It is considered that there are some long-range ZM models (image or symbolic),
which contain the being as an element. When such a model is activated, it has
to initialize. That is, it has to find the positions of all the elements
(including the being itself) and to find all the relations between the
elements by interaction with the external reality.
The consciousness is the capacity of a brain to make and operate a model,
which contains the being as an element.
It is very important to emphasize that such models are normal models, which
are made by that brain in interaction with the external reality. Such models
cannot be assimilated by education, for instance.
The level of consciousness is associated with the capacity of that brain to
find and refresh, in a continuos way, the position of the being in a model.
Such models are long-range models. Their elements are already developed as
models. Some models can also contain some elements associated with the person.
The number of planes of consciousness could be high.
Example: I am a Romanian citizen. I live in Europe, so I am also European. I
have a job; I have a position there. I live in a block of flats; I have also a
position in relation with the others who also live in my block of flats, and
so on.
There are some models, which does not contain the person in an explicit way.
This is level-1 of conciousness. Only some parts of that person are taken into
account. The consciousness is of level 2 when the person appears in an
explicit way in relation with other persons. On level 2, the person is
integrated in a group; the person knows the aims and the rules of the group
and acts accordingly.
Examples: when a person drinks water from a glass, the person does not appear
in an explicit way; only some components of that person are taken into
account. If the person knows what he is doing, and is able to predict his
evolution, then he is on level 1 of consciousness. If a person plays a game in
a team, and he knows the aims and the rules of the group and communicates with
the members of the group, then that person is on level 2 of consciousness. On
level 2, the person is integrated in the model, as an explicit element, as any
other person of that group.
Problem: On level 2, a possible problem is to consider one's own activity as a
good one, and to consider that some other members of the group are low quality
persons. This could happen with a non-homogenous group, but also it is
possible that the model is a low quality one (the person has made a low
quality model associated with the aims and the rules of the group). As we
know, any model is made to be stable (logical or harmonic). We also know that
the stability of a model is not a guarantee that the model reflects in a good
way the external reality. Thus, for a good level 2 of consciousness, it is
necessary that all the members of the group have about the same basic model.
Observation: it is possible that faced with a new external reality, for which
there is no available model, the PSM activates itself. As the PSM is
activated, all the normal models are disabled and so the consciousness
disappears. Such a situation is called "shock status". The consciousness
returns only after the normal structure of models regains control.
The highest level of consciousness is level 3. There are few persons who are
able to reach level 3 of consciousness. It is not easy to understand the
explanations associated with this level.
On level 3, a person is able, e.g. to think with "the others' head". Also, on
this level, a person is able to see how the others see him. This implies to
make a model which contains the model of the group as an element in a longer-
range model.
On level 3, the brain has to work very hard. There are few person who are able
to do such an effort. It is harder to do such an effort on image models than
on symbolic models. Usually, level 3 of consciousness is met on symbolic
models. However, the word "empathy" can be associated on image models, with a
low level 3 of consciousness.
Note: Level 3 requests a hard effort for a brain and at the same time, the
personal advantage from such effort is not too high. Thus, the absolute
majority of the population is on level 1 and 2.
The persons able to stay on level 3 are the elite of a group.
Example: let's see an example involving car driving. On level 1, a driver is
reacting only when a situation occurs, or is about to occur. On level 2, a
driver is able to predict what the other drivers will do beforehand. On level
3, a driver is able to understand every driver around him, and he is also able
to take in account some possible problems, which can occur in association with
the overall traffic problems. Of course, the best drivers are those on level
3, but the effort to stay on level 3 is so big, that, at some moments, the
brain will not be able to do such an effort, and the driver "drops" on level
1, when he can cause accidents. This could be the explanation of some
"inexplicable" accidents, with persons who are considered as very good from a
professional point of view. Of course, this is a very general problem; it is
not related only with car drivers.
We already defined the elite of a group as those persons who are able to stay
on level 3. Let's consider that a person has to work in a position where one
has to take care of the community. Such persons must anticipate what problems
could occur in future, to be able to protect the community. Level 3 is
absolutely necessary. But, there is a problem. When a person is to be selected
for such a job, he has to gain some abilities. The problem here is that such
abilities are, usually, obtained after some specific training.
The training courses have, as main goal, to ensure that the students have
assimilated a number of models. When a problem associated with such models
occurs, they will activate the suitable model, and so they will solve the
problem. But, to be able to do the job in a good way, the main quality is not
to have the right model, when the problem occurs, but to anticipate fast
enough, what kind of problem will occur. That is, to be on level 3. I never
heard that the selection of personnel is done based also on the level of
consciousness criterion. Even worse, the persons who are able to assimilate
easily new models, have a reduced capacity to make their own models (as level
3 requires) and so, the present system of education stimulates the students to
have a low level of consciousness.
The present level of development of the human brain is too low to have, on a
large scale, a level 3 of symbolic consciousness.
The consciousness based on symbolic models is requested in any situation when
an elite group is necessary. In such a situation, every individual of the
group is associated with a symbolic element. Such a symbolic element contains
nothing which could be associated with the "human" part of an individual (no
emotions, no feelings, no love and so on).
Let's see now the consciousness in the animal world. Some superior animals,
which live in packs, know their position in the pack. So, there is a form of
level 2 image consciouness for such animals. Of course, such a level is
associated with a single model, which is made by every individual of the pack.
Even more, the position of every individual could be changed in time.
But what about ants. There is very little probability that an ant is able to
make models in interaction with the external reality. The ants are based on
the models of their PSM, (which are ready made when they are born). For
instance, level-2 of consciousness could be recognized when there is a
competition between the members of the group, as it happens in a pack of
mammals, or when an individual has to be trained. Such things cannot be met in
the world of the ants. Thus, ants have no consciousness (except level 0) as a
result of their incapacity to make models on their own.
Some superior animals, which live in association with human beings (e.g.
dogs), are able to create on their own some models of interaction with the
human beings. So, they could have level 2 consciousness.