Death

[Adjusted Sanity]

Not strictly topical, but I like what Penn Jillette said:

"I say to people who are scared of death, 'You weren't alive in 1890. Does that scare you?' They say, 'No, why would it?' I say, 'So why does 2090 scare you?'"

That honestly does scare me a bit.

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Seven billion individuals simultaneously exist right now, all experiencing consciousness, plus however many billion conscious animals - why am I the consciousness in THIS body, right here, right now, and not any of the others right now or in any time previous? Why aren't I YOU, reading this post, or both of us, or nobody at all?

Well as a matter of fact I am you and you are I. Apparently your consciousness got into my body, and having been brought up in my family pretty much became who I would have become anyway even with the right seed consciousness. Meanwhile I'm sure my consciousness, which mistakenly got associated with your body essentially became the same person as your consciousness would have become if not for the switch.

Long story short, I have no reason to think there are any markers on our consciousness apart from our bodies which would allow you to make sure the match is right. It's a pretty dualist thought to think otherwise. Sort of like wondering why the light emanating from one flashlight couldn't have been the light given off by another. Sure. Maybe. Does it matter?

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This thread turned out to be completely different than what I was expecting. I've had no drugs in a very long time so I never know when you might be kidding me. If magic mushrooms were involved that would explain a lot.

Had there been a poll I would have voted pro-death. We are so behind in our dying as a species. Come on you guys. Finish up and get off the planet. (Those of you who amuse me are welcome to take your time.)

I feel as though I have seen this dualist myth reduced to an absurdity by my experience working with those who have serious mental illness and traumatic brain injuries. When you watch someone's personality change drastically as a result of either you realize how subordinate our "consciousness" is to brain function and how dependant upon brain function our personality and decision making abilities are. To claim that there is "spirit" or an essence of a person external to these physiological processes seems unfounded. This is the materialists argument, which I think is valid. Consciousness does not exist outside of brain function and personality is dependant upon the latter.

In short we don't fully understand why one person's consciousness is bound to their particular body as opposed to another but I will venture a guess that it has nothing to do with a "soul" or "spirit" inhabiting that body.

Maybe the consciousness moves on. Like inhabits another body in the universe and you're somebody else without your memories. It's an interesting thought.

I'm not sure If I explained that properly, but somebody might be able to get what I'm saying.