Midsmartin wrote:I think the question is too hypothetical. All the evidence is that consciousness and personality is tied inextricably to the brain.
What in the brain? Or, to put it another way, what would you build if you wanted to make something that experienced sensations? I'm not sure we have any idea except to maybe say 'I'd build a brain!'
If we injure the brain, our personality can change entirely. Our perceptions rely on real physical sense organs, whose output can be changed by injury, drugs or genetics. Memory resides in physical brain tissue. As does speech and everything else. We are different people at age 80 than we are at 18.
If there were a soul it must have no memory, sight, hearing, vision, taste, pain, warmth. These things require a body.
I don't think that's true. The body merely relays information to the brain via the nervous system. Direct electrical stimulation is possible.
All the evidence says that the idea of a soul is absurd, so the question is like asking "what if I had X ray vision and could see through walls?". We could joke about it over a point, but as a real discussion it's pointless.
Until we can answer the question of what is required for sensations, consciousness etc then the idea of a soul or some form of continuity cannot be ruled out IMO. We just don't know. There are already some ideas out there that a couple of hundred years ago would have seemed absurd. General relativity and quantum mechanics being the most obvious examples.
If there were evidence (let's not call it proof) of continuity then it would not only answer one of the most fundamental questions about life but would remove the fear of oblivion that plagues many people. One consequence would be research into exactly what this life-after-death was going to be like. If there is evidence then there would likely be avenues to explore. I think it would be the dawn of a pretty exciting era.
BoE