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From: jeffrey E. <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, September 12, 2016 7:40 PM To: Alice de Rothschild Subject: Fwd: Clarity on my position re consciousness more thigs to look at Forwarded message From: Deepak Chopra <[email protected] Date: Mon, Sep 12, 2016 =t 3:25 PM Subject: Clarity on my position re consciousness To: Micha=l Shermer Cc: Jennifer Shermer eonard Mlodino Dear Michael After your talk yesterday I realized that I have not made my positi=n and that of eastern wisdom traditions clear re consciousness or els= you have not understood it, so here is one last try 1 Consciousness is the knowing element in every experience--you know you=are experiencing that which we as humans refer to as mind body universe.</=> 2 Perceptual objects are experienced in consciousness/awareness. They ar= a process in consciousness. They are experienced as sense perception= . 3 The brain including neural correlates and body are sense percept=ons experienced in the same way as rocks and the moon , trees,=C2 stars etc. 4 Mental objects ( a friend of mine calls them mobjects ) such as t=oughts feelings emotions etc are also experienced in consciousness/ awaren=ss.You know you are experiencing thoughts emotions etc. S The mind/ body and universe are a unified process in consciousness--yo= need all 3 to have a "normal" human experience. 6 We can guess that other species are having an experience but have=no idea re their mental or perceptual lives even though we can interact wi=h them. 7 I have no idea what I "look " like to a bat or an insect wit= a hundred eyes or to a mosquito , even though I can feel a mosquito bite = 8 The common ground of all experience is awareness/ consciousness. =/p> 9 Awareness/ consciousness is not personal -perceptions emotions are bot= personal and shared. EFTA_R1_01551193 EFTA02451611 10 When your body mind dies as a particular process the universe ex=erienced by that particular body/ mind dies as well but impersonal awarene=s being formless remains.That which has no form is not in time . 11 The essential " you " is not body/mind/ universe but the aw=reness in which body/ mind / universe arise and subside in every moment as=sensations, images, feelings, thoughts, and perceptions. 12 The body /mind / universe you experienced as an infant teenager etc a=e long dead as experiences. They are born and die =A0in every moment. 13 Your never the same body/ mind but you know yourself as th= same being ( being/ awareness/ consciousness are the same ontologically i= eastern wisdom traditions. 14 Where is memory ? The cellular basis of memory remains elusive althou=h like every experience memory has has neural correlates. I learnt how to =ce skate as a 12 year old boy with a 12 year old body/ mind and the d=d not pick up ice skates again until I was 45 years old but had no problem remembering how to ice skate with a =ifferent body/mind/brain. 15 The goal of all meditative techniques ( there are hundreds =f variations) is to stop identifying with the personal ego mind and =hysical body and to experience the common ground of shared exper=ence in awareness and so to awaken love compassion joy and equanimity ( divine emotions ). Anger / hostility/ fear/ guilt/ shame= shame/ resentment are products of the fragmented mind. 16 Religion / Philosophy/ Theology / Science etc are systems of thought = Systems of thought create models of reality. Science is a very useful mod=l for creating technology albeit with side effects-climate change , ecolog=cal devastation and mechanized death {including nuclear weapons which if in the hands of more primit=ve systems of thought -religious fanatics- could result in our extinction)=/p> 17 Reality perhaps can only be grasped when all ideologies are abandoned=& body mind ego are all experiences are transcende= and only formless being/ awareness remains. 18 Awareness/consciousness cannot be seen , heard, touched, tasted or sm=lled but without it none of those experiences would be possible . 19 Body/ mind / universe are human concepts in human awareness for an in=ermittent stream of sensations, images, feelings, thoughts, sense percepti=ns , that are known in consciousness/awareness and indeed modifications =AO of awareness itself. 20 You started you lecture by saying you were a material moni=t but very quickly moved into dualistic metaphors. 21 You spent a lot of time debunking the paranormal - a subject that was=not part of the conference where we were trying to figure out the normal .=/p> 22 I wished you had been there for Amanda Gefter's talk w=en she she brought up nothingness as the only invariant -- not even spaceti=e! 23 The task that now remains is --how does nothing give rise to everythi=g & what exactly is it ?! 24 Finally it was great seeing you, =ennifer and baby Vincent who is an angel ! ( yes--that is =eant metaphorically please} 2 EFTA_R1_01551194 EFTA02451612 With love and respect your friend </=pan> deepak Carlsbad, CA 92009 The Chopra Foundation <http://www.choprafoundation.org/> <http://w=w.choprafoundation.org/> <http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/l/SlryZ4SaSrL_SLS00_SS115_=jpg> chttp://www.amazon.com/Super-Genes-Astonishing-Optimum-Well-Being=dp/0804140138/deepakchcom07-20> <http://www.amazon.com/Super-Genes-Astonishing-Optimum-Well-Being=dp/0804140138/deepakchcom07-20> Super Genes: Unlock the Astonishing Power of Your DNA for Optimum Health and Wel=being <http://ww=.amazon.com/Super-Genes-Astonishing-Optimum-Well-Being/dp/0804140138/deepa=chcom07-20> <=span> =AO please note The information contained in this commu=ication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may cons=itute inside information, and is intended only for the use of the addre=see. It is the property of JEE Unauthorized use, disclosure or copyi=g of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited a=d may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, pl=ase notify us immediately by return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], a=d destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all a=tachments. copyright -all rights reserved 3 EFTA_R1_01551195 EFTA02451613