Consciousness Continued: A fresh start

We have similar views on the soul but there are some differences that I will explain to you here. I agree with this. I disagree with this.First, I don’t agree that everything that happens physically is mathematically predictable. I brought up the example of random walks.Second, if I do accept that as a premise, my conclusion would not be that free will cannot be the result of physical interactions. My conclusion would be that free will doesn’t exist . determinism. I don’t agree with this because here I am in the physical world and I am conscious. My consciousness IS occurring in the physical world. I think that the brain and the soul do communicate. This is where my view on consciousness comes into play. I think that consciousness is the medium by which the brain and the soul communicate.I think that consciousness is a result of the brain. It is a non-physical thing that comes from a physical thing, what you claim is impossible. But this impossibility is what allows for the soul, a non-physical thing, to interact with the brain, a physical thing. The interaction between the physical and non-physical is something that others who have posted have had a problem with. Our consciousness is not short of a miracle, or ”magical’, and it is how physical and non-physical things can interact, because it is a non-physical thing that is the result of a physical thing.I think its important for our souls to interact with our brains because then people can interact with each other with their brains and allow for the interaction between their souls. This is how the soul develops into what You Are. By interacting with other people and growing through ideas.

Exactly!? Sheesh . .I dunno. The soul is the immortal component of your existence that moves on to the afterlife after you die. Its what makes you, You. Its the ”image of god’ that makes us his children. So the soul can receive input from the physical world. So that two souls can interact, through two people. I think of this life as a proving ground for the afterlife. Kindof a place for your soul to develop in preparation for the afterlife. It allows you to figure out what it is to exist and what you need to be happy, in this life and the next. The physical world is source of our experiences. The brain receives the experiences and communicates them to the soul. I think the consciousness is the medium through which this communication takes place. They communicate about what it is to exist and what makes your existence ”worth it’. What makes you happy and fulfilled, and what doesn’t. [/qs] What reason do you have to pose the existence of the soul?[/qs]Jesus’ teachings. To me, it seems like I have a soul. I was raised believing that it exists. Most people throughout the ages posed its existence. For me, adding a soul to the equation makes consciousness less of a conundrum. There’s no reason for me to be conscious, or exists, in a godless/souless universe. For some people, a reason for existence isn’t necessary. Of course we still have that age old questions of why are we here. What’s the meaning of life. It seems that most people think there is a reason and that includes me.

Liek I said, if I believed this I would be a determinist and believe that free will doesn't exist. I don't think the physical world is an illusion. This is probably where our opinions begin to differ. At least you know where I stand on the situation now. Our opinions on the soul aren't too far apart.

If I wanted to wear blinders I wouldn't need an excuse. If I want to look to understand consciousness scientifically, I would do it assuming the soul did not exist. Parsimony gives you an excuse to wear blinders, and stop looking to understand spirituality.

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.Just because I believe in the soul and think our consciousness is tied to it doesn't mean I'm incapable of critically analyzing or scientifically investigating that which is the consciousness. That charge that it gives me an excuse to wear blinders is insulting, but from someone who doesn't know me, I don't take offense. I think its important to be involved in both too. Leaving one out removes such a large aspect of our existence. Did I make a simple amateurish mistake or were you just making a, notably good, point?

Sorry for the confusion. I don't know exactly what the soul is but if pressed for a definition that's what I would say. I know what it is exactly, according to me, and if that is what you were asking then you have my answer but I don't know what the soul exactly is, I can only give you my take on it. Does that make sense? No beforelife IMO. I think your soul is born when you are born (not at birth though). I also think that your soul develops as you develop, like, there is some level of maturity to your soul. As you become aware of yourself, your soul starts to learn, or something.For example, when an infant dies they were never really aware that they were even here. I don't think their soul would be developed enough to experience the afterlife as a heaven or hell, much like their life here was void of any real experences.Another example will be the death of a young rockstar whose enjoyment of life came from sex and drugs. After he dies he will no longer be able to have sex or do drugs as he has no body. I think his afterlife would suck, or be hell, because he hasn't trained his soul on the ways of enjoyment.Last example is the nice old priest who lived his life with non-physical pleasures. Emotional happiness of faith hope and love. These are the kinds of things that transend physical happiness and, IMO, are the kinds of things that your soul will be able to experience in the afterlife. If you learn how to be happy with these feelings then your afterlife will be good, or a heaven.Now, I don't think physical pleasures are bad, its just that you don't want to have your happiness based on them, because when you die you ain't gonna have a body no more.I can elaborate more if you care, but I just ran out of time......Please ask more questions.

Well, I think the soul exists and I know me and my brain exist. I also think that what I do has an effect on my soul. So, there has to be some way for the body, physical, to interact with the soul, non-physical. Consciousness, to me, seems like a good way. It is a result of the brain but it has some non-physical aspects to it. It sorta sits in between the physical and non-physical so that is why I think that. I usually use spirit and soul interchangeably but from what I’ve read from other people, I’m the oddball. I think you could use consciousness and mind interchangeably too. IMO, the consciousness/mind stop functioning and the spirit/soul continues to function. To me it seems like more of a result of the soul interacting with body. That’s why we became conscious.Also, it solves, for me, the problem of something non-physical interacting with something physical because the consciousness, to me, is somewhere in-between in the first place. That’s interesting but for me when your scientific/mathematical models start getting so strange that it makes reality look impossible, then you need to start heading back the other way, towards reality, because we really are here and we’re really real. Perhaps a model that is a projection of higher dimension onto our 3d world can be used to describe some phenomena, but for me, I’m stuck in this 3d world and would rather figure this one out. Well yeah, but its all in good fun.

I realize you were specifically asking Guido but I felt like throwing some answers in. Is that a rhetorical question? It doesn't damage my concept of the soul but it does damage my concept of consciousness because I find something 'magical' it. Our consciousness loses its special-ness when its moved fully over to the physical, IMO. I agree. But I like that, because the consciousness isn't purely physical, it gives a way for the soul to affect our bodies.