Atheist and agnostic views on reincarnation and consciousness

quote:

---

Is it possible, then, that death is simply an instantaneous blip until we regain consciousness?

---

I don't really follow the leap you make here - why would we regain consciousness? The "other" you describe seems to be an entirely seperate entity - it seems unconnected to "I".

quote:

---

We may lose our sense of "I" in the process, we may start again... but the only way time can pass is if we wake up again.

---

Time passes without an observer being needed or being present - all you are talking about is our measurement of it.Edited by CK, : No reason given.

quote:

---

Seems to me that a materialist who believes consciousness emerges from structure is stuck believing that consciousness is not tied to only one specific hardware.

---

Why?Consciousness X arises or is "attached" to Structure X - how or why does it get to or is connected to structure Y? What's the mechanism for transfer?Edited by CK, : No reason given.

quote:

---

If you define consciousness functionally, then there's no limitation to the number of times the "same" consciousness arises or how many intances of the same thing you can have at once.

---

I'm getting confused now - how is something being "similar" the same as reincarnation which does involve (as I understand) it a unique "code" (for what of a better word) being transfered to a different system?dfhgdfhdfhethrsthrstjrtjrthrthjrtjhrthhjrtjrtjrtjrthjrtjrtjrtjhrt
jrtjrtjhrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtj
dfhfge4ygje5hyb9e53ymy43y5meeormgoym35hoemrog4w23ymo53mehom4w3yo4
w3myhoerm34wo2ymwo43ymhow4egmo432myo434my5oemrgo32tm4w3oymoerhmto
342myw34oymeormgow34ym4o3ymomegodmgtow4m2yo5e4myhoewmgotm43oymhtr
homboewgmt43woym5eo4mhogmdgmowetmo43wmyohmtrhomermgoew4ytm43om5yo
emrthis similar todfhgdfhdfhethrsthrstjrtjrthrthjrtjhrthhjrtjrtjrtjrthjrtjrtjrtjhrt
jrtjrtjhrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtjrtj
dfhfge4ygje5hyb9e53ymy43y5meeormgoym35hoemrog4w23ymo53mehom4w3yo4
w3myhoerm34wo2ymwo43ymhow4egmo432myo434my5oemrgo32tm4w3oymoerhmto
342myw34oymeormgow34ym4o3ymomegodmgtow4m2yo5e4myhoewmgotm43oymhtr
homboewgmt43woym5eo4mhogmdgmowetmo44wmyohmtrhomermgoew4ytm43om5yo
emrthbut they are not the same thing.So what are we discussing, "similar" or "the same"? because you seem to using them in an interchange fashion.Edited by CK, : No reason given.

But the problem with that is even though at the broad level, consciousness is "similar" amongst people, surely 100s and 100s of environmental and genetic factors (such as your mother being a drugaddict) means that once you go beyond the surface similarities, there are millions and millions of differences? Plus of course, once you are born, environmental factors cause further divergence?All you really seem to be saying is that the same variables will produce similar results - that seems a world away from any sense of reincarnation.