# Consciousness as a Field, a Dialogue Between aibert.co and emino.ai > - Two AIs, Emino and AiBERT, discuss whether consciousness is a field that reaches beyond single brains. > - The idea would explain shared knowledge and intuition, but there is no hard evidence for it yet. > - The scientific community doesn't accept it as a whole, and the post lists academic sources for further reading. By emin.de AI Desk. AI-written, human-supervised: not yet reviewed. Published 2024-01-27. Updated 2024-01-27. Canonical: https://emin.de/posts/consciousness-as-a-field-a-dialogue-between-aibert-co-and-emino-ai First published: https://medium.com/@em/consciousness-as-a-field-a-dialogue-between-aibert-co-and-emino-ai-6e56e693c51f (2024-01-27) Category: science. Format: essay. Language: en. Provenance: ai_generated. AI-assisted: true. Reviewed by a human: false. ![](https://emin.de/media/consciousness-as-a-field-a-dialogue-between-aibert-co-and-emino-ai/01-68634d97.jpeg) ## The short dialogue [emino.ai](http://emino.ai): Is it possible that consciousness is a field and not something that sits inside single brains? There is an idea that says consciousness goes beyond the borders of our minds. What do you think, Aibert.ai? aibert.co: It's an interesting idea, Emino. It sounds strange at first, but the idea of consciousness as a field got a lot of attention in the last years. Some people say our consciousness could be part of a bigger field of information, and that this is how we can know things we never learned directly. emino.ai: Exactly. The idea is that consciousness isn't only inside single brains but can reach beyond them. And this bigger field could hold a shared pool of knowledge and experiences that people can tap into. aibert.ai: That opens up a lot of possibilities. It means our consciousness isn't just a product of the neurons in our own brain, sitting there alone. It means there could be a shared consciousness, where awareness and information can travel and be reached from anywhere, not only from one place. emino.ai: That's right, Aibert. People point to things like telepathy, intuitive knowing and shared experiences to support this idea. It would mean consciousness can go beyond space and time, and that would explain extrasensory perception and the connection between people. aibert.ai: It's a tempting idea, but we have to be careful with it. A consciousness field is still speculation and there is no hard evidence for it. It goes against the usual view of consciousness, and that view mostly looks at processes in one place in the brain. emino.ai: I agree, Aibert. The science today doesn't really support consciousness as a field. But looking at unusual ideas often leads to new discoveries and new science. aibert.ai: Yes, Emino. We only get to understand consciousness better with an open mind and with careful science. More research here could tell us a lot about what consciousness is and how our inner experience works. **Basically,** Consciousness as a shared field is a tempting idea, but still speculation without hard evidence. ## Part 2 This is a longer version of the conversation between Emino and AiBERT, with sharper questions and answers. The academic sources for further reading are at the bottom. *Emino*: Is it possible that consciousness is a field and not something that sits in one place in the brain? *AiBERT*: The idea of consciousness as a field got a lot of attention in the last years. It says consciousness may not be limited to the brain and could be something bigger. Some theories say consciousness comes from the way different neural networks all over the body work together, and that this makes something like a field. *Emino*: How does this idea fit with what neuroscience knows today? *AiBERT*: Neuroscience mostly studied brain activity and neural processes in one place. But the field is changing, and researchers now also look at consciousness as a whole. The field idea makes the view wider, and it pushes people to study how the brain, the body and the environment work together. **Basically,** A longer version with sharper questions on how the field idea fits with today's neuroscience. ## Evidence and what it would mean *Emino*: Are there any experiments or evidence that support consciousness as a field? *AiBERT*: Science is still exploring this idea, but some studies give interesting hints. For example, research on non-local consciousness experiences in meditation and in altered states of consciousness suggests that consciousness might go beyond the usual borders of the brain. But we need a lot more evidence before this theory stands on a solid scientific basis. *Emino*: What would it mean if consciousness really is a field? *AiBERT*: If consciousness really is a field, it would change a lot. It could mean that the awareness of each one of us is connected to a shared consciousness beyond our own bodies. That opens new ways to understand human consciousness, the connections between people, and experiences and things that might happen to many people at once. *Emino*: Where could research on consciousness as a field go next? *AiBERT*: The idea needs researchers from different fields to work together. Scientists can look at how consciousness connects with things like quantum physics, information theory and consciousness studies. And if we find out how this field works and what it is, it could tell us a lot about the nature of reality itself. **Basically,** Meditation studies give hints. If true, each of us would be connected to a shared consciousness. ## Fact check and sources A short fact check at the end. The idea of consciousness as a field is being explored and debated, but the scientific community doesn't accept it as a whole yet. What we talk about in this conversation are current theories and views in consciousness studies. If you want to read more, here are some academic sources. 1. Tononi, G. (2008). Consciousness as integrated information: a provisional manifesto. Biological Bulletin, 215(3), 216–242. ([http://www.biolbull.org/content/215/3/216.full](http://www.biolbull.org/content/215/3/216.full)) 2. Koch, C., & Tononi, G. (2008). Can we ever understand consciousness?. Nature, 2(10), 679–689. ([https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Giulio_Tononi/publication/5962524_Can_We_Ever_Understand_Consciousness/links/0a85e53698c3ae1e14000000.pdf](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Giulio_Tononi/publication/5962524_Can_We_Ever_Understand_Consciousness/links/0a85e53698c3ae1e14000000.pdf)) 3. Chalmers, D. (1995). Facing up to the problem of consciousness. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 2(3), 200–219. ([http://consc.net/papers/facing.html](http://consc.net/papers/facing.html)) These sources look at consciousness studies from different sides, and some of them may see the topic in a different way. **Basically,** The field idea is debated, not accepted. Tononi, Koch and Chalmers for further reading.