"The big question is whether my consciousness
will survive my death"

PCula asked: "Does consciousness arise purely from the physical brain state? ... You might notice that I didn't answer your question."

How many persons on this forum are actually conscious at all? Some, such as "Secretary," appear only as twerpy demon-voices, devoid of any soul, goodness or human feeling. Others of us are sleepwalking through life, accepting the world's consumer culture as if it were Gospel... and so, what consciousness is there to lose? Should we wish to wallow in this vat of spiritual junk food forever? But we do long for continuance anyway. There's an old quotation, "The long habit of living indisposeth us to dying."

Many of us have forgotten what not living is like, even though we experienced it only a few decades ago.
Why is this? Is it
1) because we never remember things from a time when we were not living? or
2) because our priorities are misplaced, and we
are overly-occupied by the distractions of this world?
(Isaac Newton, Nikola Tesla, Charles Darwin and others made their discoveries in part by being completely concentrated on the question -- not fleetingly considering it.)

• a funny thing - dolphin - December 11, 2003 - 06:46 UTC
  • chatty addition - quiet - December 12, 2003 - 06:09 UTC
• What is the fourth way? - wandaqueen - December 11, 2003 - 17:42 UTC
  • It seems I did not mention a "fourth way." Sorry! - quiet - December 12, 2003 - 05:43 UTC
    • Answer the question you idiot - secretary - December 12, 2003 - 12:25 UTC
      • Its "answer the f___ing question you f___ing idiot." - treewilly - December 14, 2003 - 01:48 UTC
        • You got it right - secretary - December 14, 2003 - 04:00 UTC
          • I was talking about your speech - treewilly - December 14, 2003 - 06:27 UTC
            • Let me count the ways - secretary - December 14, 2003 - 13:14 UTC
          • Secretary, please refrain - treewilly - December 14, 2003 - 06:34 UTC
            • Are you another Michael Pearson??? - secretary - December 14, 2003 - 11:40 UTC
              • How many Michaels Pearson are there? - thewitt - December 14, 2003 - 17:19 UTC
                • Almost everyone on this forum - secretary - December 14, 2003 - 22:44 UTC
                  • I'm not. Try me. - thewitt - December 15, 2003 - 04:49 UTC
                  • Secretary Rawson claims to be "not sure" who is who - quiet - December 15, 2003 - 05:43 UTC
              • Are you? - thewitt - December 15, 2003 - 04:51 UTC
                • No, Secretary Rawson is not Michael Pearson - quiet - December 15, 2003 - 05:44 UTC