, intelligent and "filmed" in a very unique and original style (I consider it one of Richard Linklater's best).

As for the concept of a collective subconscious, I have serious doubts as to its viability. Fascinating, even intriguing, though it is, I've yet to see any empirical evidence any such phenomenon actually exists.

Speaking for myself, I tend to focus on individuality. I am fiercely independent in my thinking and refuse to belong to any political, religious or other affiliation. While I do feel connected to my fellow man, I do not think it takes the form of shared thoughts or even real understanding.

I find it difficult to believe that there is such a thing as a collective mind. If anything, we humans seem more divided and incapable of relating to one another than at any point in history. Collectivism is a social ideal, not a reality. And in the interests of individual thought and expression, I think it's better that way.

Nice question, though. Thinking is always good. :)

Answer 4

proof or no proof, it is a fascinating topic to consider. (i think your example illustrates the question perfectly, by the way.)

how reassuring (or not?) to think that all the knowledge ever acquired by any human anywhere is stored somewhere, if only we (you or i) could access it. it makes the arguments over copyrights and research documentation seem downright insignificant, doesn't it? many of our legends and stories handed down throughout the generations are cross-cultural: the creation myth, for one example. are we hard-wired to have these thoughts in our collective mind? what other "things" might we already know if only we were able to access them? someone's already built the pyramids... has cancer been cured already? is there room for individuality in a collective mind? just thinking out loud...

on the flip side, then: is there anything new under the sun, or is humanity one huge rerun?

Answer 5

"baldpriness" just obviously doesn't understand the question because it is too complicated for HER to understand so she feels like she should insult YOUR intelligence since hers in inadequate.

I do not think your question is "too complicated" and I do think that you provided all the information that you felt was necessary. This is a very good question and I think that it is very possible that we have a collective consiousness that works together on a level that is unaware to ourselves. It'd mind boggling to consider, really.

Answer 6

The collective SUBconscious was discussed by Jung and popularized by Rupert Sheldrake (that probably rings a bell ;-)
There's tons on info on the web but no hard proof.

Answer 7

You should read "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins. He discusses this topic as the meme.

Answer 8

Next time, don't make your questions so complicated, just have enough information.

'Complicated' and 'enough information' are two very different things.

If you had enough information that was well written and understandable, I would have answered the question... hopefully in the same way.