Waldo Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 I don't know there is no god. I do know, that for me, the question of god and what happens after death, is irrelevant. Things are as they are, whatever I believe or want, will not change things one way or the other. Also, I think with belief in general, people have a tendency to believe things are as they'd like them to be. I think people want some aspect of their being to go on, and this prompts them to hold the belief that they will. Having said that, I have had direct experience of some very odd things I cannot explain. All. I can say, is I do not know, and any internal model or paradigm of how I think things are, is most probably flawed. Anyhow, I didn't intend this thread to speculate on what happens after death, more, how does the prospect of death impact on our thinking... One other drawback I think, to believing in your own immortality, is a loss of a sense of urgency. Why rush, why bother, why not just take it easy with no striving, and waste your life just waiting for the afterlife, or your next incarnation? VS ... If you feel this is all you have, just this one life, how precious and juicy is each second of life? What a waste to not use each moment of life in the quest to fulfil your potential and to be be all you can be, all you want to be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootsBooster Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 i assume i am going to die i assume the body i occupy will either be burnt or rot away i have no idea whether or not there will be anything left waiting to occupy another body if our mind/thoughts/intelligence are a consequence of electrical impulses in the brain (or whatever) if we switch off the power supply do we cease to exist or do we simply wait to be re-connected? i'm not very computer literate, but, if i can save data in a cloud which has nothing to do with my computer, is the data currently stored in my brain/dna etc, something which can be stored elsewhere and downloaded into another machine? i have no idea and suspect i will not find out during my life time A cloud is simply (physical) storage media somewhere else. We are getting closer to achieving technology which (in theory) could replicate a human brain. I do find this a very interesting thing. If we manage to transfer a consciousness to a machine, how will that affect those who believe we have a soul? How about if we manage to duplicate a consciousness? So there are two or more of the same personality roaming the earth, what would that mean to believers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milquetoast1 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 We are getting closer to achieving technology which (in theory) could replicate a human brain. I do find this a very interesting thing. If we manage to transfer a consciousness to a machine, how will that affect those who believe we have a soul? How about if we manage to duplicate a consciousness? So there are two or more of the same personality roaming the earth, what would that mean to believers? If believers have a problem with evolutionary biology, I expect them to go apoplectic with advances in neuroscience. I hope I'm around to witness it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna B Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I sometimes wonder if the super wealthy are holding out to buy immortality in the shape of future medical advances and technology. I don't know how close that possibility is, but i think it would be a disaster if it ever happened. I think it would upset the whole balance of nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 Nothing upsets the whole balance of nature. Certainly nothing humans can do. For example, with global warming, all that will happen, is we'll make the environment (this planet we call earth) less suitable and supportive of human life. It's natures way of killing off dysfunctional life forms; nature (natural processes of the universe) will go on, in perfect balance. Humanity may not. Humanity is nothing, the snap of your fingers, the blink of your eye, in the vast timescales of nature. I was listening to 101 running songs on my run this morning, and some girl talking about love you forever. They (girls, esp. in love songs) throw the word 'forever' around without any conception of what they're talking about. I just don't think we're equipped to comprehend forever. Luckily, it's a compilation album and had some Queen on there (don't stop me now)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manlinose Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Nothing upsets the whole balance of nature. Certainly nothing humans can do. For example, with global warming, all that will happen, is we'll make the environment (this planet we call earth) less suitable and supportive of human life. It's natures way of killing off dysfunctional life forms; nature (natural processes of the universe) will go on, in perfect balance. Humanity may not. Humanity is nothing, the snap of your fingers, the blink of your eye, in the vast timescales of nature. mankind does have the technology, capacity and ability to "upset the whole balance of nature" - just a few of the nuclear weapons we hold, if detonated, would make the environment a bit less suitable for, and supportive of, more than just human life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 mankind does have the technology, capacity and ability to "upset the whole balance of nature" - just a few of the nuclear weapons we hold, if detonated, would make the environment a bit less suitable for, and supportive of, more than just human life If we destroyed, or blew up the planet, it would be less than a blip to nature. The insignificance of the event, is perhaps as impossible for us to comprehend, as 'forever'. Of course, the planet being blown up, would have a significant impact on humanity and other life forms on earth. Also, humanity, and humans building nukes and technology, it's all part and parcel of the natural process of the universe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johncocker Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I think most people think it will never happen to them!, That's for nasty things in life. The truth is ! I Think of a human life as a light bulb! When you switch it of! Its gone! Nothing! If most did not think god was real, they would jump of a bridge... Why work all your life for what? Most people need to believe there is something to make working all your life worth while! a better afterlife... The smart know different!... And party as much as they can! When you die it's a permanent sleep! If we all thought we had a better after life when we pass why are we not all jumping off a bridge right now to be with loved ones? Food for thought! The topic of "Nothing" or No-thing .. is actually quite complex. Pure Consciousness / Awareness has no form ... even though that Consciousness both supports and permeates all forms. So we might well call "God" Pure Consciousness the No-Thing which from which ALL "Things" .. all Forms and Experiences burst forth from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manlinose Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 If we destroyed, or blew up the planet, it would be less than a blip to nature. The insignificance of the event, is perhaps as impossible for us to comprehend, as 'forever'. Of course, the planet being blown up, would have a significant impact on humanity and other life forms on earth. Also, humanity, and humans building nukes and technology, it's all part and parcel of the natural process of the universe. it isn't difficult to comprehend how little difference a nuclear explosion or two on this planet would make to the rest of the universe - i just don't really care too much about the bigger picture i was merely responding to your comment that humans cannot do anything to upset the whole balance of nature - it depends on what you mean by nature i suppose, but it is our environment i'm concerned about, not that beyond our solar system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 i was merely responding to your comment that humans cannot do anything to upset the whole balance of nature - it depends on what you mean by nature i suppose, but it is our environment i'm concerned about, not that beyond our solar system Yep. Also, you could say that humans building nukes, following 'human nature' of self-interest and greed etc; and so on to building and using technology in a destructuve manner - is all perfectly in balance and natural - it's all simply the universe doing it's thing. I guess I'm just looking at it (for now) from a wider context. I'm sure from the perspective Anna B was looking at it from, she's right too. Anyhow, getting a bit off topic. Did you have any thoughts on the psychological impact our apparent mortality has on us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.