Robert Ornstein: The Evolution of Consciousness (excerpt) - Thinking Allowed DVD w/ Jeffrey Mishlove

NOTE: This is an excerpt from a 30-minute DVD.
http://www.thinkingallowed.com/2rornstein.html

Consciousness is the ability of the mind to reflect upon its own experience. Robert Ornstein, Ph.D., author of nineteen books, suggests that the mind is composed of many subroutines that he refers to as a "squadron of simpletons." Self-awareness requires orcherstrating these "simpletons" to work as a team.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Robert Ornstein
• consciousness
• evolution
• mind
• self

[fntime]

@whitelotuswithsnake By disposition I'd like to agree with you, but we are

the groups and the groups are us.

It seems as though most wisdom schools try to make you realize the

connection of the you with the group and all of this creation.

Are the cells of the body individuals or are they part of me.

I guess M-Theory is consistent with this belief, all is connected

in a continuous membrane.

[fntime]

Where is the location of the mind?

I'm of the opinion the brain performs servo functions of the body,

and is also receiver or receptor of outside thoughts.

Are we avatars, our mind being located outside of us?

Not asking rhetorically, interested in thoughts of others who

are watching this video.

Thank you for any informed input or reasonable opinion.

[RipTheJackR]

@blakemoon123

spot on, like body/mind so do individual/group divide give us meaningless problems. I'll venture a guess that our sociocultural impressions of that imagined duality is a diversion we don't need in our attempt to understand our nervous sytem.

[blakemoon123]

@whitelotuswithsnake

whitelotuswithsnake,

I think you are making a false dichotomy. We are individuals but our individuality is formed and maintained within society. Our psychological self is a combination of our genetic inheritance, culture and all of our interactions with nature. Good ol' Nature and Nurture-about a 50/50 mix. Individuals matter and so do groups: in fact they are indisivible.

[whitelotuswithsnake]

This is so sad. Collectisism run amok! The individual is all that matters. Groups are an illusion.