thought
8 Circuits of Consciousness
idea posted by cidviscous Sat, 2008-03-29 12:17 Tags:The Eight Circuit Model of Consciousness
"The Human require a background grid through which to see his universe." --Frank Herbert, Dune
Quick Overview
This idea was first synthesized by Dr. Timothy Leary, and has been further expanded and expounded by others, especially Robert Anton Wilson. It is a model for understanding human consciousness, which says that there are (so far) eight distinct 'circuits' (sometimes referred to as subsystems, gears, mini-brains, levels, and a variety of other metaphors) which have evolved, each funtioning at a 'higher', more complex or more enlightened level of consciousness.
Key to the model is the idea that our individual experience of reality (often called 'reality tunnels') is not necessarily representative of reality itself, but rather our perception of reality based on our own sensory input filtered by mental models. Everything we perceive, we perceive in the mind, in the brain. Everybody sees things from a different point of view, with a different makeup, a different set of experiences, so in effect, we're all living in our own little reprentations of the universe, which is not the actual universe.
A Map of a Place Is Not That Place
Here's a good way to understand what is meant here, if you're not grokking it yet. A map is a representation of a place, but every map is wrong in some way. A map is not the place it represents, but a projection--a model. Different projections excel and suffer in different ways. Some show size well, but distort shape, others may be better for certain locales, some more accurate with distances. Strengths and weaknesses determine applicability in each situation, and if you are able to switch maps for different places and purposes, then you gain much more adaptability. The right tool for the right job....
Metaprogramming
By becoming aware of the disctinction between reality and one's perception of it, the possibility arises to change that perception. If you think of your brain as a biological computer and your mind as the firmware being executed on your brain, then by changing that software, you could actually reprogram yourself to see or do things differently.
Further Reading
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-Circuit_Model_of_Consciousness
http://www.dedroidify.com/8circuits2.htm
http://www.dedroidify.com/8circuits.htm
http://www.erowid.org/culture/characters/leary_timothy/leary_timothy_8-c...
http://www.futurehi.net/media/Robert%20Anton%20Wilson%20-%20Consciousnes...
http://www.futurehi.net/media/Robert%20Anton%20Wilson%20-%20Consciousness,%20Drugs,%20Yoga%20And%20More%20II.mp3
Thought as Technology
idea posted by cidviscous Fri, 2007-09-21 15:12 Tags:Thought as Technology
I think that the connotation of the word Technology commonly brings to mind is that of a physical device of some sort--computers, televisions, airplanes, butter knives, etc.
Indeed, all of these things are certainly technology, but I don't thnk the meaning of the word ends there.
Mental Tools
Certain mental concepts require an understanding of other, more basic concepts on which to build.
These special thoughts, or Mental Tools, count as technology just as much as the computer I'm typing this on, but all too often, this sort of thing is overlooked when we think about Human Technology as a concept.
Mathematical ideas and concepts, grammatical rules and vocabularies, logic and critical thinking are all various forms of Mental Technology, every bit as valid and essential as anything we make in the 'real world'. Each one of these mental tools provides us (humanity) with some new ability--the ability to count, to externalise your thoughts and transmit them to other humans (read: communicate), the ability to dissect a situation or concept using rules of Logic.
Maintenance
Just like you need to sharpen an axe, or defrag a hard drive, mental tools need certain maintenance, too.
Language - The more powerful your language toolset, the better you'll be able to communicate (more precise words in your vocabulary, more eloquent analogies and metaphors, etc.)
Critical Thinking - Logic provides a framework for evaluating inputs and synthesizing outputs. That is, you can take some information as input, run it through your logical filters, and evaluate possible outcomes or screen for truth.
Mathematics - Closely related with logic (in fact, logic is a subset), Math provides us with mental tools to analyze real world structures and phenomena, categorize and quantify things, and make evaluations.
Higher Levels of Abstraction
Some tools require a foundation of smaller tools to work on--(e.g. your drill works by combining a motor for rotational force with a screw). Mental tools work the same way. Some concepts require others in order to exist.
Take, for example, Rhetoric (Persuasive Speech). To be successful, one must combine basic language skills (bi-directionally), more complex language structures (depending on the subject matter), awareness (of your target), critical thinking, feedback (to alter the flow of the conversation based on perceived reception), etc. We do this all at once, but this higher level concept could not exist without the lower level mental tools which comprise it.