Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal: Consciousness? Science and Buddhism

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Consciousness? Science and Buddhism

Ross Andersen (The Atlantic, 9/30/23); Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Does the EYE know-and-see, or is it the brain, the heart, the hologram, the neuron, the network? Let's ask Alex Grey, maker of sacred art that must have more DMT in his brain than others.

For years now, Dr. Hakwan Lau has suffered from an inner torment. Dr. Lau is a neuroscientist who studies the sense of awareness that all of us experience during our every waking moment.

Hard problem of consciousness
Neuroscience in Buddhism
The Buddha defined "consciousness" 26 centuries ago and elaborated it in exquisite detail (Abhidhamma), while giving a means for practitioners to personally verify the reality of what he was describing so that no teacher or authority is necessary to know that it is true
"Mind-base" (manā-āyatana) is a collective term for all the different states of consciousness
What are the "functions of consciousness" (viññāna)?
Consciousness is disappointing as it is a synonym of "awareness" -- and there are six kinds: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind
The Teaching is in the "Dharma in Ultimate Terms" (Abhidharma), which elaborates all mental states, the most important of these being the Five Aggregates clung to as SELF (atta)

Illustration by Ben Kothe (The Atlantic)

How this awareness arises from ordinary matter is an ancient mystery. Several scientific theories purport to explain it, and Dr. Lau feels that one of them, called "integrated information theory" (IIT), has received a disproportionate amount of media attention.

He’s annoyed that its proponents tout it as the dominant theory in the press. He’s disturbed by their apparent affinity with New Age figures, such as Dr. Deepak Chopra. Worst of all, he complains, the theory doesn’t even rise to the level of “science.”

I'm aware of you, Princess. - I know, Robot. I can feel your awareness meter (Star Wars).

IIT was first formulated by Dr. Giulio Tononi in 2004. It’s meant to quantify the consciousness that exists in any system, based on the total information that is brought together by its constituent parts.

Other theories of consciousness tell more of a general story about how the brain generates consciousness; IIT gives it a mathematical expression.

I think; therefore, I beep. (Smoke detected!)

Controversially, IIT also suggests that there is consciousness in systems that we wouldn’t usually think of as being "aware," including [smoke detectors?] photodiodes and thermostats.

Dr. Anil Seth, a neuroscientist who is not himself opposed to IIT, nonetheless described it to me as “kind of a bonkers theory.”

Einstein Questions, Buddha Answers

Dr. Lau has expressed his many concerns to colleagues at conferences, in the hallways between sessions and afterward over drinks at the bar.

Many of them have been sympathetic, he told me, and share his fear that their whole field would be a laughingstock if a theory that deems smoke alarms conscious [Yes!] were to be taken as its public face.

Dr. Lau also worries that naive students could be deluded into thinking that the theory is stronger — or perhaps less bonkers — than it really is.

This summer, Dr. Lau set about convincing his colleagues that they should express their contempt for IIT as a group, in print. He succeeded: On Sept. 16, more than 100 of them released an open letter. [Stupid kids, children, catty teens.]

Within 24 hours, a full-blown BRAWL had broken out on social media. [Then Tau grabbed the device the group was using and announced, "Screw you guys, I'm going home," so they couldn't play anymore without him. Or was that Cartman?] More