Questioning

Questioning: 

it's referred to as the hard problem of consciousness, questioning why some physical matter is found to be conscious while others are not, and to what degree do we believe this to be so - how is it that a tree gains a certain sense of awareness rather than the earth and air of its home? Or that a bird nesting in the tree's branches is even more conscious still? There is much scientific and philosophical debate on this issue, with religion weighing in as well. Of course no answer satisfies all, and really, no answer is offered that is widely regarded as being sure and true. 

some believe it will never be clearly answered and explained. 

it wasn't so long ago that we believed animals weren't truly conscious, even our beloved pets didn't have an inner life but operated purely through behaviorism, simply by instincts long acquired in order to survive. We now know better, or science does, as anyone with a beloved pet knew this all along and never needed it confirmed. There was no questioning involved, ever, only a relationship based solely on an equal love, different yes, expressed through the lens of completely different minds, but still a bond between two very conscious beings. I have two cats and a dog that prove this to me often. To what degree should this love be questioned, how far down do we trust the bond of our connections? 

some consider this a hard problem indeed. 

so can we bring consciousness down to a chemical function? Or is it innate through all matter, a deep function of earth and soul, with the universe itself fully self aware? Another important question is if I'm even qualified to search for answers, is the inquiry purely scientific, meant to be examined and eventually solved only in a lab? My thoughts on this is that I am conscious, self aware, and certainly capable of exploring my own existence, taking inquiry and meditation deeply to the edge of this line of questioning and offering my own views on what it is I've found. 

and this is what I know for certain...

absolutely nothing. 

consciousness is as far as I can go, it's all I'm capable of knowing. 

that's it. 

it's not a hard problem, not for me at least, as it doesn't matter how consciousness arises, through whatever chemical or biological means, my consciousness becomes involved as soon is it's first noted. Somehow, it's all found to be a seamless transition, from nothingness to now-here, alive, and aware. Consciousness is built into the very fabric of the universal structure by virtue of my own self recognition. It's impersonal, only loaned for my brief appearance here, and eventually surrendered. Does it reappear? Is there awareness beyond my individual existence? Yes, but it's not mine, not in anyway that I would recognize as my own - it's just the universe continuing what it's doing, providing the means of its own conscious exploration, evolving, experiencing itself through every possible expression. 

or at least that's my theory. 

beyond my own conscious exploration...

nothing is certain. 

~

Peace, Eric