Whose Consciousness? 14
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We
humans, and perhaps animals, have an individual consciousness. Because
consciousness is an individual experience, which human literature has raged about for
centuries as to just what it is.
In this fable of Hummy and BillyG we are going to sail past that rocky shoreline and into the blue of a more navigable ocean called the consciousness of Mother Nature.
For our story we are going to assume that awareness and consciousness are inseparable. We are also going to hear what some of the first readers of our fable offer about animal vs human consciousness.
In this fable of Hummy and BillyG we are going to sail past that rocky shoreline and into the blue of a more navigable ocean called the consciousness of Mother Nature.
For our story we are going to assume that awareness and consciousness are inseparable. We are also going to hear what some of the first readers of our fable offer about animal vs human consciousness.
I, here, offer a theory which may only serve
to complicate the matter but is stuck in my craw. I believe that we carry the
consciousness of all our past generations within our genes. Yes, we do feel the
guilt and shame of Adam and Eve, our grandparents, and thousands of preceding
generations as well.
Here, the advantage goes to the animals and our small band of Dominican animals who have survived Irma and then Maria. They, fortunately for us humans, are not saddled with guilt and shame of the past. We should not forget that the human race has sustained triumphs while suffering horrendous losses.
Here, the advantage goes to the animals and our small band of Dominican animals who have survived Irma and then Maria. They, fortunately for us humans, are not saddled with guilt and shame of the past. We should not forget that the human race has sustained triumphs while suffering horrendous losses.
Three of our readers offer astute
intelligence about animals in relation to people.
(from
Joe R) I am not sure why animals are more in tune with nature and physics than
humans. My squirrels knew the storm (Maria) was coming, so 7 days before it got
here they started stock and feathering winter nest above the back porch. I knew
immediately what they were doing…. they looked to be fed but preferred not to
take food from my hand. They called when a cat was in the yard or hawks are in
the area. I threw rocks at the cats and they left, then the squirrels sounded the
all clear……………So, somehow, we must breakaway and follow our inmost being, calling
us to the inner room as well as to nature and animals.
(from
Martina S) I like your blog about consciousness and the topics you address; the
importance of being connected to nature, our pace, the animals communicating
using humor to shed light on very serious and important messages.
Consciousness, to me, is very different from person to person. Some very
successful people, who function well in the world, are not conscious. I believe
some people have a natural awareness and others do fine without it. I think
consciousness can be trained, like a muscle, and gets stronger when used. I think
also, there is a great collective consciousness we can all tap into; that which is useful and nurturing for humanity, nature; and life
evolves and survives in order to give us a wakefulness and mindful experience.
(from
Mike S) Consciousness is, by definition, exclusively a human trait because we
say it is, i.e. because of language. But one thing I have noticed over the
years is that we keep having to narrow the gap between human consciousness and
animal instinct. A lot of this human perceived differentiation expressed in
language is hokum and leads to all sorts of mischief as well as
self-realization. I agree with Joe R that animals are more in tune with nature
and physics than are humans. I think it is because homo sapiens,
having language, writing, and technology to transfer or share knowledge dulls
our innate awareness of natural phenomena. The
dog whisperer, Milan, has shown that dogs, in addition to having
a superior awareness of smell, have a superior sense of their “pack leader’s
emotional state as compared with the average educated human. My point is that
the idea of human “consciousness” is a human invention that is exclusively
relevant only to humans who have been conditioned to understand the concept of
“consciousness” as a human trait.
My big question is: What is it in human (homo sapiens) consciousness that results in our universal compulsion to invent or embrace superstition/tribalism/myth/religion which arise in every civilization of homo sapiens that we know of so far? Is this another way to express the theory (idea) that “we carry the consciousness of all our past generations within our genes?” Is this what Dean Hamer postulated as the God gene? If so, I am very skeptical of this theory.
My big question is: What is it in human (homo sapiens) consciousness that results in our universal compulsion to invent or embrace superstition/tribalism/myth/religion which arise in every civilization of homo sapiens that we know of so far? Is this another way to express the theory (idea) that “we carry the consciousness of all our past generations within our genes?” Is this what Dean Hamer postulated as the God gene? If so, I am very skeptical of this theory.
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"We have a full plate to consider, " hummed Hummy.
"Let’s get on with it."
suggested reading; Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed, by Marc Bekoff, New World 2013
