David Foster – yes, the empathy/ sympathy axis seems a logical place to start with evolving this capability, but I am sure you recognize it comes into play in many non-emotional situations as people conduct their many forms of communication to establish trusted relationships or even just hands-off ones. We even consider the state of minds of long dead authors as we try to plumb the information they have left us. A variation along a spectrum of “intensity” for these various TOM, rational, religious, transcendental, and related mental actions is part of my hypothesis, analogous to variations in many other abilities among humans – and presumably demonstrates a corresponding variation in genomes across a population.

If physicsguy has studied the QM aspects and claims, I would welcome his summary of what he believes is happening.

This is true. I think it’s also true that Theory of Mind abilities (which often seem to be categorized under ’empathy’) vary hugely from (human) individual to individual.

Am certainly not an expert on anything, but it seems we are born into a physical/material world with a strong connection still ‘Intact’ to/from whoever/wherever/whatever we came from. Maybe that connection is why some young ones see an “imaginary” ‘Someone/Something’ – or the term “Guardian Angle” originated from – or maybe that is why humans have a long history of creating “gods” and “religions” – or perhaps where the concept of a ‘Spark of Life within each of us’ came from – or why people seek the “Meaning of Life” – or go in a search for themselves – and/or etc.

‘Like two golden birds perched on the selfsame tree,
intimate friends, the ego and the Self dwell in the same body.
The former eats the sweet and sour fruits of the tree of life,
while the latter looks on in detachment.’ – The Mundaka Upanishad

JJ: “How do we explain transcendental experiences?” So the question remains for me, how is it that a majority of people seem to have the ability to have these experiences (or beliefs from them), while a substantial minority of the rest of us do not seem to ever encounter them? (or perhaps not frequently? or as strongly?) If as our brains evolved the ability to have these experiences led to enhanced cooperation that aided survival, some variation in this characteristic can be expected with variation in our respective DNA or epigenetic episodes.
Can consciousness be “emergent” from our population of 10^15 synaptic junctions, firing in an astronomical number of combinations, but all involving biochemical interactions [including “love”]. I remain skeptical that any QM level aspects are needed – aside from the impact of cosmic rays on DNA – but I have a couple of books on the subject yet to read, so I try to keep an open “mind” on that. 🙂

David Foster: “Do dogs, for example, have some level of consciousness but less than that of a human?”
Thus, if dogs have smaller brains, fewer synaptic junctions, etc., they may miss out on something emerging that humans can experience. Even setting aside transcendence, our abilities in Theory of Mind are pretty phenomenal compared to most other animals
[i.e., I know that you know that he knows what she knows, etc.] .

The Axis of Resistance is continuing to try to coerce Gulf states into reducing their economic cooperation with Israel .. Kataib Hezbollah warned Saudi Arabia on July 13 that it will “pay the price” for allowing Israel to conduct trade through Saudi territory .. Kataib Hezbollah accused Saudi Arabia of allowing Israel to use overland trade routes through Saudi territory “as an alternative to sea lanes.” Kataib Hezbollah was likely referring to the trade corridor that connects Israel to the Persian Gulf via the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Israel has increasingly relied on this land route to mitigate the impact of Houthi attacks on international shipping around the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea.

Gulf states ain’t the only ones the “Axis of Resistance” try to coerce, i.e., Egypt and Jordan have held steady for Israel thru such coercive tactics…

Word is that the Obama faction is giving up on their palace coup for Joe Must Go. The situation is more complicated. Trump looks stronger than ever. They don’t want to divide the party.

Furthermore, I think the Democrat nomination is now a poisoned chalice, no matter who drinks from it. So let Joe have it.