Conscious and Never Woke: My Treatise on Conscience

Consciousness: The Dancehall Between Mind, Brain, and the Universe

Yuh ever stop fi wonder if yuh mind is di driver or di passenger inna yuh life? Is consciousness just di brain running its computations like a high-tech quantum computer, or is it something deeper—like a cosmic hand reaching through space and time to whisper, “Yuh alive, mi fren”?

I've instinctively believed this to be true from I realized thinking starts in the brain as a child. I just automatically thought consciousness was the experience of all the computation happening in he brain to create a real time interplay with the environment the organism is in!

Is Consciousness a conscience, is the mind a soul, is the brains house to the mind or the soul? Is consciousness tied to identity? I started wrestling with these topics after starting the #Spiderman clone saga and the story when Chameleon tried to con Peter Parker with fake parents. It triggered years of story telling where Spider-Man wondered if his memories were real. If memories or biology or soul determined who we were. Was he Peter because of his parents or his memory of them etc his experiences and if his clone had those memories did it mean the clone was the same person and was that determined by his biology. That shit was trippy for a 10 year black Caribbean child wrestling with similar ideas in a Jamaican context. Wally West's Flash made me question physics, could molecules and atoms really vibrate and make a material man become immaterial? Could a man or anything move so fast that time could slow and eventually reverse? Yep sci-fi had me thinking and going deeper than the STEM in the education system!

Di mind-brain duality has always been one big debate, like whether curry chicken or chicken curry is di right way fi seh it. (Spoiler: it’s curry chicken. Don’t argue wid mi.) But jokes aside, dis reasoning is as old as philosophy itself. From di Greek man Democritus a chat ‘bout atoms to Descartes wid him famous “I think, therefore I am,” philosophers an’ scientists been trying fi figure out if di mind is just di brain’s vibes or if it’s something more mystical—something beyond di flesh an’ bone.

Your Brain: The Quantum Machine in Your Skull

Now, let’s talk about di brain itself. Picture it as a quantum supercomputer processing trillions of bits of information per second. It’s a mad ting, nuh true? DON'T! But here’s where we get to the seasoning in the reasoning: A bredda name Dr. Stuart Hameroff—di same man weh been stirring up controversy from di 1990s—claims dat consciousness is more than just neurons firing like gun salute. Him seh it’s rooted in quantum processes deep inside di microtubules of di brain.

Microtubules? A weh dat? Don’t worry, mi nah tek yuh back to high school biology. Just know seh microtubules are like tiny highways inside yuh cells. Hameroff, along wid Sir Roger Penrose, seh dese highways nuh just carry proteins an’ waste; dem also carry di quantum signals dat create consciousness. Imagine yuh brain as a dance floor, an’ di microtubules are di riddim section, coordinating every move in perfect harmony.

But wait, it get deeper. Dem seh dis quantum computing inna di brain nuh just process yuh thoughts an’ feelings. It might actually link yuh consciousness wid di foundation of di universe itself—space-time. Yeah, mi seh it. Di universe could a di big selector, an’ yuh consciousness is di dance.

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Mind vs Brain: Who’s Running the Show?

Now here’s di big question: If di brain a di hardware, is di mind di software, or is it something else entirely? Di mind-brain duality argument is a classic “chicken or di egg” situation. Brain scientists seh consciousness is just what happen when di brain compute all di sensory input an’ memories inna real time. It’s like di brain a run one big virtual reality simulation, an’ di mind is just experiencing di show.  

But spiritualists, mystics, an’ even some quantum physicists seh, “Hold on now. What if consciousness is separate from di brain? What if di brain is just di radio, an’ consciousness is di signal coming from somewhere else?”  

Hameroff’s theory seh consciousness might even have a quantum connection to di afterlife. Wild, right? Him argument is dat since quantum states can interact wid spacetime, maybe yuh consciousness is part of a bigger universal network dat nuh dead when di brain shut off. It’s like when yuh phone battery dead, but di Wi-Fi signal still on.  

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The Cosmic Connection: Space-Time and Quantum Consciousness

Alright, let’s zoom out fi a second. Tek a deep breath an’ look up at di stars. What if consciousness is more dan just a ting happening inna yuh head? What if it’s tied to di very fabric of reality itself?

Quantum mechanics already twist up wi brains wid ideas like particles existing in multiple states at once (superposition) an’ particles affecting each other instantly across distances (entanglement).

Unnu see why me watch sci-fi and read comic now? A dem sittn yah a rattle in me head as it me brain a tackle... when you see me a easy, nuh feel like me idle and the engine on just a throttle... parri man inna intellectual battles. Any back to wah mi did a seh...

Hameroff and Penrose argue dat di brain’s microtubules are like tiny quantum computers dat interact wid di quantum fabric of space-time. Mi know, it sound wild—like some sci-fi movie. But di truth is, nobody fully understand di quantum world yet. Well certainly #Marvel and #Antman don't overstand it yet.

Imagine if consciousness is like a ripple inna di ocean of space-time. Yuh brain is just di tool dat translate di ripple into thoughts, memories, an’ experiences. In dis view, di universe itself might be conscious, an’ we are all just likkle sparks of dat greater awareness.

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Jamaican Reasoning: What Dis Mean Fi We?

So weh all dis leave us? Fi wi culture always teach wi fi question di deeper meaning of life. Whether it’s reasoning pon di corner wid di elders or looking out pon di sea an’ wondering if God deh in di breeze, Jamaicans have an instinct fi connect di physical wid di spiritual.  

If Hameroff right, den maybe consciousness is di bridge between di physical brain an’ di infinite universe. Maybe wi nuh jus’ a live fi wi likkle lives, but wi connected to something bigger—something cosmic. It’s a humbling thought, nuh true? Like di same way yuh feel small but connected when yuh look out pon di Milky Way.

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Final Thoughts: Consciousness as Di Ultimate Mystery

At di end of di day, consciousness is still one of di biggest mysteries inna science an’ philosophy. Is it just di brain computing everything like a supercomputer? Or is it a quantum connection to di universe itself? Maybe it’s both.  

What we do know is dis: Yuh brain is a marvel, an’ di fact dat yuh can even sit down an’ reason ‘bout dis topic means di dance between di mind an’ di brain is alive an’ kicking. So next time yuh deh pon di veranda or di beach, just smile an’ remember: yuh consciousness is di ultimate dancehall between yuh brain and di universe. An’ mi nuh know ‘bout yuh, but mi glad fi be a part of di big dance inna the big lawn.

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Dere yuh have it—my thoughts and take pon di whole mind-brain-universe ting. Walk good, mi fren, an’ keep reasoning deep! Till then... this Jamaican Philosopher is out here in the streets!

Afrotopia

The Black Tomorrow

"...the map of the new world is in the imagination..."
-Robin D.G. Kelley, Freedom Dreams

In the year 2169, when you pick up the device of the day and peruse the news, you are met with headlines forecasting a world population of over ten billion and record-breaking sales of electric vehicles. Articles like “The slow death of the carbon energy era” and “Society and the hybrid generation” catch your eye, but it is the news of the first successful human colony on Saturn’s moon Titan that truly captures your attention. As you click through the accompanying images, you discover that the first person on Titan is a young black woman, hailing from Xaymaca, formerly known as Jamaica. This revelation strikes you deeply, as you look out the window and realize you are not even in Jamaica, but rather in Afrotopia, a newly-formed state in Africa that lives up to its name as an African Utopia, phonetically similar to Ethiopia. Yes, it is real. The future is Black.

In Afrotopia, the future is black and African, where the continent informs and expands those identities. Afrofuturism imagines a world where identities are reconnected with our ancient deities and archetypes, where borders and boundaries between our physical , spiritual and metaphysical worlds are blurred, and where there is room for a plethora of forms of existence. Afrofuturism offers a way of understanding the world that does not rely on western philosophical frameworks, but rather on an organic and evolving understanding of identity. 

Yet, some how, such a noble idea and ideal.... the notion of imagining and re-imaging the African continent is often met with difficulty and derision, mocks and jeers, thanks to Western indoctrination and brainwashing that has instilled stubborn clichés and pseudo-certainties in our collective consciousness. Racism has ravaged history and warped our understanding of our Motherland, perpetuating myths and lies about its state of being. Even during the dawn of independence in the 1960s, Afro-pessimistic ideas painted Africa as a continent that was “badly off” and “adrift.” In the midst of the AIDS pandemic, some even advocated for the extinction of life on the continent.

But we must emancipate ourselves from the mental slavery that racism and the West’s psyche have imposed on us. It is through imagination that we will liberate ourselves from these mental shackles. That is the mission of what today is dubbed the Afrofuturist, and Afrofuturism dear reader, is about imagining a future where black people survive, but it is also a way of reclaiming the past and the present, and re-imagining them in a way that centers blackness. It is a way of questioning and subverting dominant narratives and power structures that have historically excluded black people. Afrofuturism provides a space to explore the complexities of identity, culture, and history through a lens that is not limited by Western ideas of progress and civilization.

Afrofuturism carries with it a flashy aesthetic flair that is now significantly impacting pop culture; it is a space that envisions the future of Black lives beyond the constraints of conventional science fiction, and things like Marvel's Black Panther and Wakanda Forever are barely scratching the tip of the iceberg that is Afrofuturism. Science fiction provides a platform to explore the future in all of its potential utopian and dystopian outcomes, but the genre often relegates Black people to secondary characters who quickly perish, without delving into how race might exist in the future.

This is an ironic approach, given that the same genre depicts superheroes, aliens, robots, and even post-racial white people in situations that Black people have lived for centuries. Forced labor, false imprisonment, involuntary biological testing, and compulsory sterilization may sound like dystopian fiction, but they are all very real and traumatic experiences among members of the African diaspora. Simply being Black and alive is already an Afrofiction. For those of us from communities with historic collective trauma, we must understand that each of us is already science fiction walking around on two legs. Our ancestors dreamed us up and then bent reality to create us. So when you revisit and re-read my opening paragraph, know that it is both a reality, but yet to be.

There is a stark disconnect between science fiction and Black people, but fortunately, the global Black imagination is expansive, and Afrofuturism has emerged as an all-encompassing term that encompasses an art form, a practice, and a methodology that allows Black people to see themselves in the future, despite their distressing past and present. Members of this movement, think up a wide range of visions for what a Black future could look like and be. Afrofuturist art and politics provide a gateway to another galaxy where Blackness survives and a means of expressing the urgency of real Black freedom. Blackness in the future is alive, with access to technology, knowledge, and power. It is Blackness that can make real what is currently only a vision of a life-sustaining world for Black peoples.

What might this Afrofuturistic freedom look like? Perhaps it can be found in the Egyptian-inspired headpieces and clothing worn by Sun during his musical performances or his cult film, Space Is the Place; or, closer to home, we might find it in a bulletproof black male character like Luke Cage whose superpower is being immune to public will to end black lives. Perhaps it is Bogle and Tommy Lee Sparta like "Dancehall Gothica," maybe it is akin to Makonnen Blake-Hannahs Space Age Rasta or the ambient reggae of Easy Star All-Stars. Or, perhaps it is insisting on a tomorrow for a people whose past has been written out.

Blackness in the future is alive, with access to technology, knowledge, and power. That blackness then can make real what today is only a vision of a life-sustaining world for black peoples. Imagine a black planet, Planet Melanin. Afrofuturism offers a “highly intersectional” way of looking at possible futures or alternate realities through a black cultural lens. It is non-linear and fluid; it uses the black imagination to consider mysticism, metaphysics, identity and liberation; and, despite offering black folks a way to see ourselves in a better future, Afrofuturism blends the future, the past and the present. The world of Afrofuturism is a world of endless possibilities, where technology, art, and culture are intertwined and constantly evolving. It is a world where black people are not just surviving but thriving, where our creativity and resilience are celebrated, and where we are free to imagine and create a future that is truly ours.

In the end, Afrofuturism is a call to action, a reminder that the future is not predetermined, and that we have the power to shape it. It is a way of imagining a world that is just, equitable, and inclusive, and working towards making that world a reality. So let us embrace the power of Afrofuturism, and together, let us imagine a future that is truly black and free.

 

 #tech #culture #politics #environment #health #education #finance #art #entertainment #sports #science #business #travel #lifestyle #food #fashion #beauty #relationships #spirituality

The 7 Health Benefits of JACKFRUIT!

Since I haven't blogged in awhile I thought I'd just jump on the latest Jamaican and Caribbean  blogging fads, cool lists and the health benefits of under examined Jamaican foods. Yippeee... I picked Jackfruit, because I hate it and how it smells and I haven't seen it in the blogosphere yet. But I always wondered if i did eat it though, wow it would be a whopper food solution... its just so hugemungous...

So before I jump into the list here is the usual summary and breakdown I'll swipe from Wikipedia or a composite of authorities:

The jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), also known as jack tree, jakfruit, or sometimes simply jack or jak^[6] is a species of tree in the mulberry and fig family (Moraceae).
It is native to parts of South and Southeast Asia, and is believed to have originated in the southwestern rain forests of India, in present-day Goa, Kerala, coastal Karnataka, andMaharashtra.^[7] The jackfruit tree is well suited to tropical lowlands, and its fruit is the largest tree-borne fruit,^[8] reaching as much as 35 kg (80 lb) in weight, 90 cm (35 in) in length, and 50 cm (20 in) in diameter.^[9]The jackfruit tree is a widely cultivated and popular food item in throughout the tropical regions of the world. Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh, by name Kanthal (কাঁঠাল) in Bengali language.^[10] The Jackfruit tree can produce about 100 to 200 fruits in a year. The Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world. Its weight can range from from 10 lbs to over 100 lbs.

Jackfruit is a one of a kind tropical fruits, recognized for its unique shape, size, and fruity flavor which is akin to Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gone wild... its massive bulb can be spot from a distance. The fruit is smell sweetie-sweetie, and much like an over ripe breadfruit in taste. It shares a fragrant commonality with other tropical fruits such as durian, banana etc., But suprising most of all is its health benefits. It is rich in energy, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins and free from saturated fats or cholesterol, making it one of the healthy late summer  early autumn natural foods to dive into! So here is the  list:

1. Energy Booster: 100 g of edible jackfruit bulbs provide 95 calories. It's made of soft, easily digestible fleshy bulbs made up of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly.
2. Dietary Fiber: It's a good bulk laxative. The fiber content helps protect the colon mucous membrane by binding to and eliminating cancer-causing chemicals from the colon.
3. Vitamin-A:  Vitamin A is required for maintaining eyes as well as the integrity of mucusa and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin-A, and carotenes has been found to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
4. B-complex group of vitamins: Forget about the RedBull... this fruit... it contains very good amounts of vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), niacin, riboflavin, and folic acid. It is rare that a fruit is rich in B-complex vitamins
5. Vitamin-C: Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.
6. Minerals: It's a good source of potassium, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
7. Protein: Jackfruit seeds are rich in protein. In general, the seeds are gathered from the ripe fruit, sun-dried then roasted. Boiled jackfruit seeds are also edible. Often compared to Brazil nuts, they are quite commonly used in curry in the Indian state of Kerala.