What is Consciousness (part 1)

What is Consciousness?

In simple terms, consciousness is the awakened state through which you can perceive your existence in this material world, experience the events happening around you, and respond with various actions and reactions.

This explanation may seem straightforward to many, right? But is consciousness truly as simple as it appears? How deep does its mystery run? Let’s dive into this enigma.

Understanding Consciousness with an Example

To better understand consciousness, let’s consider an example:

Imagine pinching a doll, tickling it, or pricking it with a needle. After doing all this, does the doll react in any way? Of course not! (Note: Don’t compare it to an animated doll). No matter what you do to the doll—pinching or pricking—it won’t respond. It won’t hit you back or scream.

Now, if you perform the same actions on a human child, what do you think will happen? Certainly not the same reaction as the doll! If you pinch a child like the doll, they will scream or cry. If you tickle them, they will laugh, and if you prick them, they might hit you back.

The Difference Between the Doll and the Child

Observe these two scenarios closely. Did you notice something significant? In response to pinching or pricking, the human child exhibits various reactions, like laughter, crying, or attempts to retaliate. In contrast, the doll shows no reaction whatsoever. But why is this the case?

Life vs. Consciousness

If you ask someone about this, they might simply say that the child reacts because they are alive and can feel pain, while the doll lacks life, sensation, and defensive capabilities. This explanation may seem sufficient to many, but it does not entirely clarify the mystery. To make this response scientifically valid, we can say that the doll lacks consciousness, which is why it cannot exhibit different reactions to events. On the other hand, the human child possesses consciousness, allowing them to respond to what happens to them.

Questions About the Nature of Consciousness

From this discussion, we can understand at least a little about what consciousness is. The explanation might seem straightforward to many, but now that we have some grasp of consciousness, several questions arise:

Where does this special quality of consciousness come from?

How does it originate?

The Complexity of Consciousness

When these questions are added to the concept of consciousness, it no longer seems simple to us. It appears to be like a mystery wrapped in an enigma, whose boundaries are hard to define. You may wonder if consciousness is truly that mysterious. In reality, it is even more enigmatic than you think.

Why is Consciousness So Mysterious?

At first glance, the doll and the human child are made from entirely different materials. A doll is created from fabric, cotton, plastic, and other simple materials, while a human child is composed of trillions of cells, muscle tissue, bones, marrow, keratin, etc. But are the doll and the human child really made from entirely different materials, or is it something else entirely? To find out, we need to explore the structural levels of both the doll and the human child and see what results we obtain.

The Fundamental Building Blocks: Doll vs. Human

If we continuously divide the doll, we will eventually reach molecules. Further dividing molecules gives us atoms, and splitting atoms yields three fundamental particles: electrons, protons, and neutrons. Breaking protons and neutrons down leads us to quarks, which are the smallest elementary particles, while electrons are themselves elementary particles. (We won’t delve into the realm of strings here.)

Similarly, if we continuously divide the human child, we will also reach the same elements that make up the doll: molecules → atoms → electrons → protons → neutrons → quarks. In other words, at the most fundamental level of structure, we find the same elements in both the doll and the human child.

Consciousness and Material Composition

Everything around us, visible in the universe, is composed of these same elements. Yet, strangely, one has the property of consciousness while the other does not! Think about how deep and mysterious consciousness is!

If we observe our surroundings closely, we can see this special quality of consciousness displayed in varying degrees across different entities.

Varying Levels of Consciousness

For example, consider humans. Humans are the most intelligent creatures in this world, exhibiting a capacity for action and reaction far superior to any other living beings. Their emotions, feelings, generosity, compassion, friendship, anger, hatred, aggression, and cruelty are all more pronounced than in any other animals.

On the other hand, chimpanzees exhibit a lesser capacity for action and reaction compared to humans, showing fewer emotions, generosity, and feelings. Likewise, a fox’s capacity is much lower than that of a chimpanzee, and a bird shows even less than a fox.

The Gradation of Consciousness in Living Beings

In this way, the reaction capacity of an ant is significantly lower than that of a bird, and a bacterium’s reaction capacity is even less than that of an ant.

Now, the question arises: does consciousness deplete progressively from higher to lower levels? Or is consciousness a fundamental property of the universe that exists within everything?

Is Consciousness a Fundamental Property?

If consciousness is a fundamental property of the universe, shouldn’t it be present in all entities? Why is it that one possesses this special quality while the other does not?

The answer to this question might be that we mistakenly believe those without consciousness do not possess this quality. Perhaps trees also have a form of consciousness, albeit in a very subtle manner. They may react to various stimuli, but we are unable to perceive or observe this.

Consciousness and Subatomic Particles

Is consciousness a fundamental property of particles that exists in varying degrees within them, allowing different combinations to create various conscious beings? Just as many specific parts are connected to form a functional circuit?

But do electrons and quarks actually behave like living beings, possessing consciousness as a fundamental property? Do they interact in ways similar to how we do, such as exchanging thoughts and reacting to events?

The Role of Quantum Physics in Understanding Consciousness

To answer these questions, we must venture into the subatomic realm and understand how fundamental particles behave.

You’ll be astonished to discover that the events in the subatomic realm differ entirely from those in our visible world. The phenomena we consider supernatural in the visible world are commonplace in the subatomic realm.

Quantum Entanglement and the Mystery of Consciousness

Let’s explore how the fundamental particles that constitute everything in the visible universe behave. Do they communicate with one another? Do they exhibit any actions or reactions?

To understand the subatomic world better, we turn to quantum physics.

One of the two unresolved problems in quantum physics is Quantum Entanglement, and the other is the Measurement Problem arising from the Double-Slit Experiment. Through these two topics, we observe the peculiar behaviors of fundamental particles in the subatomic realm, leading us to believe that fundamental particles might indeed be sentient beings in their own right.

Let’s first talk about the double-slit experiment:

The double-slit experiment was the first to reveal that light exhibits both wave and particle properties. Out of curiosity, when scientists conducted this experiment with electrons, they were astonished because the results obtained were genuinely bizarre and unbelievable, shaking the scientific community!

In the double-slit experiment, interference patterns are observed with electrons as well (which indicated the wave nature of light). Scientists were left in shock because the electron, which we had only regarded as a particle until then, was now behaving like a wave! What a strange phenomenon!

The Mystery of Observation in the Double-Slit Experiment

Another bizarre aspect was observed with electrons. When a detector is used to observe the electrons during the double-slit experiment, the electrons do not behave like waves; instead, they exhibit their particle-like properties. However, if electrons are not observed during the double-slit experiment, they behave like waves once again. This strange behavior of electrons gives rise to a complex mystery! That is, when an electron is being observed or attempted to be observed, it behaves like a particle, and when it is not being observed, it behaves like a wave.

The Uncertainty of Electron Location

In an atom, we can only provide the probability of where the electron will be positioned in the orbitals surrounding the nucleus! This is because we are discussing the probability of finding the electron in all locations simultaneously at a given time. However, when an attempt is made to observe or measure where the electron is, we find the electron in a specific location. But when we do not attempt to observe or measure where the electron is, it exists as a wave throughout all locations!

Heisenberg and Bohr’s Copenhagen Interpretation

Why can’t we definitively say where the electron is located? The most widely accepted explanation for this problem was provided by Heisenberg and Niels Bohr. This explanation is called the Copenhagen interpretation. According to this interpretation, as long as we do not try to see where the electron is, the electron will be present at all locations simultaneously. However, as soon as we attempt to observe where the electron is, we will find it in a specific location. This strange behavior of electrons may give the impression that electrons are living entities with their own consciousness, always alert and reactive in their world. This behavior of electrons is reminiscent of the game of tag played by children, isn’t it? (And this applies not only to electrons but to all fundamental particles.)

Now Let’s Turn to the Topic of Quantum Entanglement

When two particles are produced or interact with each other in such a way that the quantum state of one particle cannot be described independently of the other particle, their quantum states must be described together. That is, an entangled pair of particles cannot be described with respect to any common particle; instead, they must be described with respect to each other. This state remains intact even when the particles are located at large distances from each other. In other words, the distance does not matter in the case of entangled particles. For instance, if one entangled particle is located in the GN-Z13 galaxy and the other is in the Milky Way galaxy, their connection persists.

The Strange Behavior of Entangled Particles

When measuring the position, momentum, and spin of two entangled particles, it is observed that they are related to each other. For example, if two entangled particles are produced in such a way that their total spin is zero, then if the spin of one particle is clockwise, the spin of the other particle will be counterclockwise. Imagine you have two electrons, and they are entangled with each other. If you leave one electron in Greenland and keep the other with you, and the spin of the electron you have is up, you can be sure that the spin of the electron you left in Greenland will be down. Conversely, if you somehow make the spin of the electron you have down, then the electron left in Greenland will certainly have an up spin. This reaction of electrons makes it seem like an electron is a living entity that is always connected to another electron and instantaneously communicates what happens to it.

The Synchronization of Spin in Entangled Particles

According to quantum physics, if two particles are entangled, they maintain a wave-like synchronization even if they are separated by vast distances. If two electrons are separated by millions of light-years, the invisible Schrödinger’s wave still connects them. Whatever happens to one entangled electron is instantaneously communicated to the other entangled electron.

According to Michio Kaku, what happens to one particle reacts to another particle. This means that what happens to me creates a reaction somewhere in the universe, which is 93 billion light-years in diameter. The behavior of two entangled particles suggests that there is no existence of distance or time in the exchange of information and communication between them.

The Biggest Question: Is Consciousness a Fundamental Property of the Universe?

If consciousness is a fundamental property of the universe, then every object in the universe (from the subatomic level to vast galaxies) has consciousness. If every object in the universe possesses consciousness, it can be said that the entire universe itself is a conscious living organism.

One might wonder why the universe is so mysterious to us if it is indeed a completely conscious living entity. Why can’t we comprehend the universe? The answer lies in our “smallness.”

A Small Example of Our Limited Perspective

Let’s take the body of a living creature. A living creature’s body contains trillions of cells, countless microorganisms, parasites, viruses, bacteria, etc. The microorganisms, viruses, and bacteria in a creature’s body are constantly awake and active in their own world. Let’s think about a virus in particular. A virus sees countless tiny particles around it, some of which are like itself, while most are non-living and inactive. It might feel that the vast world around it is lifeless, colorless, and silent! But the truth is that it has no idea that it is merely a tiny part of a vast conscious living being. It may think that the enormous world in which it resides is entirely lifeless, just like we think! We think that this universe is perhaps lifeless, devoid of any consciousness, a vast dead space. But in reality, our consciousness is like a microorganism in comparison to this universe, which is why the universe seems so mysterious to us.

Why is Human Consciousness So Advanced?

Now, if you were to ask who the most conscious being in this world is, your natural answer would be “human beings,” because humans are currently the most conscious entities discovered in this world. They possess emotions, the ability to react to stimuli, intellect, imagination, decision-making capabilities, etc., far superior to all other living beings in the material world.

The Theory of Evolution and Consciousness

However, the question arises as to why human consciousness is so advanced, while many other beings do not have such developed consciousness. In response, many might draw parallels to the theory of evolution, stating that humans have developed advanced consciousness through evolution. Humans have gradually evolved into such advanced conscious beings through adapting to various environments and gaining diverse experiences. But is it really true that humans have gained such advanced consciousness through evolution? I do not think so because if humans have attained such advanced consciousness through evolution, then why are the chimpanzees, who share many similarities with us, not as advanced in consciousness? After all, their emergence is quite contemporaneous with ours, so why are they not as intellectually developed and conscious as we are? My belief is that it is the human brain that is uniquely structured to evolve into a highly conscious being. No other creature’s brain is designed in such a way! So, is there a specific purpose behind making humans such highly conscious beings? Many believe that everything happening around us, everything that has occurred since the beginning of the universe’s creation, everything happening now, and everything that will happen in the future has happened, is happening, or will happen without any reason or purpose.