Submitted as poster presentation, in International Conference IEA-2013; held at IITGn Ahmedabad; on 6-12-2013

Consciousness as soul; ancient Indian thought and modern science

Sampath kumar Medavarapu

Consciousness is a product of matter, ancient Indian and Buddhist philosophies are discussed in this regard. Modern science also confirming this, I synthesized a theory by all these. Scientific attitudes towards consciousness have changed due to the recent advances in neurophysiology. I reveal the ancient thoughts briefly. Whether consciousness is formless (nirakara) or has a form (sakara) and whether it is of-an-object (savishaya) or objectless (nirvishaya) are enormously complicated. That mind is more fundamental than matter - without contradicting modern physics. Sivasutra also conferms as C The Nyaya-Vaisheshika and the Mimamsa, the realist schools of Indian philosophy, which argue for the existence of external objects, deny any form to consciousness. Nyaya-Vaissheshikas hold that this perceptual knowledge in itself is formless. Nyaya-Vaisheshika, and also for the Bhatta Mimamsa, there is nothing within consciousness which appears in consciousness. Everything that appears in consciousness is really outside of it. As a matter of fact, one might even want to say that in this theory, consciousness has no inside. The Nyaya realism is based on it. Although it is itself inner in the sense that it is grasped by the inner sense, it itself has no inner component or Constituent and so its being is totally exhausted by its reference to its Object. The Carvakas (the materialists) argue that consciousness inheres and belongs to the body. The Naiyayikas vehemently criticize this conception of Carvakas. They agree with the Carvakas in so far as the

Submitted as poster presentation, in International Conference IEA-2013; held at IITGn Ahmedabad; on 6-12-2013

Carvakas assert that a quality cannot have an independent existence of Its own, but argue that consciousness cannot be a quality of the body for the following reasons. 1-Consciousness cannot be a quality of the body, because it is not found in dead bodies.Answering- C is a quality of the cerebellum. In cerebral death man cant move, like that C will not work. 2-A body continues to exist eyen in the absence of consciousness. If it were a property of the body, it would also exist in the different parts of the body and also in the ultimate ingredients, that is, the bhutas, of which a body is composed. In that case, consciousness would exist in the different parts of the body when the body is separated and divided in different parts. However, there is no consciousness in the parts and the constituents of the body; therefore, consciousness cannot be a property of the body. Naiyayikas conclude that consciousness is an attribute of the self [Soul], which exists independently and is different from the body, the senses, the mind, and consciousness. Modern neurobiologists research points are as follows Two key facts about brain mechanisms underlying two form of memory. Two specific brain areas are called 1-Hippocampus; 2- Amygdale, former one is for memories of facts and events depend on that, later one is for emotional memories processing.