Why is living matter the only matter that is Conscious or possess intellect?

Question

The question really is..........what quality does "life" possess that gives it the ability to "think" or be "aware" what is it that "life" has that other energy doesn't........everything is energy but "life" is different...........can you ISOLATE it........simply put......What is life?..........not what it "does".....or what it enables matter to "do" but what is IT in and of itself that makes it ALIVE?...........not what are the characteristics that indicate life! That is how this question is USUALLY answered which of course is not an answer at all.

Answer 1

...a living heart...blood & oxygen...

edit:

...what is this source of energy that gives "essence of life" to animate and inanimate objects...

...a basic element common to all...

...for some a continued developement of changes...

...for others changes ceased...

...this "essence of life" needs more information...

Answer 2

I think Im understanding what you are asking.  The best resolution I can tell you is to read the first six chapters of Dr. David R. Hawkin's book, "Truth vs. Falsehood."  But for convenience I'll attempt to cover the bases of what you are asking.

The question you are asking is coming from the world of form, but wants to understand the formless.  What is often neglected is that all things that exist have a level of consciousness and is aware that it is merely by just being what it is.  The ocean does not have to know that it is wet to be the ocean, as Dr. Hawkins puts it.

Consciousness expressed as life is no different in a universal sense than that of an inanimate object.  In Zen it is taught to regard all things as equal to realize the 'Universal Way' Nirvana or what we classically know as Enlightenment.  Consciousness precludes life is or else living entities would not be aware of its existence.  Thus the wild animal flees from danger, and the humans developed the personal pronouns that imply self-existence such as "I".  

In humans, consciousness has the ability to influence the outcome of its own destiny, with the evolution of the intellect, which has its impressive capabilities as well as its limitations.  Thus the mind can advance mankind or it may be the source of our downfall.  In life it is used as an investigative tool.  But the world of form is its limitation as it cannot go beyond it, hence why questions like, "what is life?" or its purpose seem abstract, difficult to comprehend, or at times abandoned all together.

Life actually has no existence, fore it is a dualistic mentation that arises in the intellect.  Because the mind believes there is life it also considers death as a reality.  This stems from the dualistic structure of the mind.  What the mind does not consider is that what 'exist' is not subject to non-existence.  This is confirmed by the Law of conservation.  Also mankind has an intuited knowingness of an afterlife that is found in almost every culture throughout history.  Life that does not exists on the physical plane does not signify non-existence.  Therefore life is not created nor destroyed.  

I don't want to bore you or go into the presence of God.  Not sure of how you feel on that subject.  I hope this helps somewhat if not, check out some of the books by Dr. David R. Hawkins or go to this link where you can listen to some webcast that elaborate on certain life topics.

http://www.beyondtheordinary.net/drhawki...

Answer 3

We don't know that there is a distinct living matter. All matter may have some proto-conscious nature, and complexity decides what "mind" emerges (or not). In fact, some people working in the field of consciousness studies suggest that the subjective and objective are simply sides of the coin, not distinct, and that the reason we tend to miss it is precisely because of the way we have formulated science.

Answer 4

First of all larger living organisms has the ability to think because of the way that cells are combined to form a brain. A cell, such as a single cell organism, or even a single human cell, cannot actually think. They can not think as a human can [problem solve], they can only take the stimuli that they receive and act as their DNA tells them to. Cells are just atoms made up in a way to reverse entropy, and use energy to facilitate movement and reproduction.

Addition

First of all I will repeat that larger organism can think and are conscious because of their brain, and their brain functions as they do because of their cells. So the question is what separates cells from inanimate matter. Well they can both contain the same kinds of atoms, so they aren't different because of content. So the only difference can be in the way that atoms and molecules are combined in cells. So this is the quality that life possess that makes it different that inanimate matter. Now let me say that cells aren't aware as humans are, they only take the stimuli in then depending on the chemicals in their DNA they take an action.

Answer 5

Try Stuart A Kauffman's new book, Reinventing the Sacred.  He's a biologist and will tell you what we know and what we don't about life.  In some ways it's more than you expect, in some ways less.  But the short answer to almost all of your questions is "We don't know."

Notice your first question assumes only living matter is conscious, then asks why.  Try thinking the problem through without that assumption.

Answer 6

Consciousness (or sentience) requires at least a rudmentary nervous system. An amoeba is sentient of having bumped into the food it needs or it could not eat it.

A rock has no nervous system. So let me turn the question around and ask you: Why doesn't a rock have a nervous system?

Answer: Nature, or god, or chance, or whatever you think is the cause of empirical objects, must follow the laws of matter and energy.

Now ask why the laws of matter and energy don't allow for a rock to have a nervous system.

Answer 7

Part of the definition of "living" matter is self awareness and consciousness or awareness of other entities that might be or consider themselves be to "living".The rest of your question requires a dialogue preferably (for you ) in a Paris  bar where you can find "des responses" to all of this/these.

Answer 8

According to human science, all that exist in the cosmos is made up of the same 103 naturally occurring elements from the grandest stars and super novae to the lowliest atom and all of this is made up of sub-atomic particles which may be made up of even small pieces of matter which may be comprised of even small bits, etc., etc., etc.

Humans often opine that only what appears to them as animate mater holds some form of consciousness and thereby has the innate ability to think, to know and possibly to reason.  Such is pure arrogance on the part of the observer and may not accurately reflect the true nature of that which is being observed.

Some observations and the published works on the same suggest that atomic and sub atomic particle may, in fact, be aware of what other particles are doing and react accordingly.  This could imply a consciousness and may well mean that what we think of purely as matter is alive in a manner which we may not understand nor appreciate.

To date, the truest characteristic of life is to be in awareness of being as a part of all else that is rather than believing ones self to be separate from all the rest of the cosmos.

If that definition is correct and accurate, then all that exist may have an awareness that implies the same is "alive".

Such could well change the human perception of living and the manner is which we treat all else that is.

Be well and be wise.

ADDITION:

Perhaps the universal energy might be called "Chi/ki" as such simply translate into English as the "energy of which all things in the universe is composed" (smile, a lot to say in such small appearing words...)

Not only will this fit with Chinese and Japanese philosphy and systems but also with such as Aikido as taught by O'Sensei Ueshiba Morihei.

As a follower of Oomoto, he firmly believed in ki and made it his life's work to arrive at and teach a working knowledge of the same.

Here in the West, many seem to wish to disect and take apart that which is and, after having done so, find that when disected the truth of the living ki is not to be found (the whole is greater than the sum total of the parts...)

Perhapas it is wiser to realize and live allowing all to be that which it is and understanding it  as "living" and "being" as we are one with it.

Be well.

Thank you for interesting post.