Question by Liberal Nemesis: Do you think that consciousness exists within the brain and dies with death?
Or that perhaps our brain is just an organ which is able to interpret consciousness which is pervasive throughout the entire universe?
Best answer:
Answer by Jonathan N
yeah. maybe its an advanced survival mechanism
Add your own answer in the comments!
All evidence points to brain death=no consciousness. I don’t know of any real evidence for the opposing view.
S is right it really dies.
but ancient and modern thinkers debate about the existence of the “other body” which is the soul.
if i will believe in spirits, then consequently consciousness do not die. the soul will continue to carry it.
Consciousness is a state of mind. We think with our brain. So, I would say that consciousness is a state which is determined by the brain. I believe that even if we die, it still remains because more than the brain, it is part of our soul, of our innermost being.
Let me experience death first.
hell no!
Science would rather have us believe that consciousness is merely one of the functions of the physical brain and therefore should logically cease to exist when the brain stops functioning.
However, I feel it rather demeaning of myself to believe that my self is just the gray matter within my physical body. I feel that my existence can not be limited to or confined within my physical body that I own, control and direct to work towards the fulfillment of my aims and desires. I am this owner of the body as well as the aims and desires and hence I must have an existence beyond the physical self. In other words, I would rather prefer to believe that consciousness is beyond and above the physical existence, a spiritual entity that gives life to matter and energy.
The statement that: “Consciousness exists within the brain.” is a physical analogy. It is similar the statement: “Sharks exist within the ocean.” There is a container/contained physical analogy that underlies that statement.
What do we learn about the mind from that comparison? What connection do we get, that is a knowledge candidate, or potential truth?
Well, we know that consciousness and brain are causally connected, by looking at certain specific cases. But, what cash-value do we get from conceiving of consciousness as an abstract physical thing like the brain? To go so far as to reduce consciouness to the brain is to believe in a fantasy – an intellectualist delusion.
There is a quality to the purely mental. My emotions are purely mental, and even though I may make a statement about emotions using physical analogies, that doesn’t mean that I meant that statement to be true like a specific factual statement is true – My statement is useful in a specific situation, a specific communicative context, which allows me to draw a relevant meaning in some setting, maybe the context is NOT a serious philosophical debate!!
no.. i agree with your ..um.. details…:
Or that perhaps our brain is just an organ which is able to interpret consciousness which is pervasive throughout the entire universe?