themedicalstate:On ConsciousnessAccording to systems theory, there are three key determinants of a s

themedicalstate:On ConsciousnessAccording to systems theory, there are three key determinants of a system’s purpose. The first is the inputs — what comes into the system. Then, there is the stock — what the system holds. Last, the outflow. Your brain works the same way. The information you take in is kept as stock and then the information flows out if it is not serving you. But the brain has a unique facet, setting it apart from other systems. Take petroleum, for example. The more we use petroleum, the lower the stock goes and the more we need to drill. Information, however, is the opposite. In our brains, the more we use information, the better it is maintained in our brains, and the less we need to work on attaining new data. That’s revolutionary: information turns inputs and outputs on their head.Of course, this isn’t anything new. The information age has allowed for infinite replication and distribution. The more something is used, the more it is replicated and distributed. Our brains don’t work exactly like computers. They have substantial rule sets and paradigms that moderate how we process information. But, each of us has incredible power over our brain systems.The brain’s system of information gathering and retrieval is clearly imperfect. How many times have you worried about trivial details? How many times have you thought of a pointless moment from your past? A system is defined by its purpose. And the main purpose of the brain is to keep us alive: that’s it. It’s great at it! Yet, the baggage that comes along with that purpose (i.e., the ego) can often stand in the way of the purpose we want the brain to have: using information to better the world.Control of consciousness is essential. It allows us to understand the inputs, outputs, and stock of the brain. It runs through most, if not all, ancient traditions. Whether it be meditating for enlightenment in Buddhism, directing your actions towards God in Christianity, or controlling your passions in Greco-Roman philosophy, there is an emphasis on controlling your consciousness: to hold certain beliefs that should pervade your life. These traditions argue for a regulation of the brain system we all are part of.Obviously, the best way to control one’s consciousness has yet to be determined. It probably will never be: we are stilling grappling with defining consciousness. We could argue that it is the inability of science to define, measure, and create consciousness in which modern-day spirituality arises. Science can argue that consciousness arises from material, but that has yet to be proven. “The view that all mental processes are,” The Dalai Lama argues, “necessarily physical processes is a metaphysical assumption, not a scientific fact.” At the moment, consciousness is ineffable. But it is the system we inhabit. It is the system we must learn to control.By Ben Heim (Medium). Image: Oska. -- source link

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