"In one word," she said, "tell what you would like to bring back from the woods."
I listened as the others spoke. Then came my turn.
"Presence."
I wish for presence. A conscious entity present physically in the mesh. A brain in a body beholden to surroundings. An intangible mind in tangible space, sometimes present therein, and sometimes wandering away.
Daniel Dennett the philosopher of mind once presented a thought-experiment that I recently began to rethink. In his story, Dan's brain has been removed from the skull, and placed in a container where it hooks up wirelessly to the rest of the nervous system in his body.
His claim is that, no matter where the brain sits, "he" (a conscious entity) would continue to feel present in his (empty) head - where the senses are located.
Makes sense. Made me think.
But now I've realized - why is that necessarily the way it would be, in this hypothetical scenario? I think it is equally possible that Dan would feel "himself" and his "mind" and "thoughts" present somehow in the place of its generation - the brain - while receiving input of the senses as if from a detached and distant location? e.g. "I" am "here" but I "hear" things coming from "somewhere" else. Like using remote control eyes and ears.
When you hear something, the sound seems to "be" at its point of origin. A construction of the brain. Same with visual information. But when you "think" yourself a thought... where is the thought coming from? "Where" is the voice?
So anyway. Present. The mind. Where is it? (Famous question.) Where is it, when it veers off on some derelict inner train, as opposed to when it's actually paying attention to you?
Well I suppose it doesn't really matter so much, because the point is that I just want to be paying attention to you more. And not wandering off so much all the time.
I shall try to be present more. In the here and now. Not always. Just more.
With wings to fly and lungs to breathe I yearn for weight to carry.
And delicious worms to eat.
Give me something real already!
