Valmorian

</strong>

Interesting. I'm kind of curious about what makes this reincarnation "you"? I mean, if all of "your" memories and experiences are gone, and the physical body is completely different, and the brain presumably works differently (meaning a distinct and different personality) then..

Well, what would make that person "you?"

lpetrich

What arguments?

Judging from the history of the Universe, matter came before human minds.

One counterargument is that it is mind that is most directly apparent to each of us. But a counter-counterargument is that only one's own mind is directly apparent, meaning that this argument leads to solipsism.

lpetrich

And even worse, Alzheimer's Disease has sometimes been described as

The Death of the Mind before the Death of the Body

Late-stage Alzheimer's patients essentially become zombies, with totally blank minds.

All their memories are gone.

They do not recognize anything -- they cannot even recognize themselves in a mirror.

Etc.

crocodile deathroll

My theory is that it comprises a new bottom up processing of episodic memories, your new life will only be so immersed in those episodic memories you acquired since you were a toddler that that person becomes "you", until they are completely erase again either with either by Alzheimer's disease or death. Then there is a Gestalt Switch to another world line of episodic memories somewhere, somewhen else, as another brain (which may well be the life of some other stranger you see walking around the street this minute) then in a Gestalt Switch you become him/her and his/here brian boots your "sense of self" or "soul" into existence from the earliest stage of his/her existence and that is the only life you know.
So if this theory is right, you may never truly die, only your memories from one particular life .

ps418

You lost me there crocodile. What makes the reincarnated entity you? Please explain it to me as concisely as possible, and using language that I would understand, if possible.

Patrick

crocodile deathroll

Just your history of memories, period.

picklepuss

How far back? Plato, Descartes, Chalmers? The mind/body or consciousness/brain dichotomy issue has a long history. Please don't be disingenuous.

Just for fun, you might want to read
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,837620,00.html" target="_blank">this article</a>

--pickle

crocodile deathroll

Maybe there is no god or even the hypothetical "Higgs Boson" but the universe may of accidently stumbled on way of been aware of its own existence, that is the evolution of intelligent consciousness. What would black holes, quasars, galaxies, atoms, electrons, bacterium mean to it if intelligent consciousness did not exist? It would not if be aware of its component parts or itself as a whole.

By intelligent consciousness I can only speak of natural being like ourselves and not some omnipotent super being I think that has be a silly idea in any case that is continually being plugged by theologians

[ November 11, 2002: Message edited by: crocodile deathroll ]</p>

lpetrich

And what evidence do they offer that mind is due to some special mind-stuff? If you understand their arguments so well, O picklepuss, you should have no trouble summarizing them.

crocodile deathroll

The mind is what the Brain does and what the brain does is information processing. I mean the Brain with a capital "B", not just individual brain but the genetic blue print for all intelligent brains; another pool of information that is drawn upon. Some day when humanity can decipher all of these software processes for its morphology then we may understand who the mind/Brain develops and works.

It was understandable that Many people in the days of antiquity thought the mind is made of mysterious mind stuff or spirit, that's because they new little of the information sciences.