What is a thought?

[MagnetMan]

My first thought? How do people still believe such nonsense?

 

There had to be a first thought, matey, and it could not have been nonsensical - or we would still be running round with monkey-sized brains.

 

I guess asking what anybody thinks that first thought was, is a litte too profound for physicists.

 

Settling on an apposable thumb as the orginator of thought sounds a lot more nonsensical to me..:lol:

[InfiniteNow]

There had to be a first thought, matey, and it could not have been nonsensical - or we would still be running round with monkey-sized brains.

 

You've missed my point. It could be that it was over your head, but more likely is that you are blinded by your own certainty.

 

 

I guess asking what anybody thinks that first thought was, is a litte too profound for physicists.

 

Yeah, because that's a problem physicists often face, something being too profound.

 

Settling on an apposable thumb as the orginator of thought sounds a lot more nonsensical to me..:lol:

 

Agreed. Thought came WELL before thumbs did.

[questor]

Man's first thought:

Damn, i have to take a s..t and there's a raptor at the cave door!

[IDMclean]

It's simple, it was the thought of every creature, because it's such basic.

I mean it's so basic I could see a caveman thinking it.

 

"F*ck!"

[MagnetMan]

The difference between a physicist and a jock is that one is all mental muscle and no abs and the other is all bod and little brain.

Net result, neither nerds nor muscleheads can answer a basic question that defines how a hominid stumbled down the path that led towards humaness and eventual intellectual smarts.

Has nobody got a better answer for what might have been man's first thought than, F#@k! or Nonsense? Or are you going to keep dodging the question?

I mean, what is the point of giving us your take on thought, if you cannot give us some idea of the first throught, that led to further thought?:hihi:

Give you a clue. The right brain needs to be engaged to get that kind of introspective answer. Really tricky answers always lie within, :shrug:

I am sure glad I took up metaphsyics when I did, for it engages both mind and body. :)

[IDMclean]

What I ment is that the first thought, if there is such a thing was something akin to an explenative. Either indicating problem, solution or need.

 

If you are talking about cognition in human form, or indicating that humans think and animals don't I will swiftly point out that humans are animals and there is little that distiguishes us from them. An animal thinks everybit as much as we do.

 

The greatest barrier being that of language.

 

Also I think it is obivious that not everyone here agrees on just what thought is. How does it differ from belief, emotion, instict, or other?

[hallenrm]

Tell me the origin of species and I will answer your question about the origin of thought!!!:shrug: :)

[InfiniteNow]

As I presented earlier, thought came before human, however, to address MagnetMan's question, I would propose the first thought was something on the order of:

 

Ouch or Not Ouch.

[MagnetMan]

What I ment is that the first thought, if there is such a thing was something akin to an explenative. Either indicating problem, solution or need.

None of the above.

I'll give you another clue. The first thought set off a light bulb - very dim to be sure, maybe less than a quarter watt, but it brought the first glimmer of inner light.B)

 

If you are talking about cognition in human form, or indicating that humans think and animals don't I will swiftly point out that humans are animals and there is little that distiguishes us from them. An animal thinks everybit as much as we do.

Man has evolved into a meta-normal animal. The first thought ensured that. Animals like tiny infants, live in the here and now. Thought requires the artiifcial construction of space/time. Babies and animals have no need for that.

 

The greatest barrier being that of language.

Also I think it is obivious that not everyone here agrees on just what thought is.

Thought transcends language. Language distorts and deadens its meaning. It works best via telepathic projection. Real communion is when one senses what another is thinking.

 

How does it differ from belief, emotion, instict, or other?

 

Belief is the result of thought.

Emotion is the result of experience.

Instinct predates and prempts thought.

[InfiniteNow]

As I presented earlier, thought came before human, however, to address MagnetMan's question, I would propose the first thought was something on the order of:

 

Ouch or Not Ouch.

 

 

However, if you limit it to humans, something more like "Ahhhh....cozy in here it is..." Complete with the mother's heart beat massaging our developing body.

[HappytheStripper]

It is therefore not just one thought .. it is a matter of thought .. a matter of energy .. and a mass of conscious awareness ..

 

Think of it this way - the universe is self aware .. and knows it .. therefore it may be described as a wave of energy ..

 

Man jumped through the eye of a needle .. how did he do it .. ??

 

Simple with just one thought !!! He knew he could and did!!!

 

A human thought is determined by the conscious level of the thinker .. the thought process has many differing levels .. unconscious thought .. sub-conscious thought .. and conscious thought ..

 

The dog or the bird haha yeah my dog thinks too .. about the bird .. and the bird thinks "Oh **** .. Im Outties!!" And as for my cat - it sits and imitates the bird call .. which takes great thought .. however it is mostly sub-conscious .. and relies on external circumstances .. to trigger a reflex reaction ..

 

The average human mind may have as many as 90,000 per day .. :) become a silent witness and watch your thoughts for a day :)

 

Kinda gives you something to think about eh!

 

Ashley

[MagnetMan]

However, if you limit it to humans, something more like "Ahhhh....cozy in here it is..." Complete with the mother's heart beat massaging our developing body.

 

You are getting warmer. As stated in the first clue. You need to access your right brain to make that recall - for like the first thought 2.5 million years ago, it lies deep inside the sub-conscious. But it is there never the less, and it can be recalled.

Every child re-experiences our first ancestor's same original first thought. Can you recall your very first thought? If you have a child of your own, did you take note when it had its very first thought. When did it take place? What was it? And what resulted from it? All these are vital metaphsyical questions, that if one can find the right answer, leads to a profound sense of self-awareness, which in turn leads to a more holistic sense of purpose, which in turn leads to a greater degree of excellence in performance.

Third clue: Plato's injunction was more profound than Descartes' statement about thought.

[InfiniteNow]

Can you recall your very first thought?

 

No, but you cannot either. At best, you'd have a false memory of it.

[questor]

if you are asking what bodily processes, chemical, electrical, enzymatic, are needed to create a thought, i don't think anyone knows.

[hallenrm]

A thought is an evolved idea; the evolution of an idea into a thought requires contemplations. A thoughts can evolve further into a concept.

[ronthepon]

Not nessecarily just ideas. Thoughts also consist of random bits of sensible or nonsensible bits of information, experience, possibilities, etc that keep hovering just behind our observing part.

 

If one has checked out Zen Buddhism(Check for Echart Tolle or some name like that) one begins to realise the process of working of thoughts. I am not asserting this rigidly, because even I am not sure.

 

According to this belief, or cult, or whatever, our mind is a not part of the true 'ourself'. We are different from our mind. This can be shown by the fact that we fail to quiten our mind with ease, and that it is not our will what it displays (better said 'thinks')

But the science can call this associated with the subconcious and all that.

 

Does anybody out there know the working of Zen Buddhism? Maybe he/she can correct me if I am very inaccurate.

[MagnetMan]

According to this belief, or cult, or whatever, our mind is a not part of the true 'ourself'. We are different from our mind. This can be shown by the fact that we fail to quiten our mind with ease, and that it is not our will what it displays (better said 'thinks')

But the science can call this associated with the subconcious and all that.

 

Does anybody out there know the working of Zen Buddhism? Maybe he/she can correct me if I am very inaccurate.

 

As stated in an earlier post, thought has to be associated with the artificial (subjective) structure of space and time. In order for a thought to occur, there has to be an observer and the object/concept/idea that has been brought before mind - a sense of separation has to take place. This separation is illusory, for in reality only ONE (God) exists. In order for the sense of separation to be sustained, an ego has to be created. This ego is a false "I" which is created during the weaning process after infancy, and which we all gradually grow to identify with ever more strongly as an independent self.

 

During zazen ( seated meditation) the object is to halt the endless churning of the thought process (created by the ego in order to maintain the illusion of separatness) and try to achieve a moment of "no-mind". When all thought is stilled, the true 'is-ness" of self/life is seen. The ego disappears and only ONE remains with no thought distracting the blissful state of of beingness. In effect, space/time is transcended and with it the illsuion of separateness.

 

There are thousands of recorded instances of meditators remaining in this suspended state for days, even months.

 

So, to answer my own original question about what is the first thought of our first ancestor and of every infant - it is the naive realization of being separate- of being apart from the ONE. All further thought is structured on that illusory reality. Death ends the process and the ego merges with the ONE.