Is the universe conscious?

Question

We know that the universe has the property that consciousness happens inside it, since we are conscious. We are part of the universe and we are conscious. So if a part of the universe is conscious, does that make the universe conscious?

Look at it this way: Your brain is conscious but your heart is not. So, since part of you is conscious, does that make YOU as a whole conscious? I think you would say yes. So is the universe conscious?

Magley: Perhaps a group of people ARE conscious. They send messages to each other just like neurons.

Gazoo: But does the universe have that illusion too?

SuperAtheist: You are right of course. What about this: The universe HAS consciousness inside it, so the universe has consciousness. Perhaps consciousness isn't something you ARE, but something you HAVE.

Ray: If you say that you are your brain chemistry only and your heart is not part of you, then that may help. Then, all of you is conscious. What if ALL of the universe is conscious?

Answer 1

Hmmmmm tough one.

The singularity before the big bang requires that everything in the universe was at one time touching one another. So if matter is eternal, which it most likely is, and was at one time all in twined, which it most likely was, then there may be something to a universal consciousness.

Of course we probably won't find out during our lifetimes, and relying on that as a belief system is very similar to believing in God, Allah or Leprechauns. So we should be careful, while exploring it.

Answer 2

Interesting. There is something wrong with this argument I think, but I can't quite put my finger on it. The thing is, a human is concious of being a human, not of being a brain. But a human is not concious of being the universe. Nor would that make sense, because a human can't control the universe and does not have senses in the universe. Then again you can't really control your heart either... you've got me stuck it seems.

edit: yes and that is exactly the step I'm not prepared to take. I would say that my conciousness is located in a part of me, and yet I'm bigger than that part. So what is the relation between all the parts of me and my conciousness? Hmm.

Answer 3

It makes part of the universe conscious. In civilizations, each mind acts like the cell of a larger social and cultural consciousness. But humans and conscious species (even assuming they existed elsewhere than earth) would only make up a very small part of the universe.


"We are a way for the universe to know itself." -Carl Sagan

Answer 4

I lean towards the concept that life and/or consciousness is the universe's way of perceiving itself.

I was thinking on this the other day.

Imagine a baby born basically in a coma. He has no touch, taste, smell, sight, or hearing. He has nothing telling him he is alive other than his own consciousness.

His universe is nothingness. All he has are his own thoughts.

And those thoughts become the only universe he will ever know. And one would presume that those thoughts would be just as real to him, as our perception of our universe is to us.

With that in mind, it is possible that we are all simply a dream that the universe is having.

Or... perhaps you and everyone else in this universe are a dream that I'M having. If so, I really need to control my dreams, because I can't believe I invented some of the idiots I see here on YA. :)

Answer 5

at first, we choose an concept of what information is, through fact it somewhat is a confusing notice and not many times nicely defined. What creatures information? no person is definite for particular, besides the undeniable fact that it somewhat is a phenomenon it somewhat is barely reported interior the recommendations, ie we in no way see a wakeful rock, computing device, domicile or planet. information is an potential to soak up sensory advice and build a psychological map with it. it truly is having an concept of the self and an concept of the type you're interacting with it. greater importantly it demands psychological and sensory organs, neither of which the universe has (being, you comprehend, only approximately totally empty area with streams of stars that would desire to no longer probably work together with one yet another in any significant thank you to deliver concerning the properties of, say, a watch or a neuron). you could no longer truly ascribe the potential to think of or be wakeful to the universe, through fact it has no longer something to think of or be wakeful with. besides the undeniable fact that, no rely if it somewhat is information, i'd wager adversarial to mankind. think of approximately what number planets are interior the universe and yet how few would be ready to helping clever us.

Answer 6

Leaves are green. Leaves are part of the universe. Therefore the universe is green.

What you have here is a combination of the 'is a type of' fallacy and the Fallacy of Composition. It's logical nonsense.

The universe is empty space with a few trace impurities. This is not a suitable material for building a conscious entity.

CD

Answer 7

~~~ M B ,,, The Universe IS Conciousness,,,,manifested into Matter. If you are asking if the universe has "Concious AWARENESS" as an Entity of it's own, then the answer is No. The universe does not have the capacity to "think". However you answered your own Q when you asked the Q of whether "part of the universe is concious" in your previous sentence when you stated that "we are part of the universe and we are concious." ~ Namaste`

Answer 8

The universe has consciousness, but when consciousness becomes CONSCIOUS, that's when awareness becomes AWARE that it is aware. Intelligence becomes INTELLIGENT. This is the basis for the study of Creative Intelligence, NOT Designer Intelligence, NOT Intelligent Design, but CREATIVE intelligence becoming intelligent, taking on form, substance and physical properties. There is no God involved.

Answer 9

I don't see that we really are. We are just chemical reactions and there isn't any magical quality there. If you can tell me how to measure consciousness, then I could give you a better answer. But I personally don't think it is much more than illusion.

Answer 10

absolutely. Atum lives and breathes as a mirror to us all. there are atoms, there are molecules, there are proteins, there are cells, there are organs, there are organ systems, there are integrated organ systems, and there are bodies. what would make you think it ends there?
there are groups of bodies which act as one (think ants, bees, wolves in packs, and villages of humans). there are groups of groups which act together so sustain themselves like ecosystems. the world itself if a large ecosystem with a living breathing magnetic field and atmosphere. the solarsystem is just an extension of this ecosystem. local group... galaxy.... galaxy cluster.... etc... UNIVERSE. its all the same, and its all ALIVE. every bit of it from the atom to the whole is aware of itself, yet unaware of the perspective of anything other than itself. infact, the only thing which is truely concsious of EVERYTHING is EVERYTHING!!!! if you could see with out your eyes, you would know