decision space

[My Big TOE Term]

Decision space represents all the choices (options) one is aware of and has access to (from the intellectual level or the being level) at any given time and from any given perspective such as PMR or NPMR. These do not include choices that are theoretically or potentially available but which one has no immediate awareness of, or access to.

To be conscious, one must have a finite decision space. For a normal person, the decision space contains competing options that represent all the drivers of choice within the awareness (will, intent, intellect, ego, belief, consciousness quality, attitude, emotion and feeling) all simmering within a pungent soup of fear and love.

These drivers of an IUOC’s choice represent the force behind how it chooses to interpret whatever data it receives from the data stream and then how and why it chooses a specific response to that interpretation. Choice cannot be completely removed or eliminated from a conscious individual. If choice is entirely eliminated, the individual is no longer conscious. A conscious individual cannot have a zero decision space.

The choices that exist within one’s decision space can be generated by both internal conditions (e.g., one chooses to respond to a comment with anger instead of compassion) or external conditions (e.g., one cannot choose to buy a loaf of bread today because all sources of bread are unavailable until tomorrow).

Internal conditions are solely determined by one’s quality of consciousness (level of entropy).

External conditions are determined by various factors related to the virtual reality (VR) one is logged on to:
• the VR ruleset (one cannot cut water with a knife)
• the constraints and capabilities of one’s avatar (body/brain capabilities, instincts, health, fitness)
• the physical circumstances one finds oneself in (if thrown in jail, one cannot go the bakery to buy a loaf of bread)
• the conventions, laws and rules which define our culture or society (a president has decision-making powers that other people don’t have)

Some examples of different external conditions: A cat has a small decision space relative to most humans. A clam has a miniscule decision space. An advanced Alzheimer’s patient has a diminished decision space that is no doubt greater than a clam’s but probably less than a chimp’s.

A choice once made, usually alters the size and content of the decision space from which it was chosen. It also alters the decision spaces of others who are interactively involved with the chooser – VRs are interactive multiplayer games.

Crucially, growing up and learning from our choices alters our decision space by improving our internal conditions. Consciousness evolution is about overcoming the limitations of fear, ego and belief. Decision space grows as limitations fall away. Thus, as we grow up and lower our entropy, we increase our awareness and new choices become available – we are able to make better, more loving and caring choices. Poor choices, such as responding to events with anger or hate, are less and less an option.

Conversely, if we de-evolve and make bad choices, our decision space narrows and moves towards making poorer choices.

Sadly, many people spend their lives seeking to improve their external conditions by growing their wealth, power and fame instead of seeking to improve their internal conditions by growing their quality of consciousness. This is the result of a misunderstanding of this VR game’s purpose.

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