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From: hess@psuvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.ai
Subject: Re: brain, a parallel processor ?
Message-ID: <435@psuvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 1-Feb-84 01:21:36 EST
Article-I.D.: psuvax.435
Posted: Wed Feb  1 01:21:36 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 01:38:59 EST
References: <16185@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ.
Lines: 28

I find, upon introspection, that I process in parallel.
(the introspection being done at the same time as the other
processing, of course :-)  A useful question to ask, it seems, is the
place of the unconscious in a consideration of parallelism.  Also
relevant are what cognitive psychologists call "dispositions," which are
tendancies of the mind to recognize coherence in its environment.  Why
are they relevant, you ask?  Well, a good question to ponder over is
whether dispositions operate at the conscious level, the subconscious
level, or both.

In addition, since imagination is the interface between conscious and
unconscious, almost any mental activity I can imagine engaging in
involves parallel processing.  (That mental activity and the imagining
happening simultaneously, you understand :-)  Probably the best example
I can come up with to make my point occurs during the reading of poetry.
Whenever I think back on my thoughts, feelings, and emotions while
reading any good poetry (or listening to good music, or enjoying any art
form, for that matter), I cannot conceive of any time-sharing or serial 
processing scheme that would allow for the same subjective experiences.
-- 

                              (If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him)

                              Nathan Hess


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