RE: Continuity of Conscious

From: H C (lphege@hotmail.com)
Date: Sat Apr 01 2006 - 20:25:13 MST


>From: Phillip Huggan <cdnprodigy@yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: sl4@sl4.org
>To: sl4@sl4.org
>Subject: RE: Continuity of Conscious
>Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2006 18:02:09 -0800 (PST)
>
>No, Aj is correct. When our brain matter is destroyed, we die. The
>continuity Aj is referring to is not the discontinuity that occurs five
>minutes after I drink a cup of coffee, vs the sleepy state I'm in before I
>drink it. Both pre and post caffeine, I'm still the same individual in
>this context. The continuity Aj was referring to breaking was that which
>occurs when the matter/energy of our brains is not comprising a person
>after we die. Dave, there is continuity of self. It is not 100%, but it
>is pretty close. That is because one *evolutionary advantage* is the
>laying down of accurate memories for the benefit of one's future self to
>access. We get to abstarctly time-travel forwards and backwards in time
>without leaving the present. Yay, continuity.
>
> In my Opinion Aj, uploading for immortality is the biggest farce I've
>seen seriously discussed in these circles.

>I also believe any upload (obviously creating a separate individual with a
>separate identity)

Every consecutive moment you are conscious you are a separate individual
with a separate identity than any other moment, if you want to put it that
way.

>must exhibit similiar chemical and electromagnetic behaviours to what we
>observe occuring in animal nervous systems, for it to possess
>consciousness.

Why not just represent the features necessary for "consciousness" digitally?
I mean either way you look at it "you" are a collection of some data and
some algorithms.

>
>dave last <smileydave@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Every morning when you wake up, you are a new person with memories of
>your
>old life, believing yourself to be the same. Why then, this illusion of
>continuity, of I-ness, of a "soul"? Because in civilization, it was a
>tremendous evolutionary advantage be willing to endure some hardship or
>discomfort today for the sake of your future self. Thus we evolved an ego.
>
>
>
>---------------------------------
>New Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and save
>big.

-Hank



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