Re: Why Immortality might be a sham!

David A Musick (davidmusick@juno.com)
Sat, 21 Feb 1998 13:09:41 -0500


Chris Belt wrote:

"If you upload your mind into a computer by means of copying brain
waves,(I don't know how, it just seems like that work) or however else
you would do it, you'd still have a hard copy of your mind inside your
body. My point is, the mind in the computer would be a seperate entity
that just thought like you do. It wouldn't be you inside the computer,
just a copy. You'd wouldn't control the computer, the thing controlling
the computer would only be similar to you. Anyway, I'm just a student
and probably am way out of my league, but it sounds like a load of crap
to me. Please reply."

Remember that since your mind is copied into the computer, the computer
would actually think it is you; it would have all your memories, your
disposition, your beliefs. It would in fact be you, from it's point of
view, and the body of flesh and blood would in fact be you, from it's
point of view. They would both be instances of your mind supported by a
physical configuration of matter. From your point of view in the
computer, you were in the meat-brain, and now you are here. From the
point of view of you in the meat-brain, you were subjected to the
scanning device, and that's it. You in the meat-brain would have doubts
about whether you are also in the computer, but you in the computer would
have no doubts about that, although, you may wonder if the copying
process did something to the meat-brain, so that it's not really you. You
would't be controlling the meat-brain, the thing controlling the
meat-brain would only be similar to you. It's simply a matter of
perspective.

David Musick (DavidMusick@juno.com)

- Continual improvement is the highest good.

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