Religion

cpwm17

(3,829 posts)

33. You can claim that it is impossible for a consciousness to return after the body dies

Sat May 10, 2014, 09:24 PM

May 2014

but I've never seen a compelling reason to believe that.

How can what was perfectly possible before I was alive, my future consciousness, become impossible after I die? Where did my consciousness go?

I don't believe in souls, so I don't believe my consciousness will permanently disappear to another place or into permanent nothingness. I don't believe that nature has a record keeper keeping track of which potential consciousness has yet existed. All evidence that I know indicates that consciousness is a particular natural process of the brain.

What is it that makes twins that share the same genes have different conscious-selves is unknowable. But the only alternative to brains creating consciousness through a particular brain process would be that consciousness is separate from the physical brain, contained in a soul. I don't believe that.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

59 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Consciousness: often even scientifically minded people make unscientific assumptions [View all] cpwm17 May 2014 OP

your comments seem to rely heavily on "infinite", a term that doesn't appear in the dawkins extract unblock May 2014 #1

Yup. You have it right. longship May 2014 #2

Richard Dawkins didn't bring up "infinite" cpwm17 May 2014 #5

if your quibble is about the finite number of finite genes required to for your counscious-self unblock May 2014 #6

That was just minor aside concerning Richard Dawsons' assumptions cpwm17 May 2014 #9

No, you still don't understand the concept skepticscott May 2014 #11

I Googled it cpwm17 May 2014 #13

I got 133 hits. Igel May 2014 #14

Thanks for the nice reply cpwm17 May 2014 #20

from your selfish perspective, with an understanding of this concept, you would recognize unblock May 2014 #34

I think it's also well analogized (is that a word?) by AleksS May 2014 #51

Not all improbable coincidences are created equal cpwm17 May 2014 #59

The other two posters here have explained it nicely skepticscott May 2014 #35

When you Google "necessary improbability" cpwm17 May 2014 #36

You are confusing large numbers, which are finite intaglio May 2014 #3

You apparently don't understand the concept skepticscott May 2014 #4

I can guess what "necessary improbability" means cpwm17 May 2014 #8

Your particular consciousness was no more a "goal" skepticscott May 2014 #10

From my perspective it is a goal cpwm17 May 2014 #12

Your consciousness is an emergent property of many different processes of the brain... Humanist_Activist May 2014 #41

I am sorry you spent edhopper May 2014 #7

Are you arguing that Dawkins claims you do not exist? LiberalAndProud May 2014 #15

No, I just think he should rethink some of his assumptions concerning consciousness cpwm17 May 2014 #21

I'm not terribly familiar with theories of multiverse. LiberalAndProud May 2014 #24

I've heard similar speculations concerning the multiverse cpwm17 May 2014 #40

While his explanation makes some sense when describing the biologic entity that is a person, cbayer May 2014 #16

Based on the fact that ones consciousness diminishes or dies from brain damage cpwm17 May 2014 #22

I tend to lean towards it all being neurochemical, but cbayer May 2014 #23

" the top of the multiverse's, or even this universe's, food chain" Warren Stupidity May 2014 #25

(somewhat aside) I used to wonder how other species experience their "universes". pinto May 2014 #17

I've wondered that as well. cbayer May 2014 #18

LOL. Maybe there's only now to them...not such a bad thing in some ways. pinto May 2014 #19

Consciousness is the result of neural activity, and no two brains are the same arcane1 May 2014 #26

Are you certain you are gone? Is that a belief, by any chance? cbayer May 2014 #27

It is what the evidence points to. arcane1 May 2014 #28

I think you are most likely right, but I don't really know. cbayer May 2014 #29

Indeed, I certainly don't know. arcane1 May 2014 #30

You really must. It will awaken and revitalize the tiredest of souls. cbayer May 2014 #31

Thanks for the encouragement, I need it! :) arcane1 May 2014 #32

My guess is that it's Venus Jim__ May 2014 #48

I meant to take my star gazer app on deck last night, but forgot it. cbayer May 2014 #49

You can claim that it is impossible for a consciousness to return after the body dies cpwm17 May 2014 #33

The twin issue is fascinating. cbayer May 2014 #37

Yes, I see why it could be tempting to believing in a soul cpwm17 May 2014 #38

I don't know and am not sure we will ever know. cbayer May 2014 #39

there is no twin issue with respect to consciousness. Warren Stupidity May 2014 #52

Your mistake is assuming that consciousness is, in itself, an individual process of the brain... Humanist_Activist May 2014 #42

In my way of looking at things, what you describe is personality, not consciousness. cbayer May 2014 #43

I would consider your personality as a part of your consciousness... Humanist_Activist May 2014 #44

I see your point. I think we may be just speaking from different definitions. cbayer May 2014 #45

I blame you for what I'm doing now, watching Crash Course: Psychology on youtube... Humanist_Activist May 2014 #46

Lol, hope you enjoy it. cbayer May 2014 #47

Where I write about a brain process that creates consciousness cpwm17 May 2014 #50

I think its better to say "construct" rather than illusion... Humanist_Activist May 2014 #53

Since consciousness is extremely difficult for science to study cpwm17 May 2014 #54

I think the easiest way to think of consciousness is that its an emergent property of complex... Humanist_Activist May 2014 #57

Multicellular animal life did not evolve until 520 million years ago cpwm17 May 2014 #58

My bad! WovenGems May 2014 #55

And they're all Republicans cpwm17 May 2014 #56