Yes, only math does deal in absolutes. And you are right there is no proof either way of existance. Just a bunch of theories.
some people here may be interested in the movie "eXistenZ".... the movie itself is definitely not that great, but when it's over, the point of it makes you think.......
For a long time many philosophers themselves doubted that we could ever study and prove conciousness objectively (scientifically), today some neurobiologists have reattacked the problem. This is the case of Professor Edelman (1972 Nobel Prize) who wrote a book I've read in French and you can read yourself an extract on Amazon dealing with the question of this thread: "Conciousness : philosophical Paradox or scientific object ?" in "A Universe of Consciousness: How Matter Becomes Imagination " by Gerald M. Edelman, Giulio Tonomi, Giulio Tononi http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...?v=glance&s=books&vi=reader&img=6#reader-link
It's not about quantification it's about objectivism. Quantification is just a technique not a goal by itself although some people are misleading to think so. As I said in another thread even number has been a misconception for a long time because it was confused with counting (quantification) and it is only since the work of philosophers and mathematicians like Bertrand Russell that number concept has lost his definition link with counting and is now considered as a class (opening the path to all sets theory and resolving the 2000 year Xenon's paradox on infinity).
You know what: I didn't read this book for philosophical reason - although I am interested also - it is because it can help to build the next generation of decision system which will mimic the process of human brain.