The single quantum intelligence differentiates itself, reunifies and differentiates again indefinitely. Zeyd is uncomfortable about this process because it:
"...raised difficult questions about the soul..." (p. 398)
Well, sure. That each human body interacts with a single individual, indivisible, immaterial, immortal soul is a religious doctrine or dogma, not a scientific theory. Empirically, consciousness has emerged as a property of organisms with central nervous systems. Very different organisms interacting with very different environments might generate very different kinds of consciousness which are unlikely to correspond to Terrestrial religious concepts especially since the latter differ among themselves in any case. The quantum intelligence is not even an organism in a planetary environment but something comparably complex and sensitive on a sub-atomic level in the turbulent energized vacuum near a black hole. The Envoy crew has to learn from it, not impose any of their preconceptions on it, especially not pre-scientific pre-conceptions.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
The status and nature of beings like the holonts would be very engrossing to Catholic theologians, some of whom are not opposed to the idea of incarnate intelligent beings.
Ad astra! Sean
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