X-Message-Number: 14274
Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2000 07:10:21 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: more on memory

And for those interested, a bit more about awareness:

There's evidence that animals quite low on the scale still have
some kind of awareness. When we get up as high as dogs, cats, or
horses the evidence becomes even stronger. 

I will point out that in every case this awareness is accompanied by
some level of memory. Sure, a dog or cat cannot remember or understand
the level of concepts and history of which we human beings are used
to... so used to that we use it constantly. But that does not mean
that they totally lack awareness or memories, theirs just aren't as
elaborate and extensive as ours. 

When we go as low as earthworms, it's not clear that they have 
either. Some insects do show some signs of memory ie. they can remember
some things and in the case of bees, actually communicate some things.
At this level it's hard to argue that they have more than awareness
at a very low level, and there's even a long tradition that they 
totally lack awareness. So we just might have here cases of memory
without awareness. As for awareness without memory, I do not know
of ANY animal (or if we go so far, plant) that could be said to be
aware on a low level but totally lack memories.

		Best and long long life for all,

			Thomas Donaldson

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