Dualism (Identity)

by David Turell , Saturday, March 14, 2015, 00:29 (3322 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained


> Tony: During NDE's and OBE's the body is not completely dead. It still provides energy and an 'anchor' of sorts, if you will. More importantly, if NDE's or OBE's are remembered then apparently the brains functions have not entirely ceased. Either that, or there is some form of buffer between the consciousness and the brain.-It is clear that consciousness survives during a non-functional brain period. There is no way to otherwise explain NDE's. Your buffer idea is interesting. Resuscitation does keep the body alive and the spark present until the circulatory system resumes and the brain revives.-> 
> Tony: Consider the human heart, for a moment, or even the entire body below the neck. You can remove someones heart, or their entire body, and the brain will continue to function for a short time after the removal has occurred.-About 10-15 seconds to non-functional brain, with brain death in 4 minutes in adults, 10-15 minutes in young children.-> Tony: That means that while the brain does have dependency upon the functions of the heart, it still retains a degree of autonomy.-Not much. The brain is very fragile compared to kidneys which can be harvested within an hour and transplanted hours later if kept very cold-> Tony: I think consciousness works the same way. It IS dependent upon energy, information, and the mechanics of the body, but it is able to function autonomously for a limited duration. -Agreed.