Question about consciousness

[jjjjj]

OK I have a question, I know consciousness is a process but does it depend on motion/energy or position of particles?

Like for example, if the particles that make up the human body were arranged in the same way that they were while you were conscious (including, electrons, brain waves, etc) but everything was frozen at absolute 0 (only so no movement could occur) would the person be conscious (and perpetually thinking the same thought) or unconscious?

[Ringer]

A person will be dead at far before absolute zero. If one were to survive no ion exchange could occur throughout the nervous system so no sort of thought process could occur (this would also cause death).

[jjjjj]

I'm referring to a thought experiment where a person instantly goes from consciousness to absolute zero and all the electrons, brain waves, etc., remain in position.

[Ringer]

Consciousness is just thought patterns. As I said action potentials would be disabled due to the cold temperature so no thought process would be executed. Short answer is they would not be conscious.

[Marqq]

OK I have a question, I know consciousness is a process but does it depend on motion/energy or position of particles?

Like for example, if the particles that make up the human body were arranged in the same way that they were while you were conscious (including, electrons, brain waves, etc) but everything was frozen at absolute 0 (only so no movement could occur) would the person be conscious (and perpetually thinking the same thought) or unconscious?

 

In another scenario, say, if a person who accelerated to [acr=light speed]c[/acr] while conscious, all interactions, micro and macro, would slow and stop due to time-dilation. I believe this situation would better suit your question, since you don't have to worry about effects of temperature change.

 

To answer, I'd say: Yes, a consciousness that could be observed to be 'stopped' is still conscious.

As defined by Wikipedia:

Consciousness is a term that has been used to refer to a variety of aspects of the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts.^[1] It has been defined, at one time or another, as: subjective experience; awareness; the ability to experience feelings; wakefulness; having a sense of selfhood; or as the executive control system of the mind.

Subjectively speaking, a person in the aforementioned scenario is aware of his surroundings, even if restricted to his inertial frame. He still experiences feelings, wakefulness, etc.. The point of view of the stationary observer doesn't alter the state of our traveler, because due to it's subjective aspect, consciousness is relative.

[jjjjj]

So how would that work, would he just perpetually experience the same thought/feeling/etc.?

Also is interaction possible without motion?

And if all the person's surroundings were also frozen at absolute 0 would that work?

Also would EVERY aspect of consciousness work at absolute 0 (what I mean is would a person at absolute 0 be able to notice a difference from them having conscious PROCESSES?

Also does that mean that motion is completely unnecessary for any of conscious processes/thoughts/etc. and only position matters?

Edited July 20, 2011 by jjjjj

[Marqq]

He would experience one continuous stream of conscious thought, from the time before being 'frozen' to the time he 'thawed', but no interactions would occur while frozen. I think you misunderstood my post... Nothing new happens during the freeze; it takes time for thoughts to progress, and no time is experienced while frozen. Conscious thought only continues as a state--from an outside perspective, thought is stopped and consciousness ceases.

[jjjjj]

So can you clarify some things for me.

1. Would the continuous consciousness stream be like thinking the same thought perpetually?

2. Would he notice the difference between being a "frozen consciousness" and not being one? Or supposing he was unfrozen would he notice a difference?

3. Can EVERYTHING you experience be frozen in that way?

4. Does consciousness then only depend on POSITION of particles, not actually the processes/motion?

Oh and another thing would brain waves, electrons, etc retain their properties when frozen?

 

Also I always thought that interaction is required for consciousness to exist, so it sort of seems like it can't exist if frozen.

In fact I always thought that nothing except "regular matter" whatever that would be, could exist if the world was frozen at absolute 0. Or maybe matter wouldn't even exist (if it's slow wave energy).....

The world confuses me.

 

Bump for replies plz

Edited July 20, 2011 by jjjjj

[Kookas]

So can you clarify some things for me.

1. Would the continuous consciousness stream be like thinking the same thought perpetually?

2. Would he notice the difference between being a "frozen consciousness" and not being one? Or supposing he was unfrozen would he notice a difference?

3. Can EVERYTHING you experience be frozen in that way?

4. Does consciousness then only depend on POSITION of particles, not actually the processes/motion?

Oh and another thing would brain waves, electrons, etc retain their properties when frozen?

 

Also I always thought that interaction is required for consciousness to exist, so it sort of seems like it can't exist if frozen.

In fact I always thought that nothing except "regular matter" whatever that would be, could exist if the world was frozen at absolute 0. Or maybe matter wouldn't even exist (if it's slow wave energy).....

The world confuses me.

 

Bump for replies plz

 

My interpretation of what Marqq has said is this:

 

1. If every particle is frozen in position, then your thoughts are frozen and so your conciousness is frozen. However, you would not experience it as you would have no perception of the passage of time and so the time spent frozen would apparently be over in an instant.

2. No, like I said, you wouldn't actually experience it as such.

3. I'm not sure what you mean by that. If you froze someone to absolute zero, then yes, everything is frozen. If you mean freezing the experience so you constantly relive the moment over and over (some kind of torture?), that would not work, see above.

4. Processes and motion themselves are based on the position of particles.

 

And yes, I should imagine that they would indeed retain all their properties. Absolute zero means there is exactly zero energy and so nothing could possibly change unless it gained energy and thus was not at absolute zero.

Edited August 2, 2011 by Kookas