- Consciousness as the fabric of reality : Leo reiterates the enlightenment perspective that all of reality is consciousness, questioning whether specific objects like rocks possess consciousness or sentience.
- Enlightenment and understanding objects : Ralston affirms that enlightenment does not grant insights into the consciousness of objects unless one directly experiences what consciousness or a rock fundamentally is.
- Distinctions of sentience : Ralston posits that the notion of sentience is a distinction made by humans, who have already categorized objects like rocks as non-sentient based on personal experience.
- Questioning human distinctions : While Leo remains open to the possibility of objects such as rocks being sentient, Ralston challenges the validity of such distinctions, suggesting that there might be no true difference between sentience and a rock.
- Relative nature of distinctions : According to Ralston, the distinction between a rock and sentience or consciousness is inherently relative and not grounded in an absolute understanding of either.
- Scientific inquiry into sentience : Leo inquires about the potential for future scientific discoveries to reveal sentience in traditionally non-sentient objects, and Ralston acknowledges the uncertainty and openness of scientific exploration, emphasizing the relativity of all such concepts.