4 ms·

Thinking (or thoughts) are different from consciousness. A simple experiment can tell you this. Sit silently and observe your mind. You'd see thoughts keep on p

by kr4 11y ago

Thinking (or thoughts) are different from consciousness. A simple experiment can tell you this. Sit silently and observe your mind. You'd see thoughts keep on popping up, if you don't indulge with them, each would fade away quickly. If you do indulge, you get on a ride of similar chain of thoughts. This riding is termed as "thinking". IMO the neuron pathways that exist in our physical brain are determined based on "rides of thoughts" we have taken in our life so far. But there's no visual or physical proof to locate the consciousness that does this observation and takes the ride. So uploading brains means uploading only "the experiences" you have got in your life but as long as the rider isn't there, these are just mere memories with no further rides possible.

PhasmaFelis 11y ago
Are you advocating for an immaterial soul?
- c22 11y ago
  Is there any other kind of soul? It sounds like kr4 is arguing for consciousness as a higher order emergent phenomenon separate from (but built atop) thoughts.
  - PhasmaFelis 11y ago
    I mean, it sounds like they're saying that the physical (and thus uploadable) brain is not itself conscious, but only a highway for thoughts to ride on and a storehouse for memories. That clearly implies that there's a non-physical thing that is actually conscious, whose existence kr4 takes on "gut feeling" despite lack of evidence. If consciousness is an emergent phenomenon of the physical properties of the brain, then surely it will also emerge from a sufficiently accurate simulation of those physical properties.
    - c22 11y ago
      > If consciousness is an emergent phenomenon of the physical properties of the brain, then surely it will also emerge from a sufficiently accurate simulation of those physical properties. It's possible, but it may not be the "same" consciousness, and indeed, may not even consider itself to be. Perhaps better terminology to explore this line of theory would be to replace "thoughts" with "memories" and "consciousness" with "self".

by kr4 11y ago

PhasmaFelis 11y ago

Are you advocating for an immaterial soul?

c22 11y ago
Is there any other kind of soul? It sounds like kr4 is arguing for consciousness as a higher order emergent phenomenon separate from (but built atop) thoughts.
- PhasmaFelis 11y ago
  I mean, it sounds like they're saying that the physical (and thus uploadable) brain is not itself conscious, but only a highway for thoughts to ride on and a storehouse for memories. That clearly implies that there's a non-physical thing that is actually conscious, whose existence kr4 takes on "gut feeling" despite lack of evidence. If consciousness is an emergent phenomenon of the physical properties of the brain, then surely it will also emerge from a sufficiently accurate simulation of those physical properties.
  - c22 11y ago
    > If consciousness is an emergent phenomenon of the physical properties of the brain, then surely it will also emerge from a sufficiently accurate simulation of those physical properties. It's possible, but it may not be the "same" consciousness, and indeed, may not even consider itself to be. Perhaps better terminology to explore this line of theory would be to replace "thoughts" with "memories" and "consciousness" with "self".