The
nature of consciousness:
Consciousness
came about as an "emergent" property from the individual
organism's need to be able to make survival "decisions"
moment-to-moment, rather than generation-to-generation as it was
in simpler times, biologically speaking.
As
the complexity of the organ that evolved to make those decisions,
increased, a threshold was reached where the new property of consciousness
appeared.
There
are many dynamics in nature that show this "accidental"
new emergent property appearing out of simpler activities. The
universe itself is probably such an emergent phenomena.
The
source and nature of the conflict:
The
conflict comes from the fact that the needs of genes are different
to the needs of memes, which are different to the needs of self-aware
consciousness.
DNA
has no regard for the state of the organism, memes or consciousness,
other than those that further the DNA's propagation.
Memes
have no regard for the needs of genes or consciousness, other
than those that further the survival and propagation of the memes.
Our
conscious selves want freedom from the pain, suffering and limitation
caused by the actions of genes and memes, and want choice over
the experience of our lives.
At
times, this choice goes directly against the needs of DNA - such
as when we choose not to have children (the vehicles of DNA propagation).
This choice can also go against the propagation needs of memes
- such as when our liberated awareness doesn't want to blindly
follow what other people tell us to do or feel or believe.
There
seems to be only a choice between conscious awareness of what
actually is, or believing and living what others tell us is true,
and/or a reactive closing-down of our awareness of what actually
is.
(A
lot of the strange behaviour of individuals - of any species -
can be shown to be an outcome of the inbuilt, long-term survival
need of the relevant DNA:
There is a microorganism - Toxoplasma - that has a DNA-propagation
cycle that needs cats and mice. The organism can only breed in
cats, so it has evolved a situation where it gets into cat faeces
and then infects the mice when they come in contact with it. The
microorganism then gets into the mouse brain and causes the mouse
to seek out cats and also lose coordination. This allows a cat
to catch and eat the mouse, furthering the breeding cycle.)
The
resolution of conflict:
We
try to suppress the pain and confusion caused by this conflict
in our beings, by denying parts of our being, by pretending
it doesn't affect us.
We
might thrash around in a desperate urge to find ease from the
dilemma, but the dilemma is real.
We
have no real choice but to come to terms with our conflicting
internal drives.
The
way each one of us resolves this conflict is entirely up to us.
It
is very likely that there is no one way to do so, other
than, possibly, through our becoming fully conscious.
It's
up to each one of us which one we choose.
A
suggestion, is to put aside all ideas that we have about
life, about how to resolve the pain and suffering of our core
conflict, including the ideas in this article, and find out the
real nature of these things for ourselves.
It
can be immensely liberating.
