Philosophy Now Forum

Is Consciousness Memory?

Yes, of course it is!

Since all that which we are aware/conscious of, are of PAST events, then consciousness can only be MEMORY.

That which we experience in the ‘present’ moment is actually a ‘past’ event. Much like viewing the sun at sunset. What we see is 8 minutes old. The sun has actually receded behind the mountains, though we just ‘now’ experience it. Not only is there a transmission time lag associated with the light wave transmission from the event to our eyes, but also sensory and neural processing time lags as well; this is the processing time to convert light waves received at our eyes (sensory input) to a meaningful image that we then become consciously aware of. There is always an unavoidable time lag, even if by only milliseconds.

So in short -- that which we are conscious of has already happened. Consciousness can only be memory, …the present memory of past events.

Consciousness ≡ the faculty to remotely recognize the ambient environment.

Memory is required to be used while the recognition process is happening, so you are right that we are only ever conscious of the slight past. But I wouldn't say that consciousness IS memory or that it IS history.

.



Memory is a mixture of intellect, movement, & emotion that has been etched upon us.


Consciousness is a state of being.





.

Old Rasputin wrote:

Is Consciousness Memory?

Yes, of course it is!

Since all that which we are aware/conscious of, are of PAST events, then consciousness can only be MEMORY.

That which we experience in the ‘present’ moment is actually a ‘past’ event. Much like viewing the sun at sunset. What we see is 8 minutes old. The sun has actually receded behind the mountains, though we just ‘now’ experience it. Not only is there a transmission time lag associated with the light wave transmission from the event to our eyes, but also sensory and neural processing time lags as well; this is the processing time to convert light waves received at our eyes (sensory input) to a meaningful image that we then become consciously aware of. There is always an unavoidable time lag, even if by only milliseconds.

So in short -- that which we are conscious of has already happened. Consciousness can only be memory, …the present memory of past events.

So we are not even conscious. We are a biological computer. The computer typing these words is not concious, in the same context as a laptop is not conscious.

Consciousness only appears to be conscious in relation to past and future. As reference points. All reference points point to any time but the timeless because it has no concept of the timeless. This reference point is known as the Zero Point. It cannot point to itself to know it is conscious. It can only point to that which has past or that which is in the future, both of which are ideas only, therefore dead. The past is memory, and the future is projection which is imagination. It cannot point to itself in the immediate now because even the Now cannot be known except in relation to past or future. The Now is the zero point of energy. At this point, energy flows where attention goes. Tension goes.

The tension between the two polarities of past tense, and future tense, is what creates the illusion of a conscious being alive Now.

The NOW in which this reference point appears to manifest can never be known.

And since the Now is all that ever is/was. Nothing is conscious. Nothing is born, therefore nothing can die.

Only when the tension falls away... does here enter the paradise of tacit living.

Nothing is just another concept for Everything. These two concepts are in relationship. So Everything is relative to Nothing.