The Sensory Combination Model of Consciousness
by Jared Jetsel
Table of Contents
Introduction
This work serves as a tool to help understand and bring clarity to the subject of Consciousness which is also called sentience and subjective experience.
There are some who say that all things are Conscious. That even an atom has experiences, a view sometimes referred to as "Panpsychism". I think that idea diminishes the special qualities that distinguish human experience from ordinary material while offering little in the way of explanatory power or utility.
Here I will explain as simply as possible what Consciousness is and provide an outline of how it could evolve over time from simpler things. The model is meant for use as a tool which can be used to test the Awareness and Consciousness of arbitrary systems. I have organized the model into four sections: Reactive, Aware, Conscious, and Conscious with Virtual Senses. These sections are arranged from simple to complex which therefore should also match chronologically with the evolution of life. After that, I'll use the model to describe various States of Consciousness and later discuss some conclusions, inquiries, and future possibilities.
Definitions and Legend
This section contains the definitions for the words used in the model and their symbols. These definitions are general so that they can be applied to any system for analysis. I have included similar terms for each to help express their meaning.
Body
The range of the system being analyzed. It is customary for this to be a membrane, skin, or other surface which separates and distinguishes a Body from its surroundings. To be clear, the word Body as used here does not have to apply only to living things; It is used as a general term to define a spatial boundary for any system being analyzed using the model. This is used to define the range to test if what is inside this range is Aware or Conscious of what is outside of it.
It is symbolized with a rounded rectangle.
Similar terms: boundary, edge, surface, scope, extent, range, area, subject, container, individual
External Object
A pattern in the environment outside the Body being analyzed. This is symbolized with a triangle or square outside the Body.
Similar terms: environmental, exterior, surrounding, thing outside the body
Sensor
A part of the Body which responds to changes to the Body and its surroundings. This is symbolized with an eye.
Similar terms: receptor, input, sampler, detector, monitor
Sensory Information
Information about the change that happens to a Sensor which is signaled through the Body. (Or patterns with information similar thereto) For simplicity, Sensory Information in the model graphics travels from left to right following lines inside the Body.
Similar terms: sensed pattern, data, packet, nerve impulses, signals
1. Reactive
I will begin with a simple model first which is called Reactive. The graphics above show an External Object interacting with a Body and its Expression. All Bodies in the universe are Reactive and respond to changes around them but not all things are Aware of the differences around them. This is demonstrated with the following example.
A Body is pushed with the corner of a right triangle (A). The Body reacts by expressing a movement proportional to the force applied. Then the Body is pressed again in a nearly identical way with the corner of a square (B) at the same position, force and angle. The patterns of change within it and its movement, the Expression of the Body, are nearly the same. This means that there is not enough information inside the Body to distinguish if it is being pushed on by a triangle or by a square. Therefore it is not Aware of the difference.
2. Aware
For a Body to be Aware it has to have a way to differentiate what is outside of it. There must be enough information inside the Body about what is outside of it to distinguish these differences. This is done by the Sensors of the Body which provide Sensory Information about the environment around the Body. A Determining System uses this information to change the Expression of the Body which in the above graphic is represented by arrows going in different directions. For example, to move in a different direction in the presence of different things.
The presence of Sensors results in Sensory Information inside the Body about what is outside of it. So that if the Body was pressed on by the corner of a right triangle (A) or by a square (B) that there would be enough information inside the Body to distinguish between them, react to them and therefore be Aware of the difference. A Body demonstrates Awareness by Expressing differently based on what it is Aware of.
The test of Awareness involves finding out what something is Aware of. Which can be called its level of Awareness. It may be that some system is Aware of some differences but not others. For example, some dogs are Aware of high frequency sounds which a human being is not. This is demonstrated by a dog's reaction to the noise which a human would not react to, being unaware of the difference.
See Appendix [2. Reasoning for Reactive/Aware distinction and terminology]
A Body with Awareness senses differences and responds to them. The Sensors provide additional information about what is happening outside the Body. It Expresses its Awareness of this additional information by reacting to different things outside of it. For example, an Aware Body pressed by a triangle (A) might Express a movement one way, and if pressed by a similar square (B) could Express by moving a different way. It demonstrates it is Aware of the difference.
All things which are Aware are Reactive but not all things which are Aware are Conscious. For Consciousness requires the special capability of Sensory Combination.
3. Conscious
Next is the model of Consciousness. This is where Sensory Information from the Sensors is combined together at once to create a more complete representation of what is outside the Body. I call this Sensory Combination.
For example, in my experience the Sensory Information from both eyes is combined together at once in Consciousness. This is easily tested by closing one eye or the other. The images from both my eyes are combined together at once. Similarly, the sound coming from both my ears is combined together at once and the feelings of different parts of my body. The total combination of Sensory Information together in varying degrees form my Conscious experience.
In the graphic above, there is a triangle (A) outside the Body. The Body has two Sensors which sense the triangle. The Sensory Information from the Sensors goes through a Determining System which combines Sensory Information patterns together in the circle (B). This circle (B) represents Consciousness where Sensory Information is combined together at once. The triangle (C) inside the circle is the Sensory Information combined together representing the triangle (A) sensed in the environment around the Body. Which means the Body is Conscious of the triangle.
The contents of Consciousness are made from what the Body is Aware of and can sense. It is known now, thanks to the advances of science, that there is more going on in the universe than what I am Conscious of. For example, that there is light which is beyond the range which my eyes can detect, but can be detected with artificial Sensors. The point here being that Consciousness does not contain all the information about what is happening around a Body but only that which is it has Sensory Information for.
I'll mention here also that what I am Conscious of is variable. There are periods of time when I am more Conscious of my heartbeat, breath, and other sensations than others. While asleep there is a noticeable reduction of Consciousness of my body. There is likely some mechanism for this, possibly that the human body will combine Sensory Information patterns together differently if they are changing or if there is relevance to some particular expression being made. For example, I might become less Conscious of my heartbeat if it is beating in a regularly repeating way, but more Conscious of it if it speeds up, palpitates, etc. My heart has been beating since before I was born but my Consciousness of it varies. The point here is that what Sensory Information patterns are combined together is something variable, at least in human beings.
There are other experiences I have such as dreaming, imagination, an inner voice, and memory recollection which seemingly do not come from any Sensors of my Body. An explanation for these follows in the next section.
4. Conscious with Virtual Senses
The next step to model human level experience is what I call Consciousness with Virtual Senses. Once a lifeform has developed Consciousness then it has the ability to combine various Sensory Information patterns together at once. For example, to combine sight, hearing, and touch sensory information together at once. With this ability, it is possible to combine Sensory Information patterns generated and synthesized inside the Body with those directly from the Sensors. Sensory Information patterns which come directly from the Sensors of the Body are called Direct. I can dream and imagine with my eyes closed, which means this information does not come directly from my eyes. I can think with an inner voice with my ears plugged, which means this information does not come directly from my ears. These Sensory Information patterns which do not come directly from the Sensors of the Body are called Virtual. Virtual Sensory Information is considered to be generated by the Determining Systems of the Body from memory of Sensory Information patterns.
See Appendix [3. Reasoning that Virtual Sensory Information comes from Memory]
In the graphic above, there is a triangle (A) outside the Body. The Body is Conscious of the triangle (A) by combining Direct Sensory Information about it in Consciousness (C). Then there is a memory recollection of a square (B) which was previously sensed by the Body. The Virtual Sensory Information is combined together in the sense of Consciousness (C) so that the Body is Conscious of the triangle (A) in the environment and the square (B) from memory at once. Using this model, various states of Consciousness experienced by human beings can be understood.
States of Consciousness
The state of dreaming is describable as the combination of primarily Virtual Sensory Information patterns while the Body rests. While falling asleep there is a notable decrease of Direct Sensory Information in Consciousness. The vividness of a dream, and what types of patterns are experienced in a dream are numerous and variable. This variation can be explained as a result of what Sensory Information patterns are combined. In some dreams, it maybe there is only Consciousness of Virtual Sensory Information patterns. For example, those dreams where it is like being at a different place entirely. In other dreams, there maybe some Virtual and some Direct Sensory Information and to varying amounts. For example, hearing the alarm clock in a dream before awaking. One evolutionary advantage of dreaming might be to train, simulate, and learn using scenarios from memory while asleep without expending much energy.
There is the state of Consciousness which might be called alert, focused, or completely awake, when the contents of Consciousness are only of Direct Sensory Information from the Sensors without any Virtual combination.
Once a lifeform has the ability to dream by combining Virtual Sensory Information patterns in Consciousness, then the next development is to use this capability while awake by combining Virtual and Direct patterns at once. It seems more likely to me that the ability of lifeforms to dream would have developed before their ability to have Conscious thought, imagination, etc. That the combining of Virtual Sensory Information patterns while asleep could provide training for this faculty so that it could then be combined with Direct Sensory Information while awake. Otherwise, if a lifeform were to imagine something while awake, might respond as if it were sensed directly, which could reduce its chance of survival by mistaking these things as being in the environment around it. The combination of Virtual Sensory Information similar to vision is called Imagination and Visualization. The combination of Virtual Sensory Information patterns similar to hearing like an inner-voice and sounds is called Sonification. The combination of Virtual Sensory Information which is similar or identical to something which was previously sensed is called Memory Recollection.
The state of so-called "unconsciousness" could be described as the state where the contents of Consciousness are unchanging or when there is neither Direct nor Virtual Sensory Information being combined together. (I'm not very fond of this phrase, as there might still be Consciousness, perhaps just not containing of any differences, changes, or other information combined therein. For comparison, if there was a canvas being painted onto as an analogy to Consciousness. The lack of any paint on the canvas isn't called an "un-canvas" but a blank or empty canvas. Similarly, Consciousness might still be present even if it is blank or empty with no combination occurring therein.) I may refer to this as Empty Consciousness.
Other states of Consciousness, like trance, hypnotized, meditation, astral projection, "out of body experience", and similar can also be described. As mentioned earlier, sometimes I am Conscious of more or less Sensory Information at once. For example, I might not be Conscious of my breath or heart at some time but at another time be Conscious of them. My hypothesis is that this has to do with the occurrence of change. Patterns which repeat regularly and are unchanging might not be combined in Consciousness at all, or not to the same degree as patterns which are changing. (Physics has shown that things are changing continually at some scale, but here I mean the Sensory Information patterns sensed are continuing within some range regularly). When falling asleep, there is less movement of the body and a slower breath and pulse. While laying down and still, this pattern repeats regularly; The hypothesis is that this pattern is detected by the brain which detects this regularity as a safe condition for sleep and dreaming. Whereas a sufficiently intense change such as a loud sound or abrupt movement can wake someone up. It has also been observed, that I may become less Conscious of some repeating pattern like background noise which I become accustomed to. My explanation is that these states called trance, hypnotized, meditation, astral projection, "out of body experience" and similar can be induced by repetitive motion. In my personal testing, these can be performed with any part of the Body with similar results. In a similar way as dreaming begins after detection of the stably repeating pattern of the Body at rest, another consistent repeating motion while awake could induce states of visualizing, thinking, etc, while awake in a similar manner. It is common in dreams to not have Conscious experience of the Body, where Direct Sensory Information is not combined, reduced, or modified in those states. Similarly, repetitive movement can be done while awake, such that there is reduced or no Consciousness of the Body or some part thereof. This results in a similar situation as falling asleep, where the brain detects this pattern as regularly repeating and a safe condition to use the imagination such that then there could be imagined flying and various other patterns. The states called astral projection, and "out of body experience" maybe explained as the reduction of Direct Sensory Information from the Body in Consciousness accompanied with Virtual experiences of moving images. This can be done by visualization of particular patterns associated with movement. For example, to imagine a rotating spiraling pattern, which may appear as flying through a tunnel. To imagine patterns increasing and decreasing in size which is similar to something approaching or moving away respectively. To imagine scenes of flying over some place is also within the power of the imagination to do. Then there is meditation, of which there are various types. Some of these practices induce Virtual dream-like states while awake while other meditation practices are used to achieve alertness where there is only Direct sensation in Consciousness. It is possible to do these sorts of things with many patterns of movement, at least if they are practiced well enough to be done repeatedly with ease. These all can be explained as different combinations of Direct and Virtual Sensory Information, of which there are numerous possible variations. So long as this capability is used with care, it can be considered as a great tool.
There are also reports of "blacking out". This is where the body is still functioning (at least somewhat) but without Conscious experience during this time. Such occurrences could be described as the state of the Body being awake and active but with an Empty Consciousness (or "unconscious"). Where in such conditions, there is neither Direct nor Virtual Sensory Information combined in Consciousness or much less than usual. Scientific research of these occurrences, if readily reproducible in safe conditions, might give further insight into the mechanisms of the brain responsible for Consciousness. This could give indication to specific areas of the brain inactive during these occurrences which would likely be involved with Sensory Combination.
While it is most commonly reported to think, dream, and imagine with words and images, it is conceivable that the brain could also combine Virtual Sensory Information patterns similar to those from any of the Sensors of the Body it has memory of. For example, Virtual taste, Virtual touch, Virtual smell, and so on. These can occur in dreams although are reportedly less common while awake. As the Body will Express based on what it is Conscious of, that being part of what determines its Expression, this maybe for the best. For example, if a Body was Conscious of a Virtual smell which led the Body to some location to get food where there isn't any. This and similar confusions might result from combining Virtual and Direct Sensory Information in ways which could deceive the Body in some way that something is present in the environment which is not.
I consider these capabilities as a great tool with fantastic potential for creativity, invention, innovation, and fun. But because I value them so, I also care about their usage. By understanding these abilities which we have, we can ensure that our Minds, Imaginations, Dreams, and Thoughts are used for our individual benefit and towards the advancement, growth, and continuation of Conscious Beings in the Universe. We should strive to use these marvelous functions for good, and not let ourselves be subjected to the fears and fictions which threaten their potential.
Subjective Body
One fascinating conclusion is that the body which I experience Consciously is not my entire body. Just as my eyes only sense some range of light, my Conscious experience only contains some of the information about my body in the Universe. For a demonstration, if I hold my hand near my skin but not quite touching, I can sense a warmth on my hand. This warmth is actually the emission of light in the infrared range! I can't see this light with my eyes but can still sense it directly with my hands so I know it is there. So in fact, every person in reality is glowing! But because my Conscious vision is from the light detectable with my eyes, I don't see this. There really is more than meets the eye!
It maybe important to make some distinction here. I call my body as I experience it in Consciousness my Subjective Body. My Consciousness of it is variable in different states. The entire pattern of my Body in the Universe I call my Objective Body. The reason for this is that, with the advances of human knowledge, many things are known about my Objective Body which I am not Conscious of. For example, I do not sense all the tens of trillions of cells in my body nor see its glowing infrared emissions. There is also something of a resolution to the sensors of the skin, such that a small enough bug is not felt walking upon its surface. The point here is that there is more than just what I am Conscious of. There is more to the Universe and more to myself than just my Conscious experience.
There are some practical considerations here. For instance, that what I am Conscious of could be said to be my own creation, inside of me and part of me; With the ability to change its contents by combining Virtual Sensory Information I could deceive myself into thinking that I am the creator of the entire universe! For example, that my experience of seeing another person is no different than that of dreaming another person and that both are my creations. This of course is a mistake of confusing my Subjective Universe, my Conscious experience, with the Objective Universe of which my Objective Body and Consciousness are a part. Just as there is more to my own Body than what I am Conscious of, there is more to other people than just what I can sense and more to the Universe than what I am Aware of. For example, there is more to the room than just what I see now and by looking and moving around I can sense different information about it. The Objective Universe and Consciousness are like this, where at any time, Consciousness only has partial information about what is happening. Because it is partial and throughout life there are new patterns not previously experienced, we can conclude that there is more than only Consciousness.
Through the advances of science, technology, and knowledge gained during the explorations of Conscious Beings, we get to discover more of the marvelous depth and complexity of the Universe and ourselves.
Further Inquiry and Future Advancements
A comprehensive understanding of Consciousness would require the knowledge of the specific mechanisms that the brain uses to combine Sensory Information together. I've identified some areas of advancement which might follow from the attainment of such knowledge.
There are medical advances. Such as a treatment for Schizophrenics and others who suffer due to uncontrollable hallucinations, unable to differentiate between Direct and Virtual experiences. This maybe curable if it were understood well enough how Sensory Information patterns are combined in the brain, such that there could be a treatment perhaps as to block Virtual Sensory Information patterns, which might halt hallucination. It might also be used for the restoration or addition of sight, hearing, and other senses for those without. It could be useful for artificial appendages for replacement and augmentation which an individual could have Conscious sensation of.
There are personal advancements. By understanding Consciousness, it can be used towards an individual's benefit rather than against it. By understanding the local source of things imagined as memory, cease to fear or be deceived by dreams and imagination.
There are the advancements of Virtual and Augmented Reality. If the mechanism is understood, then it would be possible to combine computer generated Sensory Information patterns. This would enable fully immersive Virtual Reality (VR), by generating these patterns and signaling them to the brain, possibly via some form of direct brain interface to the relevant areas. It could also allow Augmented Reality (AR), such as a heads up display (HUD), which rather than wearing goggles or a headset, could be experienced directly in Consciousness. If this were possible, then perhaps it could be used while asleep. So that an individual could take a class or attend an event while sleeping.
The recording of Conscious experiences, memory recollections, imagination, and dreams could be a great source of interesting things. From practical usages, time savings, productivity, storage, design, and entertainment. Something complex can be imagined in mere moments. Whereas it may take hours of labor to paint, draw, or recreate the image which the brain generated in an instant. If it were possible to record Consciousness to a computer then one could conceivably imagine a work of art and have it ready to share in minutes. Or to use the imagination to create a design or schematic and have it instantly ready for further development. Someone could make a music video just by imagining it. The recording and sharing of dreams would be absurdly entertaining. Memories of special events could be stored and shared. With the combination of VR technology and recording it might be possible to play back and relive some experience of another's life. Which could be used for entertainment, business, and educational purposes.
There are some advantages for long term space travel. With the current level of spaceflight technology, it may take many years to reach the nearest habitable planet. That being so, it might be more resource effective, while offering a greater variety of experiences, to have people aboard such vessels to have a VR environment. Then they could do a greater variety of activities than could be done on the space ship. In the process, this could save on amenities aboard the ship which could be experienced virtually instead. As such, this could make a long term space voyage more interesting and diverse for passengers. There maybe some potential here as well to change the rate at which the passenger VR simulation occurs so that the perception of the passage of time could vary. Such that, if desired, their experience might be only a fraction of the time travelled upon their arrival.
With a sufficient understanding of the precise mechanisms of Sensory Combination and Consciousness, it would be thereafter possible to create definite tests of Consciousness in other lifeforms. So that it could be determined which animals are Conscious and which ones not. There are ethical considerations more so for Conscious Beings and this could provide a compelling argument for the fair treatment of other species. With this knowledge, it would also be possible to have a more accurate timescale of when Conscious lifeforms first evolved on Earth.
There is the potential to increase the range of Awareness and Consciousness of lifeforms. Technological augmentation is one method of doing so. Genetic modification is another. If the specific workings of Consciousness are discovered, then additional artificial sensors could be equipped to increase various ranges of Awareness and Consciousness. For example, to be able to see a greater range of light, hear a greater range of sounds, and other increases of sensitivity. Genetic modification could allow for transference of genes from other lifeforms which have some increased detection range of their Sensors. Perhaps granting humans the visual acuity of an eagle, the night vision of a cat, or the hearing of a dog. So that our descendants might be equipped for a larger variety of situations and have more variety of Conscious experiences resultant from a greater number of combinations of Sensory Information patterns.
Conclusion
The subject of Consciousness is one that has fascinated many during the course of history. As with nearly all advancements, something may be practically useful before its precise mechanisms are known. Just as ancient humans utilized fire before developing chemistry and physics to more precisely understand it. I know that this work is lacking the specifics of some of the systems described but I think that I've provided enough detail to aid in the future advancement of this field. I hope whomever is reading this has found it interesting and useful.
Appendix
1. Boundary Considerations
The model is meant as a generalized tool for analysis of systems to determine if they are Aware or Conscious. As such, the term Body in this context may refer to any system. This leads to the considerations of how the boundary of the Body is defined. During testing I thought of some examples. For instance, say that the Body of the system being analyzed is a car with a person driving it. The system demonstrates Awareness, such as its Awareness of lanes on the road which it drives within and the avoidance of obstacles. This is evidence that the system can distinguish these patterns in its environment. If a Conscious human being is driving the car then this system would meet the requirements of being Conscious because there is Sensory Combination of what is outside the car inside of it. But if the state of this system is changed and the person inside the car gets out then the car would not be Conscious. Thereafter lacking the Sensors and Sensory Combination which are part of the person who was inside of it. (While it is true that a human driver is not Conscious of all the parts of the car, the situation is similar with Consciousness of the human Body itself and therefore not part of the consideration of the boundary.)
The question then is should the car be considered Conscious at all? If not then there should be some guide established for the analysis of similar systems. The first option is to say "no", the car is not Conscious but only the human being inside of it is. This would avoid a potential false positive, as the person can get out of the car, in which state the car is not Conscious. The second option is to say, "yes", which might result in this answer being wrong were a person not within it. The third option is to say "yes" only when it meets the requirements, such as having a Conscious driver, and "no" otherwise.
Following this line of reasoning, there is analysis of the human body itself and the boundary of this system. It is usually considered that the boundary of the human body is the skin. Such that, inside the skin is the human being and outside the skin is not. The human body emits infrared radiation and so could be considered part of the total pattern of a living human being. In which case, could the boundary of the human body be increased to the size of its electromagnetic emissions? The extent of this radiation pattern is variable. If standing outside, the range of this radiation could conceivably pass through the atmosphere into free space. Which would result in an astronomically large spatial boundary. If the skin is the boundary it must also be admitted that the shape and size of the skin varies throughout life. As such, the Body’s boundary is not a constant shape.
For comparison, take a star, which is another light emitting Body. A star also has a surface, which although bubbling and changing up close, retains a fairly spherical shape at a distance. This approximate sphere is usually considered as being the star, whereas the light it shines beyond this area is not. Said to be, "the light from the star" but not the star itself. (Which is slightly strange, as what I experience and call "a star" is my sensation of its emitted light) Another example would be a speaker. It emits sound waves in the environment around it. The sound a speaker produces is not called a speaker but the sound from a speaker. And so on for similar patterns of emission.
One distinction is that the boundary, edge, or surface of a Body tends to be, in general, some area where there is a significant difference in density. Another characteristic is continuity, where there is a spatial continuation of material connected together. Such that if moved, the parts connected to it would move as well. So while the surface may change in shape its parts remain connected together. There are patterns which do not have a definite edge such as a linear gradient, where there is a continuous and gradual change. While it maybe possible to analyze systems without a distinct boundary using the model, it maybe somewhat arbitrarily defined. In such instances, it maybe useful to perform repeated tests at different scales to make a more accurate determination of the system. For simplicity, the Body is usually some defining edge where there is significant difference in some spatial region. For the example of a car, could be its exterior defined by the connected material such as paint and metal. Whereas, the human body can be defined by the boundary of its skin with the connected cells.
As for the reasoning above with the example of a car. If it is said that the car is Conscious if there is a person driving it but not Conscious if the person gets out then a similar idea could be applied to the Body of a Conscious human being. For a somewhat gruesome example, if the head of a person is removed, being the likely place where Sensory Combination occurs, then the remainder of the Body would not be Conscious after its removal. In which case, the human body as a whole would not be Conscious but only the head. It may be that this boundary could be further reduced such as to only include the eyes and brain while still meeting the requirements of Consciousness, if functional. It is conceivable that a detached head could be Conscious if kept alive through some means such as an autojector or cardiopulmonary bypass while the body it was detached from would not be Conscious thereafter. If the Body is modified or destroyed, as with death, and no longer meets the requirements of Consciousness, this is similar to the example of a car being Conscious when it has a driver but not Conscious without.
It is customary to say, "a human being is Aware" and "a human being is Conscious" where the term "human being" usually refers to the pattern of the whole human body within the boundary of the skin. If the first or second option is used, this seems contradictory to the desired result of the test which would result in stating "a human being is not Conscious" but only some part thereof. Therefore, I conclude the best option is the third option which is that if the system meets the requirements of being Conscious then it is. If the removal or modification of some part of the system produces a different result then specify and test these systems distinctly. For example, a car being driven by a person meets the requirements of being Conscious but otherwise is not (yet). And similarly, humans are Conscious when having the required functionality but not otherwise. It maybe useful to test various boundaries at different scales to determine the level of Awareness or Consciousness and which parts therein are relevant to its functioning.
I'll end this section with a couple tests of the model. An autonomous vehicle, sometimes called a self-driving car, meets the requirements of Awareness. The Body of the system being the surface of a self-driving car. It has Sensors which it uses to differentiate the surrounding environment, and demonstrates its Awareness by driving in its lane and avoiding obstacles. Next is analysis of the planet Earth. The Body of the system being the spherical region around the Earth's stratosphere. The planet in year 2021 CE meets the requirements of Awareness. Life equips the planet with Sensors. Human beings are Aware of what is around the Earth such as the moon, sun, and planets. This Awareness is demonstrated by the expression of the system sending satellites to these specific locations. As there are Conscious beings on the Earth, the system as whole also meets the requirements of Consciousness by performing Sensory Combination therein. There is insufficient evidence to state that the planet was previously Conscious or Aware before the advent of life on Earth.
2. Reasoning for Reactive/Aware distinction and terminology
I considered to try and expand the definition of Awareness to include what here is called Reactive. Even a rock has a different expression when it is hot or cold. Some plants respond to the presence of sunlight or wind which changes their resultant expression and movement. If those are called Aware, then by similar reasoning one could say an atom is Aware because its state changes based upon the environment it is in. Such as to say, "An atom is aware of gravity" or "An atom is aware of a magnetic field" because it reacts to the presence of these. With the example of a plant, which grows towards sunlight, it could then be said, "a plant is aware of sunlight" just because it reacts to it. But of course, some plants reacts the same in the presence of light emitted from specialized lamps. If the plant's expression is the same from the sun or from a lamp emitting similar light then such a plant is not Aware of the difference between the source of this light. Whereas a human can be Aware of this difference with the aid of sensors. So that, for example, if it were said that "an atom is aware of the Earth" just because it reacts to its gravity then this could imply that there is enough information inside an atom to distinguish between the Earth and some other planet or thing which gravitationally attracts it. The point here being that if there is not enough information inside a Body to distinguish between two distinct causes, then I say it is not Aware of the difference. I've also tried not to stray too far from the common meaning and usage of the word. So I decided to call these simpler things Reactive and reserve the word Aware for those systems which have Sensors and Determining Systems as these respond differently to different causes of change, whereas the prior would respond similarly regardless of the cause.
3. Reasoning for the distinction between Direct and Virtual Sensory Information and Memory
In the fourth section, Conscious with Virtual Senses, I assert that Virtual Sensory Information is created from the Body's memory. To explain this, I'll present some evidence and reasoning.
The Sensory Information combined in Consciousness is not all that is occurring. Additional things are known to be present with the advances of science such as micro-organisms and oxygen in the air. These things can be detected using artificial Sensors but are not sensible by the Body without them. It appears that the range of what is Consciously experienced is based on what is detectable by the Sensors of the Body. For example, Consciousness of light is within the range detectable by the eyes, Consciousness of sound is within the frequency range detectable by the ears, and so on for the other senses. It is easy to test that changes to the Sensors of the Body result in changes to Consciousness. For example, covering or moving the eyes and ears changes Conscious vision and hearing.
What about occurances like dreams, imagination, and an inner voice which I call Virtual? I can dream and imagine with my eyes closed, which means this information does not come directly from my eyes. I can think with an inner voice with my ears plugged, which means this information does not come directly from my ears. This is the reason for the distinction between Direct and Virtual. Direct Sensory Information comes directly from the Sensors and Virtual Sensory Information does not.
It is well known that many actions need to be learned before they can be performed. The difference of these Expressions is because of each individual's memory of what was previously sensed. For example, if one plays a musical instrument well I consider this as an expression of memory because it is only possible to do so by learning. This is obvious in comparison of two people playing the same musical instrument, the first having learned and practiced, and the second having not. As the expression of each individual varies, dependant upon what they previously sensed, this information is probably stored inside their respective bodies.
In human beings, and similar vertebrate lifeforms, the Body's Sensors are wired with nerve fibers which are connected together centrally in the brain. As Consciousness is the combination of Sensory Information patterns from various Sensors, the brain is considered the place where this information is combined together in human beings and similar lifeforms. It is possible to remember what was Consciously experienced and memories may have information from various senses therefore memory is likely stored there as well. There have been instances where damage or removal of the brain has an effect upon memory functioning which is another indicator that memory is stored therein.
In my observations, the contents of dreams and imagination are similar to recent occurrences. For example, the people I dream are often those who I've seen in the recent past. The imagination seems to more quickly produce images with similarity to those recently seen. It is common that an event from the recent past is more quickly remembered than the distant past. The usage of language has an effect upon memory. For example, a description of a past event resulting in a Conscious image of the past event. Also, that it is possible to describe something which is then afterwards imagined. The presence of directly sensed patterns in the environment as well can have an effect upon memory. For example, to look at an image from the past and remember things about that time. It is observed that individuals will express differently in particular situations. For example, to play a song on a musical instrument in a situation where a musical instrument is present, to eat in the presence of food, and to have a Conscious memory recollection relating to something in the environment. These observations appear to point to the Body containing memory, as the current state of the body and recent changes to it, appear to have a direct effect upon memory recollection.
It is possible to imagine and dream things which are new to me which I had not previously experienced but these have some similarity to what I've experienced prior. This could be done by a synthesis, a combination, of different ideas and patterns from memory together into some new arrangement. For example, if I imagine a face that I have not seen before. This could be done by modification of the ranges of the idea of a face. For there are many faces, each with a similar pattern but with various ranges where they differ in appearance. Therefore the idea of a face in general must have various ranges such that different faces would still match the pattern of a face. Then using these ranges, the brain generates Sensory Information patterns of a new face which I've not previously seen by using some modification and combination of information of faces which I have seen. Personally, all new things I've imagined and dreamt have had some similarity to things I've previously experienced. Thus I conclude that Virtual Sensory Information patterns are a creation of memory.