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Ursprungligen postat av
anjuna5
It's interesting for sure, but I think the theory lack some real substance. "universal geometric experience language". This statement is simply not true since all living organisms have evolved to have different anatomical structures with neurons firing in different ways, which means there cannot be any universal experience language.
You are completely correct that the currently living organisms have evolved with a large variety of connectivity variants in their brains. However, this is exactly my point: Depending on which brain the organism has, different c-patterns and experiences will result. So, a fly will have different c-patterns and experiences than a mouse, and the mouse's c-patterns and experiences will be different from a bird's or dog's c-patterns and experiences. And alll the way to us humans with our large brains and complex and rich c-patterns and experiences. C-Pattern Theory' claim here is that behind this lies a universal geometric language across all organisms. In very simple words, if a fly's c-patterns and experiences correspond to the letter "A" (simple shapes and experiences), then the mouse would be "AB", the dog "ABC", etc. The key point is that this is not random, but discrete and predictable across the species, and also scalable. Like more complex "sentences" of the same alphabet. With exact rules ("grammar" and "syntax") for the correspondence between geometry of the c-pattern and the corresponding experience.
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Ursprungligen postat av
anjuna5
I would like you to go a bit deeper into what exactly defines this universal language that you're making the case for. An experience language would have to involve every single circumstance leading up to that experience as well, which means also external factors come into play, like having a coffee in the morning altering and activating different biochemical/signaling pathways. It's not possible to separate an experience from the entirety of the universe and "here and now". The only answer to a universal experience language would be "everything", since it's so tied to time and space? Or am I completely missing the point maybe?

I fully agree that every single external factor will be of significance adding up to the exact neural activity, and thus c-pattern, at a specific point in time. That's why every individual organism or human person is completely unique - like a fingerprint. So, someone had a coffee instead of water in the morning? And chose to go this way instead of another? Then of course the person's c-patterns later that day will be different than if the person didn't do that in the morning. But this only explains why a specific c-pattern did emerge, and not another. The claim of c-pattern language still remains, as the rules to translate c-patterns into experiences would still apply.
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Ursprungligen postat av
anjuna5
A universal experience language implies transferability of this experience from one person to another and that there is compatibility. From which point of view do you approach this when one person may have autism, and also when you transfer an experience through this universal protocol the "recipient" had a massive stroke from vertebrobasilar occlusion, due to a plaque breaking of and getting stuck, due to that specific person eating too many pizzas in the past, also altering the experience? You see my point here that it's kind of... impossible?
I understand your point. In this case of either a significant neural impairment (biochemistry, neural communication, etc.) or even a neural brain lesion (missing substance, etc.), it is not possible for the same c-pattern to be "transferred" or reproduced in another perons's brain. And that's exactly the reason why patiens with neural lesions will exhibit ill behaviors; their brains are just not physically capable of generating "proper" c-patterns. In other words: In order for the appropriate c-patterns to be generated, a normally functional brain is needed. Otherwise there will be noticeable deviations from the norm.
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Ursprungligen postat av
anjuna5
Of course we have a universal consciousness that transcends the individual in a larger biological ecosystem via constant inputs and outputs, that's pretty obvious. But beyond that I don't really see any real substance in your theory that there is a force other than that as biological creatures we perceive, but this communication seems not so straight forward since there's an infinite number of "operating systems" and you can not have a theory of a universal experience language without also adressing the compatibility problem.
Your acknowledging of the "obvious" existence of a universal consciousness which transcends the individual is by far not the standard view. And I would say it doesn't seem obvious at all - way too often we think of ourselves as completely sealed off individuals, for understandable reasons. But of course I share your view. Putting the "compatibility problem" hopefully aside with my prior explanations, I will agree with you that yes, there is no compelling fact in C-Pattern Theory why the existence of consciousness net - as it is called in the book - should really be true. But there are very good reasons, I would say. The thing is, without this overarching consciousness net, a couple of things are just not possible. The most important ones are acting, our memory, and some aspects of evolution / life. When we act, like if we wish to move our arm, the corresponding c-pattern (motor cortex, etc.) must be "selected", so to say. But where is it located? If it's in our memory, then where is our memory exactly located? Who or what performs then the "selection"? How can the c-pattern of the intended action then be precisely manifested in the brain? In my book I provide a couple of explanations for these questions. The essence is: Without consciousness net, this is hardly possible.
If you have further questions, I'm happy to provide answers. Specifically also if you have a neuroscience, physics / engineering, IT or philosophy background. Many thanks.