The Sum of Awe
Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
-throws pokemon ball-
Been thinking about reincarnation a lot lately. I'm not fully convinced, at least not yet. I just hope to get some insight from believers in it. Answer each question with personal opinion
1) Is inter-species reincarnation possible? Do you think a soul can be reborn in a different species?
2) How long after death does it take before someone is reborn? Instantaneously?
3) Do souls choose their own incarnations?
4) Are new souls being made now or are all of the souls already created and reused?
5) How much of this individual will relate to his or her previous lives? Like, is the personality going to be the same? Or an entirely new personality is created and only the consciousness is passed on?
This last question isn't exactly personal: In reincarnation, if you can't clearly remember your past lives, and you can't notice reincarnation, what exactly is being continued if not the memories? Wouldn't you agree that our souls are constructed by memories?
So why do we have no memories of past lives? Often people say that reincarnation is so the soul can experience as much as possible. But if these memories are erased each time we move to another body, and start from square one, how can it count as experience?
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Are reincarnation and 'nothingness' compatible? (in terms of consciousness, discard soul)
If you are born again, and have no memories of it, then reincarnation can go by as quiet as oblivion. Because in both states, you are unaware that you died.
If we're treating consciousness as brain activity, death would certainly be this 'oblivion', and the consciousness can't attach itself to another body because, in this example given, we consider it biological and after the power shuts off this meat robot the files, memories, information, etc. would be gone forever as well.
But then again, what exactly does that have to do with anything? Because, in theory, my brain activity 5 minutes ago is now forever gone. Translate: My consciousness 5 minutes ago is now forever gone.
The point I'm trying to make here is: It's simply not possible for someone to experience oblivion. It amazes me how every day I keep bringing this up, but I like to think about it. I am sometimes excited to die, I really want to "experience" nonexistence. Like I just said, that's impossible.
Let's say I died. My consciousness (the illusory one extending through my entire life as a compilation of consciousnesses) is now gone. Nothing is experienced. It's just... just. Not even black, and I am very eager to see what it's like.
The problem we run into though is that I can't see what it's like. If I died, I wouldn't realize it. I'm not experiencing some sort of black void, I'm not experiencing anything.
But while my (extended) consciousness is no more, Harry Richard's consciousness is still in existence. His mind full of memories, thoughts, personality, interest, etc. is being experienced by him.
So in a way, now that I am out of the way, I am not experiencing nonexistence. Instead, because his mind still exists, the lack of me becomes him.
I really hope that made sense.
Been thinking about reincarnation a lot lately. I'm not fully convinced, at least not yet. I just hope to get some insight from believers in it. Answer each question with personal opinion
1) Is inter-species reincarnation possible? Do you think a soul can be reborn in a different species?
2) How long after death does it take before someone is reborn? Instantaneously?
3) Do souls choose their own incarnations?
4) Are new souls being made now or are all of the souls already created and reused?
5) How much of this individual will relate to his or her previous lives? Like, is the personality going to be the same? Or an entirely new personality is created and only the consciousness is passed on?
This last question isn't exactly personal: In reincarnation, if you can't clearly remember your past lives, and you can't notice reincarnation, what exactly is being continued if not the memories? Wouldn't you agree that our souls are constructed by memories?
So why do we have no memories of past lives? Often people say that reincarnation is so the soul can experience as much as possible. But if these memories are erased each time we move to another body, and start from square one, how can it count as experience?
****************************
Are reincarnation and 'nothingness' compatible? (in terms of consciousness, discard soul)
If you are born again, and have no memories of it, then reincarnation can go by as quiet as oblivion. Because in both states, you are unaware that you died.
If we're treating consciousness as brain activity, death would certainly be this 'oblivion', and the consciousness can't attach itself to another body because, in this example given, we consider it biological and after the power shuts off this meat robot the files, memories, information, etc. would be gone forever as well.
But then again, what exactly does that have to do with anything? Because, in theory, my brain activity 5 minutes ago is now forever gone. Translate: My consciousness 5 minutes ago is now forever gone.
The point I'm trying to make here is: It's simply not possible for someone to experience oblivion. It amazes me how every day I keep bringing this up, but I like to think about it. I am sometimes excited to die, I really want to "experience" nonexistence. Like I just said, that's impossible.
Let's say I died. My consciousness (the illusory one extending through my entire life as a compilation of consciousnesses) is now gone. Nothing is experienced. It's just... just. Not even black, and I am very eager to see what it's like.
The problem we run into though is that I can't see what it's like. If I died, I wouldn't realize it. I'm not experiencing some sort of black void, I'm not experiencing anything.
But while my (extended) consciousness is no more, Harry Richard's consciousness is still in existence. His mind full of memories, thoughts, personality, interest, etc. is being experienced by him.
So in a way, now that I am out of the way, I am not experiencing nonexistence. Instead, because his mind still exists, the lack of me becomes him.
I really hope that made sense.