I am almost finished reading Evolving the Mind by A.G. Cairns-Smith. It is subtitled ‘on the nature of matter and the origin of consciousness’. It is probably the best book I have read yet on consciousness. Certainly he seems to have read all the relevant literature and thought deeply about it. A lot of the maths and the physics I do not understand and never will. It is quite clear that we are a long, long way from understanding what consciousness is. We know a great deal about the working of the brain and there is no doubt that quantum effects are involved but we have not the faintest idea how the electro-chemical stimulation of the visual cortex is translated into a beautiful sunset. I will carry on with the reading but I am becoming more certain that the intellectual approach is not going to deliver the goods.
The fact that the cosmos is more akin to an organism than a mechanism is mind-boggling; that there is some sort of (‘awareness’ is perhaps not quite the right word) instant communication pervading it; that every event is a cosmic event and not just a local happening; that mind and observation are essential elements in it – all this is not just of scientific interest but of profound religious significance too. In the human sphere we are becoming more aware that every human action has ramifications going far beyond the individuals concerned. It is becoming more and more clear that ‘No man is an Island, entire of it self.’ is true. Donne is quite right. The ironical thing about these insights is that they are being made at a time of unparalleled individualism, perhaps in reaction to a perceived threat to individualism. No, it must be more than that. In reaction, yes, but to a whole complexity of things – population pressure, competition for resources, death of community, materialism. Modern life has become incredibly complex and this complexity demands vast material and financial resources. It brings great benefits, enormous benefits. Here I am, listening to music on my stereo, writing on a powerful computer, able to be in touch with others all over the world almost instantaneously through the Internet, able to eat strawberries in winter and apples in summer should I wish, still alive because medical interventions twice prevented me from dying. I do not have to fear going hungry or being cold in the winter. Yet these are bought at a price. When I was young stress was a word applied to materials under tension, now it has become an almost universal human condition. Life with free and uncluttered time to perceive and enjoy the beauty of the world and people, this has now become a rarity and it does not seem to be compatible with modern living.