Getting There Slowly
With only a handful of opportunities so far to spend time here developing the site, I have made some progress in fine tuning my original ideas, and making choices with regard to the content. I would like to concentrate on providing at least a foundation of basic information on the subject of consciousness specifically, while opening up the individual components of my research in more general terms.
There are many elements, which, acting together, construct the complex web of cognitive functions, resulting in access to conscious awareness, manifesting ultimately as the phenomenon of human subjective experience. Any attempt to reduce consciousness to brain physiology alone must fall short of satisfactory for any thinking person.
While we depend heavily on our miraculous grey matter for providing us with the foundation and framework for gaining access to consciousness, as well as maintaining body functions and memory, the phenomenon of human consciousness is a coalition between form, function, physiology, and the ineffable. The human spirit, which animates us and gives meaning and purpose to human brain physiology, while admittedly difficult to quantify, is nonetheless an irreducible component to consciousness in my view.
I am not alone in this view, and a great many scientists, philosophers, neurologists, and spiritual leaders from many different cultures and other persuasions have concluded as I have, that consciousness cannot be explained comprehensively without including some aspect of what is generally considered inexplicable in empirical terms.
As a non-scientist who has no concerns regarding tenure at any university, nor any reason to avoid the ineffable for fear of losing grant money or stature as an educator, my open-minded approach to understanding the subject without restriction doesn’t suffer from any limitations imposed by the world at large. Conversely, whatever legitimate conclusions that I might reach through my research also do not carry much weight with those who must consider those restrictions imposed by those organizations.
For me, the achievement of comprehension should not be restricted by narrow constraints imposed by outside forces. History is replete with examples of breakthroughs in many different areas of study which either placed the initiator in jeopardy for speaking out, or resulted in disproportionate criticism for going against the social moors of the day.
I do not advocate anarchy, nor do I suppose that every old crackpot idea regarding the nature of existence warrants equal merit with more considered and judicious efforts, however, it seems completely reasonable to me that any restriction placed on research, especially in areas where there are huge gaps in our knowledge generally, can only inhibit progress.
I trust that with time and effort, I may just contribute something worthwhile to the unraveling of consciousness, and getting there slowly may just be the exact right way to do so.
John H.
John's Consciousness 