Consciousness/Uploading

Hara Ra (harara@shamanics.com)
Wed, 08 Jul 1998 00:13:38 -0700

David Bradley <ibradley@nauticom.net>:

>However, if so, then there is nothing making me "me." I'm not sure if that's a soul or what.

Our present notions of "consciousness" are vague and leave a lot to be desired. AFAIK, the only thing that makes "me" "me" is the belief that I am "me". IMHO, this is a software loop in my brain, whose main use is in social relations.

> Think about this, if it is just the setup of my brain,

While (1)

	{
		"I exist"
	}

Though many would dispute this, I suspect the C word is this and little else...

> when given a spark (or if it is naturally there from the mother) that
causes ‘me' to be, and if that *can be changed beforehand* by nanomachines that ‘fool' the original cells into giving them the consciousness,

You have just repeated the Cartesian fallacy, see Dennet's "Consciousness Explained". There is no spark needed, merely the execution of the "me" process.

> what is stopping my consciousness from forming in your brain?

Only that my memories differ from yours.

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| Hara Ra <harara@shamanics.com> | 
| Box 8334 Santa Cruz, CA 95061  |
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| Death is for animals;          |
| immortality for gods.          |
| Technology is the means by     |

| which we make the transition. |
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