Meaning of 'Consciousness is One'-- foetal consciousness

[Guest guest]

Pranams Sri Benjamin,

 

Heres a definition of Consciousness which comes with a switch as per

some doctors....

 

Pranams to advaitins

V.Srinivasan

 

 

Monday March 10, 6:35 PM

 

Researcher believes foetuses develop consciousness early

 

 

London, Mar 10 (ANI): A neurologist at Oxford University stated there

is evidence to suggest that foetuses may develop consciousness long

before the legal age limit for abortions, thus cautioning those who

assumed that unborn babies lacked consciousness.

 

According to a report in The Telegraph, Baroness Greenfield, a

professor of neurology at the university and the director of the

Royal Institution, said the conscious mind could develop before 24

weeks, the upper age where terminations are permitted.

 

Although she could bring any changes in the abortion laws, she has

urged doctors and society to be cautious when assuming unborn babies

lacked consciousness.

 

"Given that we can't prove consciousness or not, we should be very

cautious about being too gung ho and assuming something is not

conscious. We should err on the side of caution," she said.

 

Earlier, a Daily Telegraph straw poll found that many neurologists

were concerned that foetuses could feel pain in the womb before 24

weeks after conception.

 

This made many believe that foetuses should be given anaesthetics

during a late abortion, after 20 weeks. Some also believe pain relief

should be given for keyhole surgery in the womb.

 

The scientist is sceptical of philosophers and doctors who argue that

consciousness is "switched on" at some point during the brain's

development. She believes instead that there is a sliding scale of

consciousness and that it develops gradually as neurons, or brain

cells, make more and more connections with each other.

 

She told the British Fertility Society in London last week that she

had serious concerns about foetal consciousness.

 

In 2001 a Medical Research Council expert group said unborn babies

might feel pain as early as 20 weeks and almost certainly by 24.

 

hey called for more sensitive treatment of very premature babies, who

often had to undergo painful procedures like heel pricks and

injections. (ANI)