BioPhysics Final Paper: Consciousness, Keneh, Resonance, and Phenomenology

In Bali, the Balinese do not split feeling from thought but regard both as part of one process, "keneh," which is translated to "feeling-thought." While it is recognized that the feelings 'they' feel may be different from their thoughts - and there are concepts that differentiate the two - they are linked in the language.

What does this have to do with Resonance? Resonance is defined as "the reinforcement or prolongation of sound by reflection from a surface or by the synchronous vibration of a neighboring object." This "vibration" is also a sense of connection with someone or something else. Common sayings like, "I resonate with that" or "We resonate" relay this alternative meaning of the word.

Resonating is important to me and seen in "my world" within the practitioner-patient relationship I enact with in the practice of Chinese Medicine. It would be impossible to appreciate the patient's situation or problem without feeling. Like hearing someone and having that "hit you in the heart" with 'resonance.' I then might better understand what a person, in particular, my patient is saying. When there is resonance, there is communication and thus an effort at "feeling-thought," a willingness to engage in another's world and try to grasp meaning that may not reside in words, but are evoked in that experience. This is important to me as it evolves into understanding on another level.

Moving on...

Conscious experience is the "starting point" of phenomenology. Habitual patterns may take away from this... The root word of "phenomenology" is phenomena and that help explains this- that which is opposed to reality. So, our consciousness relates to phenomena but our actions and experiences don't.

From the definition above you may gather that, "consciousness" is not "resonance," according to the Balinese at least. If your consciousness does not taken into account your external experiences then those feelings towards someone or something are skewed by reality and therefore are no longer considered to be your consciousness. Do we consider thoughts and feelings the same thing- as the Balinese do? In my example above, my interpretation of this was the patient-practitioner example: if our thoughts and feelings are not mutually exclusive then what we are thinking are what we are feeling and thus can help create a greater resonance among two (or however many) "objects." But, what about the thoughts that are created in your head without any external influence? Is that just what consciousness is? Does consciousness have to be opposed to reality?

Can consciousness, feelings, and thoughts all be one thing and also each their own?

Continuing with the consciousness tangent, phenomenology is also defined as the philosophical study of the structures of experience and consciousness. "Neurophenomenology" assumes that conscious experience is grounded in neural activity in embodied action in appropriate surroundings, that which mixes pure phenomenology with logical and physical science in a way that was not wholly congenial to traditional phenomenologists.

Before this gets too convoluted with the various definitions of similar ideas, my conclusion- my interpretation. Habitual patterns, ie: brushing our teeth, putting on clothes don't take consciousness into consideration. But, other "normal patterns" of life may: life goals, meeting someone new, analyzing your decisions, thinking about that new person you might have met. Consciousness encompasses feelings and thoughts. Not all feelings and thoughts, but those that you are consciously thinking about. Phenomenology, a study of consciousness and experiences encircles conscious experience, semi-conscious, and even unconscious experiences- and maybe one's background and experiences. I see all of these concepts and definitions as a Venn Diagram- everything correlates, of course, but each can take its own path too. Alternate visions can still arise within all these concepts and everything is open to interpretation. As always ~