What is this life experience?

Introduction

Life is really simple, you know. We are born and inevitably going to die. In between these two lies an experience we call life.

Humans seem more evolved than other species due to their cognitive abilities, self-awareness, complex emotions, social structures, culture, and the development of advanced communication and tools (language and technology). However, many of these characteristics have pre-existing counterparts in nature. Numerous species exhibit impressive cognitive abilities, demonstrating that intelligence and problem-solving skills are not exclusive to humans. Examples include chimpanzees, elephants, honey bees, dolphins, and even ants.

I have seen it with my own eyes while raising two Border Collie puppies. They were not just dogs but two additional members of the household, each with their own personality, mood swings, and tantrums.

So essentially a one-word adjective can then be used to best describe the human being - “Advanced” species. The fundamental experience of life is all driven by the same intentions of survival and reproduction. For us advanced species, we have just added complex layers to these intentions.

Besides that, all we know for sure is that we experience life, and then have a memory of that experience.

Experience

The simple act of observation through sensory inputs constitutes an experience. It’s the only way to know you are alive. There is no other way to confirm your consciousness. Think of the first instance when you wake up. The world around you comes into focus. If we were to imagine what it means to be dead in your sleep, it would simply be not waking up. This is how my grandmother’s brother passed away—he was fit one evening, went to sleep, and the next day, he didn’t wake up.

Thus, raw sensory inputs lead to an experience.

Memory

Familiarity with an experience comes from repeated exposure to that experience. This familiarity arises from memory. Several stages and complex neural mechanisms are involved in how the brain processes and encodes experiences into memory. The memory is then consolidated, stored, and can be retrieved or modified before being stored again.

Thus, at a fundamental level, memory is formed through experience:

• The collective experience of humanity is passed down through DNA.

• Cultural experiences encompass ethnicity, upbringing, and more.

• Personal experiences.

Let us take carpentry as an example. To build something with wood, no prior experience with carpentry would present a significant mental block. Carpentry skills seems daunting to master for someone without a background. However, with repeated tasks and growing comfort in using tools, the combination of memory (knowledge) and repetition (experience) diminishes the mental barrier, allowing one to advance their skills.

Memory proves valuable for storing functional knowledge. For instance, learning how to ride a bike, drive a car, learn a trade, etc. So here’s a morbid thought. Let’s say you die tomorrow. What good is this accumulated memory to you?

Life

Raw sensory inputs are foundational for forming experiences, which are then encoded into memory. Our understanding of the environment is shaped by both immediate sensory data and accumulated knowledge.

Simply put, feeling (experience) and knowing (memory) constitutes life.

References

De Waal, Frans B.M. Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.

Koch, Christof. The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed. MIT Press, 2019.