Of course there are many forms and degrees of consciousness. I think it is quite ironic that humans with the highest form of consciousness - self consciousness - must discover that their own "self" probably does not really exist (although it depends on what you mean with existence..). Most processes with a "self" in the word are based on some kind of feedback loop. If there is a cognitive process involved, "feedback illusions" can arise which are based on a coincidence of synchronous activities. Is the feeling that a unified "I" or a "self" exists an illusion, too? The self only an illusion of a central leader for the distributed 'society of mind' in your head, as Minsky calls it..
-J. ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
