Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id DAA16976 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 28 Nov 2001 03:58:08 GMT Message-ID: <008e01c177c0$56ed4120$3386b2d1@teddace> From: "Dace" <edace@earthlink.net> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <F556TXL4kvv4bU1Oe7Z00016ec0@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Study shows brain can learn without really trying Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2001 19:54:10 -0800 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> > It's in the human unconscious that memes thrive.
> >That's their breeding ground and hiding place.
> >
> >Though the mind, by itself, is unreflective, the human mind is indeed
built
> >up in the context of self-referential mentality. This is not the case
with
> >animals. While chimps, et al, carry a germ of mental awareness, it
doesn't
> >shape them in any profound way. "Subconscious" implies a mind that forms
> >under the weight of mental self-existence, not one that forms naturally
> >according to standard, biological pathways.
> >
> >
> Isn't the supposed "unconscious" based on one of those privative
definitions
> at its root when all is said and done (ie- the *not*concious is merely
that
> vast collection beyond what is conscious, whatever that last term may be)?
> OTOH subconscious is that below cosciousness, not that this adds any
> clarity. Either term winds up being a catch all. Defining consciousness
> clearly would be a feat enough, so contrasting that which is either not
> conscious or below conscousness would be extremely difficult. Would the
sky
> be the limit?
The 20th century seems to have passed you right by.
The important distinction is that consciousness is something that inheres
exclusively to the individual mind, while the unconscious is species-wide,
embracing all of us. It's the set of instincts according to which every
human mind operates. Occupying a kind of twilight zone is the subconscious
mind, which is individual despite being unconscious.
Ted
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Nov 28 2001 - 04:04:09 GMT