Posted: Nov 20, 2014 9:59 pm
don't think there is a continuum of consciousness. The brain isn't an inherently subjective entity. I think we experience only what the brain works out as conscious experiences, and if it doesn't do that for any moment then you have no experience of that moment. Not falling out of bed doesn't require subjectivity.
Not falling out of bed requires the brain being aware of its surroundings yet your consciousness is mia.
I guess you may have not played with lucid dreaming but there is an entire strange world in there that was the basis of some of Poe's writing.
There is a huge exchange of information going on below the immediate awareness level just as things are on the edge of your eyesight and a movement may bring you to focus on them ( likely a hunting benefit being able to ignore distractions and focus.....an extreme example is the tunnel visions that police and others experience in high stress situations.
Trying to set up an either or state for our neural net is in my view a complete dead end.
You don't think about typing for instance unless it's an odd word - your fingers get there....driving much the same - many km can go by without any memory or awareness of what you did.....you don't focus on walking unless the footing is treacherous....then you focus on your footing.
It is not and either or state.