Nature of Consciousness

[Parisi & Watson]

-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Goode <goode at DPW.COM>
To: ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG
<ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG>
Date: Thursday, July 22, 1999 1:29 PM
Subject: Re: Nature of Consciousness


<snip>
>Yes this is a big issue in Western philosophy, but it can be simplified for
>our purposes by saying that in metaphysics, testing can be done by
>Gedankenexperimente, thought experiments.  Adopt a metaphysical view.  How
>do the conclusions accord with the rest of our knowledge, including
>empirical, philosophical, analytic, mathematical findings?


In the case under consideration, I don't see how it makes any difference at
all unless we resort to extremes, such as a thought experiment that extends
past my death, but in which I continue to participate. Consciousness is the
medium of all human experience, even if it has no reality or existence
beyond the functioning of our organic brains. Even under strict
materialistic assumptions, it is a circle out of which we can never break,
as you said. I'm not asking anyone to _make_ the materialistic assumptions;
I'm just pointing out that consciousness as the medium of all human
experience is not a deciding point between materialistic and other
assumptions, including Vedantic ones.

<snip>
>A good answer would be, Investigate these very things.  There is a lot of
>good support on this list for that kind of enterprise.  Take a close look!!


That's what I'm trying to do, but I have no advance limitations on the
result of the enterprise. Not to say that you do necessarily, but as I have
stated in the list before, I can't approach the issues with the idea,
"Advaita Vedanta is the truth. How can I best understand it?" This fact also
illustrates my problem with the notion of revelation, but that's another
topic...

Robert.