Re: virus: FAQ: question (a) - Level 3

Eric Boyd (6ceb3@qlink.queensu.ca)
Sun, 20 Jun 1999 15:03:23 -0400

Hi,

Robin Faichney <robin@faichney.demon.co.uk> writes: << {SB says "There are other ways of being conscious."}

As a Buddhist, SB implicitly believes in level 3.
>>

Yes. Susan's lime just above that ("There can be consciousness without self-consciousness") sums up her position quite well. Perhaps I misunderstand level 3, but I always though of it as depending on self-consciousness and the selfplex (how else do "you" choose "your" purpose?).

I personally think the two words above ('consciousness' and 'self-consciousness') are one and the same in meaning, but given a contrast between them, I guess consciousness must be something like 'thought processes' or 'cognition'. In which case Susan is saying we can think without _thinking_ about thinking, which is clearly true (although, like she says, more than little disconcerting when you notice that it has happened...)

ERiC