Yesterday BoingBoing posted an amazing video of an ant colony that was filled with concrete and then excavated showing its structure, including “air conditioning” systems, garbage dumps, fungal farms, and more. The video also includes some interesting commentary on the “superorganism” — that is, is an ant colony a single organism with some sort of a “hive mind”, or are they “merely” individuals working eerily in sync? Does the boundary of the body have to be the boundary of the mind?
When I “accidentally” smoked DMT years ago — I say accidentally because I literally didn’t know that a massive hit of it was caked inside my marijuana pipe* — all of reality shattered and fell away and I found myself experiencing a global hive mind… whisps of glowing energy interconnected all living things and it was impossible to tell where I and my thoughts ended and where those of my neighbors began. I’m sure that this is largely the psychedelic speaking, but as with all psychedelic experiences, there’s plenty of truth to it as well, and watching this video makes me wonder — even if the ants have emergent behavior and a single collective mind, does an individual ant know it? Does one of my own neurons know that it is part of a conscious mind? Why would humans be any more aware of the global hive mind that we may well be a part of?
My faith in a gaia-like entity is what my forehead tattoo represents by the way.
* Just to be clear, I’m drug free for about two years now, and happy to be such.
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I think that some hallucinogenic experiences have value, and I would say my psychedelic experiences are probably the only worthwhile drug experiences I have ever had. I have definitely had valid thoughts and ideas under the influence of hallucinogens, some of them along the lines of the world view and interconnectedness that you describe
Other than some pain relief, I never got a single thing from five years of heavy pot smoking. DMT on the other hand? Five minutes will have you thinking for the rest of your life.
“Does one of my own neurons know that it is part of a conscious mind?”
Actually if neurons are aware of their surroundings it would be massive settback for artifical intelligence research. As always AI researchers has assumed that any mechanics behind any cognitive function is actually alghorithmically soluble and therefore computational. Eventhough one could have to need computer with unlimited memory. If neural scientist´s find out that neurons dont only take stimuli and gives somekind of feedback, but are able to change their “weight” before stimuli for a special purpose. Then AI researchers would have to abandon their paradigm. If one
dont have logical or mathematical tool to solve or simulate brainfunctions, one dont have nothing. (neurons which are aware would have to be calculated in second-order-logic and that is not algorithmically soluble.)
There is also few quantum mechanical theories of mind awareness. They are purely methaphysicals but you can find something with Holonomic brain theory
“My faith in a gaia-like entity is what my forehead tattoo represents by the way.”
Mine too. :)
I don’t know who took the picture, but someone snapped a shot of Scott tattooing me forehead (must have been 8 years ago now) and we both get quite a kick out of it… it’s just a really beautiful shot and neither of us would have ever dreamed we’d be here together like this today.
Your question: ‘Does the boundary of the body have to be the boundary of the mind?’ is a live one in current philosophy of mind.
You may be interested in Rob Wilson’s books on the matter. The first addresses the issue with respect to cognitive process; the second with respect to biology and the third (still being written, I think) the social sciences.
Here’s a link to the cognition one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0521544947/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
I haven’t read it, but it’s said to be an excellent book.
A little weed now and then isn’t cheating.
that video is one of the most fascinating things i’ve ever seen in my life.
re: hive.
Are you suggesting a Borg mentality?
Did you ever read Lewis Thomas’ Lives of a Cell? If you haven’t you might be interested. This also made me think of Terrance Mckenna’s Machine Elves……
Thats being said I have spent much time watching the Leaf Cutter ants in the exhibit in Central Park. And pondered these very questions of the hive mentality. Thanks for posting the video.
Rachel Whiteread followed the same concept with an abdandoned house.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEtsYIIIfkw
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