X-Message-Number: 4152 Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 9:56:04 -0500 (CDT) From: N E U R O M A N C E R <> Subject: SCI.CRYONICS Consciousness as a Mathematical Dimension from Mac Tonnies Robert Ettinger pointed out that my proposal re. consciousness as a physicaldimension was vague. He's right, so here I'll elaborate. It seems logical to me that awareness is an inherent structure in our universe, the next step in the dimensional hierarchy begun with a zero-dimen- sional point and carried out in the following sequence: 1. Line (one-dimensional) 2. Shape (ex. Square) (two-dimensional) 3. Cube (three-dimensional) 4. Hypercube/Tesseract (representative of a four-dimensional structure in spacetime) 5. Self awareness Each stage of the sequence is interdependent. Just as a cube could not exist without its two-dimesnsional counterpart, consciousness could not exist without a backdrop of four-dimensional spacetime. I argue that organic brains evolve to a state capable of harnessing this universal ground-state of consciouness and utilizing it on an individualized basis. Certainly, quantum physics (most notably the Uncertainty Principle) indicates a deep-rooted bond between awareness and observable reality. I believe the "fuzziness" physicists observe when defining subatomic particles is the result of "interplay" between the fifth dimension and its predecessors. Or, rather, the dynamics of two harmonious processes forced to behave together under intense scrutiny (scrutiny itself, in this case, being one of the factors). Such a system renders the universe into a quantum froth of pure information.Quantum "inconsistencies," like those observable in the brain's electrical system, are comparable to the break-up of resolution one experiences the closer he or she gets to a phosphor-coated television monitor. Quantum uncertainty suggests that we are approaching the fundamental wellspring of perceived reality. The implications of a universal awareness (similar to a natural resource) in light of uploading are staggering. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=4152