Final answer:
The horrifying implications of consciousness relate to philosophical debates surrounding the treatment of potentially conscious androids, the nature of consciousness, and ethical considerations in a technologically advanced society.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question about the horrifying implications of the existence of consciousness is intricately linked to philosophical discourse, specifically the philosophy of mind. Discussions around conscious androids and artificial intelligence (AI) pose ethical dilemmas on how such entities should be treated, the rights they may be entitled to, and the consequences of their existence within human society. The thought experiments like 'brain in a vat' or 'zombie twins' consider whether consciousness is a nonphysical phenomenon and how we define individual experiences—known as qualia. The alleged supernatural experiences point toward altered states of consciousness, suggesting that ordinary consciousness may not be equipped to perceive or contain certain realities.
Some of the critical implications include determining whether turning off a conscious android is akin to murder, the potential for an android uprising, and understanding whether humans are ready to accept non-human entities that might surpass the current evolutionary scale. Furthermore, the 'hard problem of consciousness' as discussed by Weisberg refers to these complex questions surrounding what consciousness is, why it exists, and how it came to be. This conversation is essential in the context of expanded technology and the ethical considerations it precipitates.