So, I am interested in other people's thoughts on the question of what becomes of consciousness at death? — Jack Cummins
Same as that which happens when an orchestra (e.g. a brain) stops playing and its members (e.g. neurons) irreversibly-irreparably disband, namely, "what becomes of" the music (e.g. consciousness) is that it simply ceases.So, I am interested in other people's thoughts on the question of what becomes of consciousness at death? — Jack Cummins
My suspicion is that life is cyclical, and the microcosmic resembles the macrocosmic. We sleep, dream, and wake up, consciousness being a continuum of memory. The bigger sleep, death and birth, will be similar. What science calls genetics, would be a continuum of memory from previous life/death cycles. Basically, I believe the Universe is symmetrical in all respects. Clues to the macro can be found in observing the micro. This is what Daoists do. Interestingly, Hamlet's soliloquy alludes to this idea. I think that if we pass on with good memories, we will enjoy a nice deep sleep. The concept of Karma adopts a similar point of view. — MondoR
'all things as infinite.' — Jack Cummins
That is very materialistic when reality is all about energy. — Athena
we must forget the past one. I would not want to repeat my present life — Athena
I never mentioned my contemplation of reincarnation to anyone at the time because I was in a Catholic family and school, with set views, mainly of resurrection at the end of the world. I would have been told off for thinking nonsense, and it is likely that readers of this site may accuse me of talking nonsense too. — Jack Cummins
"Consciousness" isn't a thing, it's a process like respiration or digestion; and the extant evidence to the contrary doesn't falsify the conjecture that mind is no more (or less) than what the human brain does - it's a CNS function, just as pumping blood is a heart function.I am just interested to know why you think that consciousness ceases completely at death. Is this based on the premise that mind istotally dependent onthe brain? — Jack Cummins
And "energy" - vibration, motion, transformation - is not "materialistic"?That is very materialistic whenrealityis all about energy. — Athena
Doesn't light carry the memory of the stars as they were millions of years ago. Who's to say that memory dies when the body can no longer function.
Yes. Death and rebirth is a manner to start afresh, like a new game of chess. We do not forget what were have learned, but we can start again to see how well we learned and how much more we can learn. The Universe is constantly playing the game of creating and learning, just like a game of chess. — MondoR
I appreciate what you are saying and I you are trying to be helpful and stop me wasting my time overthinking But, of course this site is meant to be about debating the questions of philosophy and not just definitive answers, as provided in the name of science. — Jack Cummins
The ancients observed life more clearly. — MondoR
Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.