When does consciousness (in the physical) begin

[Aquarious]

at conception, birth, 12 years old?

When?

[Stillwater]

Puberty.

Well, it is hard to say- I think it is safe to point out that this is the sort of thing that is among the most difficult for anyone to know or study, and anyone claiming knowledge is probably quoting a religious text or half-baked theory.

If I had to hazard a guess, I would think mid-pregnancy, although there are obviously groups which would have you believe it starts at conception, and there is no scientific basis I know of to discount that. I say mid-pregnancy, because about the beginning to middle of the second trimester, you have a rudimentary nervous system with a functioning brain, and most people would suppose that to be the seat in which consciousness dwells, if it is not generated by the brain. The fetus will "dream" and show great neurological activity, and it is anyone's guess what is going on during this period. Of couse, there are also those (pantheists) who believe consciousness resides in everything, regardless of whether it has a nervous system or not, and this group is also likely to say that the embryo is conscious from the very outset.

What do you think ? 

Stillwater

[interception]

What Stillwater says.

It makes sense that a basic nervous system and the various chakra structures be present before the consciousness energy can incarnate and use the vessel. 

[dingo]

Interesting question. I wonder if anyone's done any studies of the embryonic etheric body.

There's always the possibility that consciousness doesn't begin: it might just bud off from the mother.

[galaxy_storm]

From the NDE stories I read, many people described they were prepared to "enter" into a just-born baby... So I guess this is the moment when it happens.

[Aquarious]

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

I think you're all right in a way. If we take all your answers from the begining and go forwards.. Dingo's 'budding off from the Mother' (a very tidy, logical concept) is not a begining but more of a split to give cellular level atoms consciousness.

Then, the fromation of the nervous system and nuerological activity that makes consciousness a real communicative mechanism (Stillwater) between the sum of all its atoms which and the relationship between different organs... Purely mind blowing stuff when you think about it.

Then the birth itself and the climatization with the atmosphere on its first breaths... The nuerons must go into overdrive with Real learning and bonding (or lack of) shaping its whole life experience. (Kind of where determinism kicks in)

It would seem that consciousness grows and develops, plateaus and then just ends... e.g. children become reflective around the age of 5/6 when they can ask 'why' questions. Awareness of different feelings develop and we become a personality (surely your personality is consiousness in its most developed form)... After puberty, our personalities change here and there but not that much. Most people at 55 years old aren't normally that different (in personality terms) to when they were say 39.

Then we die. And thats it. If consciousness is the communication between different nuerons and the nervous system function, without it, consciousness (a personality) cant exist (in logic).

Thats my thoughts.           

[CFTraveler]

If consciousness is the communication between different nuerons and the nervous system function, without it, consciousness (a personality) cant exist (in logic).

I was with you until this statement.  A personality is not necessary to define consciousness as the interaction between systems, since personality seems to need some sort of complexity.
Of course, I'm not so sure of this definition of consciousness.

[interception]

Aquarius, you said: "Then we die. And that's it." 



If you have ever projected/phased chances are you will lean towards the energy model or the pure thought models of consciousness and with it all that those models imply. Consiousness can exist without physical elements.

You are entitled to your opinion off course, but I resent the notion that we might be soulless machines and nothing more than meat puppets without strings.

Just to add: I did notice that you asked this question for the physical only. But, to me, one can't discuss something like the origin of consciousness in birth without including non-physical concepts. It just does not make sense...

[Aquarious]

Just to add: I did notice that you asked this question for the physical only. But, to me, one can't discuss something like the origin of consciousness in birth without including non-physical concepts. It just does not make sense...

Good point.

I was just trying to be logical with the whole death thing. No mocking intended.

When I talk about personality.. Personality is ultimately what defines you as a person, your conscious self. The personality we all possess is the result of a determined set of inherited traits from biological inheritence and the experiences we go through.

I'm just finding it difficult to understand why the personality would detatch from the being that ulitmately makes it function when the lights are turned off.

[interception]

Good point.

I was just trying to be logical with the whole death thing. No mocking intended.

When I talk about personality.. Personality is ultimately what defines you as a person, your conscious self. The personality we all possess is the result of a determined set of inherited traits from biological inheritence and the experiences we go through.

I'm just finding it difficult to understand why the personality would detatch from the being that ulitmately makes it function when the lights are turned off.

The personality is just one aspect of what we truly are. It does not necessarily have to survive physical death intact. At a higher level you incorporate many personalities and lives outside of the constraints of time.
The personality is just a tool for interacting with this physical world during the time we are here to learn and experience life. Your memories and experience survive - everything is recorded.

[CFTraveler]

 

The personality is just one aspect of what we truly are. It does not necessarily have to survive physical death intact. At a higher level you incorporate many personalities and lives outside of the constraints of time.
The personality is just a tool for interacting with this physical world during the time we are here to learn and experience life. Your memories and experience survive - everything is recorded.

With this I agree.  I have had projections in which the only part of my personality that I can discern is my sense of point-of-view:  I see things that would provoke a certain reaction in 'real life', yet I have no reaction whatsoever- a dispassioned observer to what I perceive.  It doesn't always happen, but enough times so I notice the difference in my thinking/reacting.

[IceCold_K82]

I dont think personality has anything to do with your original question.  Personality develops over time  and is effected by everything that happens to you.  Breast feeding, money, living, parents, family, love, school, work...etc  Just a brief (very very small) list of what could effect you.  Your personality changes all the time.  

Consciousness, in my opinion, develops over time.  I think as babies have a small level of consciousness.   We looked around, noticed things, reached for things, and the biggest thing is we cried.  

Maybe it all is linked.  Awareness, consciousness, personality, understanding.  Are they all seperate or deeply connected or the exact same thing?  

Of course, my first statement says that personality has nothing to do with your original question.  But now after typing and thinking, maybe it has everything to do with it.