Dilemma of a Past-Existence

Is there a God? If so, what is She like?

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Joel Fry
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Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2017 2:35 pm

Dilemma of a Past-Existence

Post by Joel Fry »

Lets say I lived 500 years ago. I died in 1517. If I were only my consciousness and a computer existing today could accurately replicate any moment of mental activity from my lifetime, I would flash back into existence and re-awaken for the moment that my consciousness was accurately replicated. This would prove that if I were only my consciousness I would exist forever in the past after the time of my death. But if it would be impossible to reactivate my consciousness it would prove that I am more than my consciousness, that my consciousness is essentially entangled with my soul, and that I remain more than my consciousness after my death.

Joel Fry
Viveka
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Re: Dilemma of a Past-Existence

Post by Viveka »

Joel Fry wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 2:40 pm Lets say I lived 500 years ago. I died in 1517. If I were only my consciousness and a computer existing today could accurately replicate any moment of mental activity from my lifetime, I would flash back into existence and re-awaken for the moment that my consciousness was accurately replicated. This would prove that if I were only my consciousness I would exist forever in the past after the time of my death. But if it would be impossible to reactivate my consciousness it would prove that I am more than my consciousness, that my consciousness is essentially entangled with my soul, and that I remain more than my consciousness after my death.

Joel Fry
This is a nice thought-experiment. However, it could be said that the consciousness that was once in the afterlife becomes part of life again when 're-awakened.' And even if we re-awakened that same consciousness, would we know it's the same person, or not? The brain somehow keeps us conscious even though brain cells die all the time, so that may be a reason why it would be the same person. However, this is with an already living person. Perhaps when we die we become what experience in this universe presupposes: an afterlife and a previous life; an analog to this is much like cause and effect itself is presupposed upon: arising, sustenance, and dissolution, with a further arising coming from the dissolution simultaneous with it.
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Sir-Sister-of-Suck
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Re: Dilemma of a Past-Existence

Post by Sir-Sister-of-Suck »

Joel Fry wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 2:40 pmLets say I lived 500 years ago. I died in 1517. If I were only my consciousness and a computer existing today could accurately replicate any moment of mental activity from my lifetime, I would flash back into existence and re-awaken for the moment that my consciousness was accurately replicated. This would prove that if I were only my consciousness I would exist forever in the past after the time of my death.
I'm having a hard time figuring out how this logically follows. I'm having a hard time figuring out what it even means, in fact, because "forever in the past after my death" doesn't even sound like a sensical statement.
But if it would be impossible to reactivate my consciousness
It's impossible to reactivate your past consciousness, because reincarnation isn't real. But maybe you're still talking temporally within this assumption.
it would prove that I am more than my consciousness, that my consciousness is essentially entangled with my soul, and that I remain more than my consciousness after my death.
I also don't see how that logically follows. It's all in a simulation, so as suggested it could be that your consciousness only starts existing again and doesn't exist through all that time you were dead. I think I just don't fully understand your idea though, and need some clarification.
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