[ExI] Quantum consciousness, quantum mysticism, and transhumanist engineering

[Stathis Papaioannou]

On Thu., 23 Mar. 2017 at 5:42 am, Brent Allsop <brent.allsop at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
> Hi Stathis,
>
>
> As I’ve attempted to say over and over again (you always seem to think my
> answer is no to this): yes, “*if the substituted component interacts with
> its neighbours normally then the whole system will be able to distinguish
> red from green and normally” * But, when you do a neuro substation from
> redness to purpleness, to whiteness, to oneness…, each of these isolates
> substituted stages will only be able to know the difference between red and
> green with very measurably (both objectively and subjectively) different
> representations of red and green knowledge.  And if you don’t do the
> neuro substitution in the right way, including the necessary functionality
> of being aware of all the voxels of qualitative knowledge at the same time,
> so you can compare them all at the same time, and if you insist on twisting
> any theory attempting to include the redness, greenness…, comparison
> abilities, the way you always do, you will remain qualia blind.  Doing so
> will make you tempted to erroneously claim that whatever is representing
> redness and greenness, even if it is some kind of distinguishable
> functional process, you will erroneously think you have proven that redness
> is preserved with such an insufficient neural substitution.
>

But you *cannot* substitute a component preserving its interactions with
its neighbours and end up changing the qualitative experience of redness
and greenness. Try to describe what a person with such a substitution would
behave like, and what he would experience. Suppose it's a friend you see
all the time. You meet him and he reveals he has had the surgery. What will
you ask him? What will he tell you? What do you think he is feeling as he
talks to you about his experience of red and green?
-- 
Stathis Papaioannou
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