Philosophy Now Forum

The brain creates an electromagnetic field; it’s very weak, but nonetheless real. Like all electromagnetic fields it spreads out, influences and is influenced by everything it encounters. So there is a sphere of influence centred on our head as wide in light years as we are old, which will continue to be part of the universe long after we are dead. It doesn’t seem very likely, but what if that is our soul?

What if?

tillingborn wrote:The brain creates an electromagnetic field; it’s very weak, but nonetheless real. Like all electromagnetic fields it spreads out, influences and is influenced by everything it encounters. So there is a sphere of influence centred on our head as wide in light years as we are old, which will continue to be part of the universe long after we are dead. It doesn’t seem very likely, but what if that is our soul?

If that is your soul, then when you are dead, you are dead. Your consciousness does not survive in such a form does it? Can you consciously feel where these electromagnetic waves of yours are?

tillingborn wrote:The brain creates an electromagnetic field; it’s very weak, but nonetheless real. Like all electromagnetic fields it spreads out, influences and is influenced by everything it encounters. So there is a sphere of influence centred on our head as wide in light years as we are old, which will continue to be part of the universe long after we are dead. It doesn’t seem very likely, but what if that is our soul?

Then the question is 'Does this electromagnetic field' collapse when you die, or does it continue? If it collapses when you die at C, then your after life will be just as long as you have lived.

tillingborn wrote:The brain creates an electromagnetic field; it’s very weak, but nonetheless real. Like all electromagnetic fields it spreads out, influences and is influenced by everything it encounters. So there is a sphere of influence centred on our head as wide in light years as we are old, which will continue to be part of the universe long after we are dead. It doesn’t seem very likely, but what if that is our soul?

If it's conscious and self-aware then I would be a taker. If not then it's not much different from what actually happens when we die.

Resha Caner wrote:What if?

Dunno really, it's rather a big if.

SecularCauses wrote:If that is your soul, then when you are dead, you are dead. Your consciousness does not survive in such a form does it?

The only examples we have of consciousness are associated with living brains, but no one actually knows what consciousness is. Living brains generate electromagnetic fields, it is possible that that is what consciousness is. I personally doubt it, I can't help but feel it would imply my electric toaster, for instance is conscious, but you never know.

SecularCauses wrote:Can you consciously feel where these electromagnetic waves of yours are?

Nope.

thedoc wrote:Then the question is 'Does this electromagnetic field' collapse when you die, or does it continue? If it collapses when you die at C, then your after life will be just as long as you have lived.

Not sure I really understand this, but suppose you buy a light, you switch it on and after half a second it blows. By the time someone on the moon sees it, it has been dead longer than it lived.

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:If it's conscious and self-aware then I would be a taker. If not then it's not much different from what actually happens when we die.

Well, there's not much chance that I'll win the lottery, but I sometimes buy a ticket.

tillingborn wrote:

Resha Caner wrote:What if?

Dunno really, it's rather a big if.

SecularCauses wrote:If that is your soul, then when you are dead, you are dead. Your consciousness does not survive in such a form does it?

The only examples we have of consciousness are associated with living brains, but no one actually knows what consciousness is. Living brains generate electromagnetic fields, it is possible that that is what consciousness is. I personally doubt it, I can't help but feel it would imply my electric toaster, for instance is conscious, but you never know.

SecularCauses wrote:Can you consciously feel where these electromagnetic waves of yours are?

Nope.

thedoc wrote:Then the question is 'Does this electromagnetic field' collapse when you die, or does it continue? If it collapses when you die at C, then your after life will be just as long as you have lived.

Not sure I really understand this, but suppose you buy a light, you switch it on and after half a second it blows. By the time someone on the moon sees it, it has been dead longer than it lived.

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:If it's conscious and self-aware then I would be a taker. If not then it's not much different from what actually happens when we die.

Well, there's not much chance that I'll win the lottery, but I sometimes buy a ticket.

Look, an electromagnetic field is created whenever a charged particle moves. You are making the mitake that there is something unique about our brains and electromagetism, and there isn't. A light beam is not conscious, it does not think, it is not alive.

SecularCauses wrote:Look, an electromagnetic field is created whenever a charged particle moves.

I know.

SecularCauses wrote:You are making the mitake that there is something unique about our brains and electromagetism, and there isn't.

Could you point out the words I have used that make you think this, please?

SecularCauses wrote:A light beam is not conscious, it does not think, it is not alive.

Again, where did I say it was?

tillingborn wrote:The brain creates an electromagnetic field; it’s very weak, but nonetheless real. Like all electromagnetic fields it spreads out, influences and is influenced by everything it encounters. So there is a sphere of influence centred on our head as wide in light years as we are old, which will continue to be part of the universe long after we are dead. It doesn’t seem very likely, but what if that is our soul?

When the brain dies so does the electromagnetic field that it generates.
So if "it" is the soul, then that dies with us.

chaz wyman wrote:

tillingborn wrote:The brain creates an electromagnetic field; it’s very weak, but nonetheless real. Like all electromagnetic fields it spreads out, influences and is influenced by everything it encounters. So there is a sphere of influence centred on our head as wide in light years as we are old, which will continue to be part of the universe long after we are dead. It doesn’t seem very likely, but what if that is our soul?

When the brain dies so does the electromagnetic field that it generates.
So if "it" is the soul, then that dies with us.

His point was it continues on even after the body stops generating it.

SecularCauses wrote:

chaz wyman wrote:

tillingborn wrote:The brain creates an electromagnetic field; it’s very weak, but nonetheless real. Like all electromagnetic fields it spreads out, influences and is influenced by everything it encounters. So there is a sphere of influence centred on our head as wide in light years as we are old, which will continue to be part of the universe long after we are dead. It doesn’t seem very likely, but what if that is our soul?

When the brain dies so does the electromagnetic field that it generates.
So if "it" is the soul, then that dies with us.

His point was it continues on even after the body stops generating it.

His point was false.

chaz wyman wrote:When the brain dies so does the electromagnetic field that it generates.
So if "it" is the soul, then that dies with us.

SecularCauses wrote:His point was it continues on even after the body stops generating it.

chaz wyman wrote:His point was false.

I hope I have made it clear that I don't actually believe that the electromagnetic field generated by our brain is our consciousness, it is possible, but extremely unlikely in my view. Our brain is made of the same stuff as the rest of the (visible) universe; there is nothing 'supernatural' about the way it behaves. So it is a fact that the electromagnetic field it generates persists beyond our physical death, just as we (through telescopes) see stars that blew up long ago. My point was not false.

tillingborn wrote:

SecularCauses wrote:Look, an electromagnetic field is created whenever a charged particle moves.

I know.

SecularCauses wrote:You are making the mitake that there is something unique about our brains and electromagetism, and there isn't.

Could you point out the words I have used that make you think this, please?

SecularCauses wrote:A light beam is not conscious, it does not think, it is not alive.

Again, where did I say it was?

If that wasn't your point, then you may as well state that atoms have souls, since they give off radiation as their electrons move about in different orbits. Is that what you are claiming? If so, then why limit your comment to the human brain?

chaz wyman wrote:
[His point was false.

I know, but so was yours, even on a purely physical level. Death does not stop the laws of physics from producing radiation from the brain.

SecularCauses wrote:

chaz wyman wrote:
[His point was false.

I know, but so was yours,.

no