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If there is no such thing as a soul, then what makes us, us? What makes me me and you you? Why aren't we all just mindless, numb, and the same? After all, all of our bodies run off of the same biological processes. What is it that allows us to have individual personalities? We all have different experiences and memories, sure, but what allows us even that? It has to be something other than mere biological processes and electrical impulses. What gives us not only consciousness, but individual consciousness? If it was merely biology and electrical impulse, then why can't we recreate it? Why can't we, for lack of a better term, play God and create our own race of individual, free thinking, conscious being that is able to experience things, retain memory, and become their own individual. I know there are still a lot of unknowns about the brain and whatnot, but I just can't help but think that there must be more to it than that.
Variations (infinite) in brain connections combined with different experiences. We're still rather rudimentary in our knowledge, and that is why we can't re-create it. We're always making progress in that regards. Give it 1000 or 10,000 years. Evolutionarily speaking we are a new species of animal.
We WANT to think there is something more to feel special. Look at how many people thing we're different, or special, and not like "animals" when of course we're just another primate that won the evolutionary jackpot. There are people out there, that for some inexplicable reason, think it is insulting to be called an animal! Or are terrified to think "that is all we are". It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad.
Variations (infinite) in brain connections combined with different experiences. We're still rather rudimentary in our knowledge, and that is why we can't re-create it. We're always making progress in that regards. Give it 1000 or 10,000 years. Evolutionarily speaking we are a new species of animal.
We WANT to think there is something more to feel special. Look at how many people thing we're different, or special, and not like "animals" when of course we're just another primate that won the evolutionary jackpot. There are people out there, that for some inexplicable reason, think it is insulting to be called an animal! Or are terrified to think "that is all we are". It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad.
This is all fine and dandy if you try and explain the human, animal living concept in basic mechanical form. As someone who followed the mapping of the human genome race between the government and Celera Genomics, I'm torn between a total scientific explanation for things such as feelings, emotions, awareness and just plain deep thought. There is something more there then the simple firing of nerve connectors. If you take a few moments and meditate and really think about it, you are aware of it. You can sense and feel it. There is more to humans then parts and pieces.
When the head of Celera Genomics, their chief scientist who was an atheist finished mapping the genome, he made a statement to the affect that, "all this did not happen by accident, there had to be a mindful creator behind it, it's statistically impossible."
I personally feel in a few hundred years, if we humans do not destroy ourselves, we will be able to live forever, baring an accident. We will have the ability to create life, but not life form from nothing, or space, but various sub-humans, animals and such. And I think that's how we humans and life on earth got here. We were planted and created here by a far superior life form. I.E Aliens.
Now where it came before that, I would have to refer to what most people might think of as God. But not in the biblical sense.
If you do not believe the above theory, simple follow science today and guesstimate where we will be 500, 1000, 10,000 years from now. And remember, scientific breakthroughs are compounded. Meaning the knowledge we gain today, will be triple the speed in 10 years from now and so on.
Variations (infinite) in brain connections combined with different experiences. We're still rather rudimentary in our knowledge, and that is why we can't re-create it. We're always making progress in that regards. Give it 1000 or 10,000 years. Evolutionarily speaking we are a new species of animal.
We WANT to think there is something more to feel special. Look at how many people thing we're different, or special, and not like "animals" when of course we're just another primate that won the evolutionary jackpot. There are people out there, that for some inexplicable reason, think it is insulting to be called an animal! Or are terrified to think "that is all we are". It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad.
I realize that man is just another part of the animal kingdom. I believe that all animals capable of individuality has a soul. The very fact that they have such individuality must mean so. I have two cats, and they both have very different personalities from each other. When I was a kid, my grandparents had three dogs, all with different personalities. The dog they have now has a different personality from those they had when I was a kid. I see different personalities in animals when I was nature shows on TV, and even at the zoo. And humans are no different than any other animal, except for the fact that we have an edge with more intelligence and more advanced technology.
I one worked with a girl who thought we were soul mates of some sort. She knew for a fact that she knew me from another lifetime. While I didn't share this particular feeling, it did seem like I already knew her the first time I met her. Anyway, she gave me some books to read about the whole concept. It seemed interesting, but I just wonder. I guess it's as possible as anything else.
Variations (infinite) in brain connections combined with different experiences. We're still rather rudimentary in our knowledge, and that is why we can't re-create it. We're always making progress in that regards. Give it 1000 or 10,000 years. Evolutionarily speaking we are a new species of animal.
We WANT to think there is something more to feel special. Look at how many people thing we're different, or special, and not like "animals" when of course we're just another primate that won the evolutionary jackpot. There are people out there, that for some inexplicable reason, think it is insulting to be called an animal! Or are terrified to think "that is all we are". It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad.
What you have to consider (and this takes an open mind) is that there is no friction between the notion that we are consciousness beyond form and that we are human animals.
There's no doubt that life has evolved on this planet over an incredible amount of time. What you have to consider though, is that this biological world could be set up for us (formless consciousness) to take form and experience, learn and grow. Why that would be the case if it is indeed the case, is something we likely will never know. Why does the universe exist at all, and what does it exist inside of? For all we know the physical universe exists for the very purpose of consciousness taking physical form, we have no idea. Add in the idea that linear time isn't always applicable in this territory, and it makes the picture a lot different.
No one knows what consciousness really is. We know that there's electrical firing in the brain, but we don't know WHAT is causing that. We have used lucid dreamers to narrow down where our "conscious beingness" is located in brain activity(when you "wake up" while remaining physically asleep it keeps other brain activity to a minimum, making it easier to see "us"), but we don't know what is causing that electrical activity to kick in. You observe down to a certain level and hit a dead end. At least so far as I know, if someone actually has figured that out conclusively I'd love to hear about it.
I agree! We don't remember before we were born and we won't remember after we die.
As far as arguments on how intelligent we are and there has to be something after death: What have humans really accomplished in the thousands of years we have walked this planet? We basically did the same as the one celled animals - consumed, defecated and died. We have not colonized other planets giving our race a better chance of long term survival - everything could end tomorrow and we would be forgotten forever.
I just cannot picture us "thinking" with something that does not exist anymore (brain cells).
after we die - our soul departs and depending on what have you done in this life it has the destination where it will proceed.
But we definitely do not end when our material body ends.
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