Scientists say they have measured that action precedes the sentient expereience of intent. I think I have read that the interval is about 300 ms to a few seconds (!), I think there is a combination of stimulants with depressants that could cause these measurement to have intent always precede action. Which to my amusement places people at their right mind from the perspective of many previous thinkers, actually thinking therefore amming, rather than amming then grabbing the credit post activity.

It is possible this could be accomplished with antihistamines and caffeine. There is also an fMRI version where they use drugs to have the most well supported source of consciousness from an fMRI perspective activate before actions.

who knows what these people will be like, or what they will do with cause and effect!
-- beanangel, Sep 06 2016

There are times when it is necessary to be able to act without thinking. The last time you tripped, did you fall on your face or catch yourself? Do you believe you had time to think about how to catch yourself, before acting to catch yourself?

Another example involves riding a bicycle and getting the front wheel stuck in something unexpected, such that you go flying over the handlebars. This has happened to me twice in about 40 years of bike-riding, and both times I managed to hit the ground rolling (and safely). I assure you this was far more automatic than think-before-acting!
-- Vernon, Sep 06 2016


Instad of pushing intent first, I think it makes more sense to space action out further in front of intent. Many people have trouble deciding what to do.
-- bungston, Sep 06 2016


I thought this was going to be one of yours, [Ian].
-- nineteenthly, Sep 06 2016


//The consciousness is always the last to know.//

I'm not so sure that this will always be the case.
In certain instances time appears to crawl for the observer.
Since almost every human perceptual function seems to put them someplace on some spectrum or other, it stands to reason that there are certain mindsets already born closer to instant cognition of real-time than others.

Someday one might converge with the other.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Sep 06 2016


//It is possible this could be accomplished with antihistamines and caffeine//

Or some very slowy-downy drugs that would inhibit action to a point where a concerted and deliberate force of intention is required before anything happens.
-- zen_tom, Sep 07 2016


/a concerted and deliberate force of intention is required /

Frontal lobe damage can be like this.
-- bungston, Sep 07 2016


Where do the avocados come into it?
-- Wrongfellow, Sep 08 2016


When we make the guacamole, of course.
-- blissmiss, Sep 08 2016



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