Where does consciousness come from?.
When your mind and heart are truly open abundance will flow to you effortlessly and easily.
Question:
I recently read your book, ‘The Future of God’. I was thinking about consciousness the other night, and arrived upon a question – If we humans are the only creatures that can be self-aware, would that not support the idea that consciousness stems from an advanced and evolved brain?
Because our brains are so much more advanced than other creatures, it would make sense that the most advanced species is also the most self-aware.
Response:
It’s not clear whether we are the only species that can be self-aware, but even if we accept that premise, I don’t see how that implies consciousness is derived from an evolved brain.
All animals have some form of consciousness, and many species have highly evolved brains even if they may not have what we experience as self-awareness.
But more generally, my position is that consciousness is the origin of the body and brain.
Our mind uses our brain.
This is the exact opposite of the physicalist position that says the mind is nothing but the brain.
That point of view says we have no free will, no mind, no sense of identity, creativity, or love.
That all our human experience is explained by the random firing of neurons and the physical properties of chemicals.
I believe, like all the ancient wisdom traditions of the world, that consciousness is primary and is the precondition for all physical experience.
Love,
Deepak
