Saturday, May 20, 2006

Conscious and alert. Brain, not soul.

One point that has really thrown me, is a rather obvious one.

As a control, I can say, I am quite alert, thoughtful, even intelligent.
As someone once said, "I think, there I am".

The drink test
Lets see now. Here, in my hand, I have a pint of whiskey, which I am about to consume.
*an hour later* "Hmmph, I think I've forgotten what the experiment was. No, I remember now. The effect of the alcohol has messed up my thought processes. I cannot think straight, even though I might think I can."

The injury test
Lets say, for example, I have a heavy blow to the head. OK, a pretty nasty one. *Thump - crash! [sounds of me falling to the floor]. An hour later. "I lost consciousness for a sec there. It seems that I completely lost an hour."

The truck test
OK, I'm out on the freeway atm. I'll step in front of this Mack truck coming past now, and I'll .....

Test results
OK. *concerned look* How is anyone to believe the 'after-life' story, when clearly, your personality, thoughts, emotions and 'self' appear to solidly rely on the brain's health to exist. I think being dead is a tad more injurous to the operation of the mind, than a mug of whiskey, a hammer-blow or a violent nudge from a Mack truck, don't you think?

I spent the first few years of my life being told that after I die, my soul would leave my body and I would live forever. "How?", I asked. No answer. If after a great sloshy mug of whiskey, I would lose, say 20% of the full control of my consciousness for a while, and with it, some of the memory of that time?

With the blow to the head, notwithstanding the long term effects, my cognitive drive would be affected and my temper, memory and personality could also be affected, possibly forever.

As the Mack truck tears me to bits, and throws me all over the freeway, something tells me I wouldn't be in any fit state to then leave my body, fully conscious, and go onto an after-life. Not too many people have actually done the deed and come back to report it. None. Period. And yet a few billion people just believe it. Please explain, cos at the moment, its not working out for me.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I read your whole blog (to date), and I feel for you. Seriously. Even as a Christian, I've had this very thought about how your thoughts are linked to the physical brain.

Try this free thought...

Where does your conscience come from? You know, the thing that tells you right from wrong? Why does it just tell you about morality?

media said...

These questions are discussed by scientists, psychologists, etc, and possible answers are fielded in journals like 'Nature', 'Science' and others. I don't personally know the science behind it [and neither do you, Dru] and guess what? 'God did it', isn't an answer.

If you really wanted to understand anything, you'd consult the real world studies. Not a script from days when they didn't understand much at all. Remember, before Gütenberg's press, education was limited to the Church and the rich.

As for the Godcasting, good luck to you. I hope it makes you feel good. As long as you understand people can be good, kind people without any god to guide them. The 'Just Stop and Think' video? Nothing I'd not heard before man. Same old crazy message. Its the same old irrelevant nonsense that elected Bush. Take care.