What is experience?

Unpacking the concept of experiences 

Experience

Previously, we discussed the purpose of humans and ultimately concluded that experience is that purpose. However, we didn’t delve into the meaning of experience. In this article, we will explore the meaning of experience.

What is experience?

When we try to find a scientific meaning of experience, science cannot provide an exact, universally agreed-upon definition of subjective experience. This is because the same stimulus, such as a bowl of drinking water consumed by 100 people, yields 100 different subjective experiences; it’s inherently personal. However, when we try to understand the fundamental basis of experience, we can explore the concepts of space and consciousness.

Space: When we think about space, our minds often go to planets, stars, and so on. However, we often overlook that space is also all around us. Imagine a hypothetical scenario where there are no planets, no stars, etc. According to modern physics, space would still possess energy, which is an intrinsic aspect of spacetime and inseparable from it. Similarly, if you remove all active thoughts from your awareness, some philosophical and meditative traditions describe a foundational or "plain" state of consciousness, which could be conceptually likened to the fundamental nature of space. In the context of cosmology, the interaction of spacetime and energy in the early universe led to the creation of the cosmos. By analogy, the interaction of this foundational state of consciousness with the flow of time gives rise to the unfolding of experience through various aspects.

Underlying Foundation: Space is often seen as a fundamental aspect of physical reality, an underlying framework within which events occur. Similarly, consciousness is often considered a foundational aspect of our being, the ground upon which our mental lives and subjective experiences unfold.

In simple terms (as analogies):

Consciousness + Time → Unfolding of Experience

Spacetime + Energy → Formation of the Cosmos

Complexities of Experience

The above analogies suggest that Spacetime + Energy led to the formation of the cosmos, and this cosmos is the arena in which experiences occur. From a philosophical perspective, one could argue that through conscious beings within the cosmos, the universe gains a form of self-awareness or a way to "experience itself."

We can categorize experience as sensory experience and consciousness experience. Sensory experience involves our physical senses and is often readily perceived and described in general terms (e.g., sugar is sweet, lemon is sour, hot is hot, cold is cold, pleasant aroma vs. bad smell). However, when we try to quantify these sensory experiences (e.g., the degree of sweetness), individual perception and interpretation can vary. For example, if you put your hand on a hot pan without consciously registering it beforehand, you will feel pain.

And if you put your hand on a hot pan knowing it is hot, you will still feel pain, yet the overall experience, including your anticipation and emotional response, will likely differ. The fact that a single person in a single situation can experience things differently at different times highlights the complexity of experience. All sensory inputs contribute to human experience; even the experience of a bowl of soup can evolve from the first sip to the last due to factors like changing temperature and satiation. Moreover, each sip can reveal something new, be it subtle ingredients or a shift in the overall flavor.

Consciousness Experience

This type of experience is characterized by mental states and subjective awareness, this type of experience occurs not through sensory organs.Examples include feelings like love and empathy, or the internal experience of winning a competition. These experiences are also deeply personal and can vary significantly between individuals.

There are numerous factors that influence experience, leading to a diversity of subjective realities.

Factors Influencing Experience:

Geographical factors (e.g., differing perceptions of cold based on climate), language (e.g., initial experience of a new language as noise versus meaningful sounds), culture, time, adaptation, acceptance, expectations, knowledge and many other variables shape our experiences. Even significant life events like the death of a loved one can result in different experiences depending on the circumstances (e.g., sudden loss versus prolonged illness).

Unique Biological Hardware: Each person has a slightly different biological makeup, including their sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, etc.) and their nervous systems. The number and sensitivity of receptors can vary, as can the efficiency of neural pathways. Even brain structure also differs in subtle ways. This means that the initial sensory input received from the same external stimulus can be subtly different from person to person. We can easily conclude that biological differences contribute to subjective experience between individuals. However, if we delve a little deeper, we find that even within the same person and the same scenario, the output of experience can differ from moment to moment.

One might ask why experiences differ even in seemingly identical scenarios. From a philosophical perspective, our individual embodiment within spacetime, our unique energetic makeup (biological and neurological), and our interaction with the quantum realm could be seen as contributing to the nuanced and varied nature of our perceptions and experiences. While our macroscopic world appears relatively stable, at the quantum level, reality is probabilistic and dynamic, potentially contributing to the uniqueness of each experience.

Our universe is vast, and within our perceived reality, matter constitutes a relatively small portion compared to space and time. While Einstein's theory of relativity describes space and time as interconnected within spacetime, some theoretical frameworks suggest that at a more fundamental level, space and energy might be the primary constituents. Similarly, our conscious awareness, while seemingly vast, encompasses a limited range of potential experiences. Some philosophical traditions propose that experiencing the illusory nature of our everyday perceptions can lead to a deeper understanding of a more fundamental or "plain" state of consciousness, which is described as a constant or unified experience. This could be interpreted as a "journey from zero to zero," moving from a state of basic potentiality to a state of profound, unified awareness.

The idea that "Consciousness communicates with us in a way that is audible to us but not to others" is generally understood as internal thought processes rather than external auditory communication. Similarly,  The idea of communication through vibrations within particles remains within the realm of theoretical exploration." This separates the established understanding from the more speculative idea.Consciousness is understood to be intricately linked to our physical body, particularly the brain. While there are philosophical ideas about a more universal consciousness, the notion of directly connecting our individual consciousness to the universe in a way analogous to our connection with our body to "boost" experience and perceive "real things" is speculative and not currently supported by scientific evidence.

The feeling that consciousness is located in the brain is strongly supported by neuroscience, although the precise mechanisms are still being investigated. While the body provides sensory input crucial for conscious experience, the integration and generation of consciousness are primarily attributed to brain activity. The idea that consciousness is "acquired all over the body" is not the prevailing scientific view.

If we acknowledge the potential for illusory aspects in our perception, the fact that understanding this intellectually doesn't immediately change our everyday experience highlights the deeply ingrained nature of our habitual ways of perceiving and interacting with the world. The example of smoking illustrates this: even with the conscious understanding of its negative effects (an "experience" of knowledge), the experiential pull of addiction can be powerful. This suggests that genuine shifts in experience often require more than just intellectual understanding; they may involve direct, embodied experience and transformation. The idea of repeated births seeking a "real experience" is a concept found in some spiritual and philosophical traditions.

Conclusion 

Finally, the conclusion that "experience is a journey from zero to zero" and that "keeping our consciousness plain is what can be called real experience" represents a specific philosophical viewpoint that emphasizes a return to a foundational state of awareness beyond the fluctuations of everyday experience. This is a concept explored in various contemplative practices and philosophical schools of thought.

When changes arise, there existed time; therefore, time is key for experience. There is also an experience of that which is constant or beyond time. These lives teach us that even within time and the illusion of experience, we seek to experience the constant, that which is before time. This cannot be learned through theory alone; practical application is needed. The practical application of the above concepts is our life.

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