What would be some plausible reasons why consciousness might have evolved as a defense mechanism? What would be some plausible reasons why it might not have?
By consciousness, I am meaning everything to do with thought processes, memory, awareness etc. For me, the Nature of God is the first point of call. At some point there was something that was "simple" a "singularity". For whatever reason, this changed; it somehow evolved awareness then consciousness full blown. Awareness I would define in this instance as like a babe which is aware of things without being consciousness in the sense of what the shapes and colours are that it sees. But the same question arises, why? And it is a good question, because we are all here because of it, we are the Fractal action of that Consciousness as it develops through many different levels of the Mind. But still, why??
Let me start from this point of view. We do not know HOW life came about originally on this planet before evolution took hold. Thus there is this same, why and how? All we can say at present is that it did in both cases. The problem with the question per se is that one would require consciousness in order to ask why is there consciousness. As this did not exist at first, then somehow it developed without such a thought in the first placeas thoughts were not present. So it is hard to say that it is something which came about through
necessity for survival. So we seem to have the same problem. It somehow evolves, develops, but there is nothing which is
consciously directing it. As Dawkins cop out to the way things are seems to be, "Why not, it had to turn out some way, why not this way;" it might be that we are left with just that. I can say that Awareness was firstlike the babeand that that developed into Consciousness proper, (this is why it is reflected in us as Man). So on reflection, I don't think that it was necessary for survival, but rather just an awareness of Self. It would however, turn into being necessary for survival. The point of consciousness when it develops is that it is AWARE that it exists! Thus it does not want to die. This seems to be fundamental in the idea of Self and Consciousness being aware of that.
Now to take it to a deeper level, this would entail that everything is consciousnessas that is what it comes from relative to usand is in line with modern science theory (Hagelin, Goswami etc). Thus we would then see that everything is the Original Consciousness, the Source of all Primordial Life. As Awareness is something that seems to trigger thought, it is the first print of Self.
But awareness of what?
Just as a cat or dog might sit on a doorstep watching the leaves blow round in the wind, because they see the movement, which triggers their primordial instincts that it might be a mouse etc, then also Awareness did the same. Somehow movement came about. This is the trigger for Awareness. This means that Awareness within the Source of God would have to be present already even if dormant.
What then was the movement?
God is said to be immutable, unchangeable. What then, or how, did it change from something which is not supposed to change. Essentially it did not, nor could, yet there was change, there was something which was noticed which brought about Awareness and then full blown Consciousness. As we are created in the Image, this suggest that it was the movement of that which began to leave its own Being. In other words, conscious-self left its abode, the Primordial Monad of Existence. Again this suggests that it is already there. As Hoffman says that all science theories are based on existing ones, then this suggests the same with this idea. It was then an empting of its Mind, just as the lord "emptied himself".
Though I am no nearer answering your question, I can say that another factor was involved, and that is, rest. Seen in the seventh day, after all the employment of Creation, we see the powers of God return to their former Self, rest. Thus the Creation is the
emptying of mind, which allows the powers to return to their former Self. The point of rest is that it makes one
restless. So we see that there is a possibility there for movement through that restlessness. Again, this is supposing that these things are already present within Source at that time. (Source is the Primordial part of God- somewhere within it, just as the big-bang, are we, and everything).
So to bring this back to planet earth, the shorthand answer to why there is consciousness here is that it is evolving following a Fractal Print of the One that it left. The question is never, Why is it like this here, it is always, Why was it like that within the Primordial beginning, because everything follows this perfect pattern, but through forgetfulness within memory, we see imperfections.
Now from a higher point of view again, we mentioned that
Consciousness when it develops is aware that it exists and does not want to die. But the question then arises, why would it think it was going to die? Why would it die? If this were part of God, why die? Is God not perfect? Therein we see that the
essence of God is the same, its actual being, and yet the Consciousness, which is obviously not necessary for its own existenceor why would it fear deathchanges and can also die. This changing of Mind or renewing of Thought, leaves other thought
out to dry as it were. When one realises that everything we see is Thought, is Consciousness, then we see why nothing wishes to die. No Thought wishes to be lost. Yet this does effect the Primordial Singularity which it came from. Thus we must deduce that what is before has no need of it, but what comes after wishes to be like that which it left, and yet free from it. This is the
free spirit idea of the human mind.
So now we see what the reason is. Consciousness wishes to be free from That-which-it-Is, and thus, though the Source has no need of it, the Consciousness wishes to be its own independent Self. It wishes to leave the Temple complex and make its own Temple, it wishes to Reflect That-which-it-sees. Consciousness has been within like someone dormant in a coma on a life support machine; at that point, the body does not need consciousness as the life support machine can keep them alive. But Consciousness after its Rest, begins to develop and grows. Thus it is a threat to its very Existence, so has to leave. It is the male lion driven off from its pack. Thus we see the threat and the act of survival needed which is within that Consciousness. Consciousness therefore cannot be with Source as the Primordial Mover of all things, for it has to be its own NEW Self, like a Son to a Father. This beginning of new Realms within this released Consciousness is seen in us, Man. We are separate with our own ideas, and at some point, we shall be the thing I talk about. We shall be a primordial-mover, a starter of new beginnings. It is inevitable as Consciousness does not want to die, even if in doing that it is recycled, cyclic.
Summary:
So in short, everything has to be based on something which is already there, existing (Hoffman) which everything else comes from. This is dormant, in Rest as we would understand it. From this rest Awareness grew and then Super-Consciousness. This Separated from its own Self, and formed the All, (relative to us, our universe). It was an act of defence in order that it would not die. It wished to live, to develop; we are evidence of that as Man. It is seen, for example, in our fascination of leaving this planet, and perhaps finding a wormhole which takes us to another universe in order to sustain the human line, (Kaku); something which in itself is ridiculous when one considers that we cannot look after those in front of our face, let alone those not seen nor know yet; but we see WHY now, as we are doing exactly the same thing as the Primordial Super-Consciousness; We do not want to die as a species. Even what we lose as Man is recycled.
So in short, I would say you have something there
