Everything that exists is a configuration of energy and matter. Configurations could not form without time and space. So those 3 things are given. Why 3? Because energy and matter can be turned into one another.
I don’t think space and time can be turned into one another, but that is an interesting concept & question.
Is consciousness a configuration of matter & energy, or something different? For consciousness to exist you must have memory and self-awareness. Just 2 ingredients. So, are memory and self-awareness configurations of matter & energy? Memory seems to have structure in the brain, but self-awareness, that is some meta level (like that’s some meta-level, man!)
But, consciousness is so different, we experience it, its huge, but we can’t see it. Why can’t we see it? All those nerve impulses, they make a shape, we could see that.
What is consciousness like without language? Amorphous thoughts and feelings, maybe colors & sounds tied in a memory. Self-awareness is the same with or without language – the system-wide entity processing the inputs. So, language not necessary for consciousness. But with language, you can distill huge amounts of information into a small symbol (the word Egypt has gigabytes of associations). That enables the mind to juggle large, rich concepts with small handles. Wow. No wonder we can conceptualize such complex ideas and scenarios.
Energy & Matter can turn into each other, so they are basically the same thing. If consciousness is a manifestation of energy/matter it sure is different from the multitude of other manifestations of it.
We have neurons in our guts because that is where they first developed…must be. The gut evolved way before the brain.
The brain is the playground of the mind. So is the body….what is it with the mind, so busy.
You are most in your conscious mind when making decisions and learning or experiencing something new. Otherwise basically on auto-pilot.