What do you expect will happen to your consciousness when you die?

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Northern Lawn

Platinum Member
May 15, 2008
2,231
2
0
Nothing. When you die you cease to exist.

You can't know that even if you had a near death experience. Since I don't know, and nobody else knows (who is living) and dead men tell no tales... I'm hoping it's like a lucid dream.
 

Agent11

Diamond Member
Jan 22, 2006
3,535
1
0
Physics supports ceasing to exist more than it does any other fairy tale happy ending. If I am wrong though please tell me how exactly.
 

CZroe

Lifer
Jun 24, 2001
24,195
856
126
It will become a being of pure energy that will hitch a ride on the next comet/space ship that comes close.
 

ThinClient

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2013
3,980
4
0
I don't believe all the religious BS about some divine afterlife determined by what you do on earth, however I cant accept that I simply cease to exist when I die.

Stop.

Just because you cannot (or choose not to) comprehend that it happens that way does not mean that whatever mumbo jumbo you typed out next which I refuse to read is actually true. Whatever you typed out next is nothing more than pure conjecture based on your imagination. Plain and simple.
 

disappoint

Lifer
Dec 7, 2009
10,137
382
126
Many intelligent "new age" atheists have a really tough time differentiating the science of why our consciousness exists from the existence of a god.


It makes it very difficult to have a reasonable conversation with the atheist trolls making blind comments.

I really think these new atheists are FAR worse than the zealous christians.

Let me get this straight. Are you saying they are atheists, yet they believe in the existence of a god? Also they are intelligent, but far worse than zealous christians? What is this? I don't even...
 

disappoint

Lifer
Dec 7, 2009
10,137
382
126
We don't dare speak that name anymore.

I wonder if Bonzai buddy and that little paperclip ever duked it out on anyone's screen. Yeah I don't want to wonder that anymore. I hope they leave my consciousness soon.
 

ThinClient

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2013
3,980
4
0
Let me get this straight. Are you saying they are atheists, yet they believe in the existence of a god? Also they are intelligent, but far worse than zealous christians? What is this? I don't even...

Son of Sam was intelligent and actually truly believed that a dog told him to kill people.

"No amount of belief can make an idea a fact." -Richard Dawkins
 

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
Originally Posted by slag View Post
Interesting question. Seems a shame that all our life experiences, everything we've seen, felt, touched, and have registered in our brains over the years would suddenly cease to matter because our physical body died. Yet, since we aren't plugged into a larger grid or anything, it appears that it would do just that. If all it takes are a series of electrical impulses to keep our brain alive, why can't we simulate a human host yet and hook up to it to keep our consciousness "conscious"? I'm sure it's just a matter of time. If we could freeze our brains when we die, is there a way we could "retrieve" the information that is stored there, or once the power is gone, our ROM also empties?

So your consciousness continues in a box, unable to experience anything new, unable to communicate with anyone else, I wouldn't want that, sounds like eternal loneliness, the quintessential "Nowhere Man", fuck that, pull my plug all the way, I don't want to spend eternity in a storage medium, forever wanting to be real again until the sun itself burns out and incinerates this planet 3-4 billion years from now...
 

sourceninja

Diamond Member
Mar 8, 2005
8,805
65
91
Technically.... When you unplug your computer the energy that was powering it is diverted somewhere else.....

It's really not a great analogy for the point you're trying to make.

I'd say that unplugging your computer is like removing life support from someone. Without food, water, and air being supplied to a person they die. Without electricity being supplied to a computer it does.

The difference is computers can be brought back from the dead after a greater period of time where as people only have a short window.

My take on it, I probably will not exist. I honestly don't care either way. I care about living, not dying.
 
Nov 7, 2000
16,404
3
81
Technically.... When you unplug your computer the energy that was powering it is diverted somewhere else.....

It's really not a great analogy for the point you're trying to make.
ok. so when you die, the food and water that was going to sustain your life is diverted to someone else. however poor you feel my analogy was, your criticism of it is much weaker.
 

child of wonder

Diamond Member
Aug 31, 2006
8,307
175
106
When I die I will float into the clouds to be with Jesus where we will eat ice cream, ride roller coasters, sing hymns, and bash gay people forever and ever.

Amen.
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,255
403
126
I have no idea, but I pretty much agree with what the posts said below. It's just as possible nothing happens and the lights just go out, but I'd rather believe something like below since we don't know anyway. Why not?

It will become part of a bigger, infinitely more complex consciousness that is everlasting.

I don't believe all the religious BS about some divine afterlife determined by what you do on earth, however I cant accept that I simply cease to exist when I die.

I cannot accept that something as unique and special as self awareness simply ceases to exist. It is something more than the sum of our parts, ie amino acids, proteins, neurons, etc, and I have no doubt that some part of it transcends my death. I like to view my existence as being akin to fish in a fish bowl. We can learn as much as possible about what exists within the confines of our environment, but eventually you reach the edge and can only hypothesize about what exists beyond it. It's not just the edge of your physical existence, it's the edge of your reality, and every end has a new beginning. Attempting to claim with certainly to know what it is is just foolish, and is usually born of fear. I found peace when I chose to let go of all the religious BS, and accept that I have no idea what happens after I die. If it's simply nothingness, that would be a shame, but no sense in being afraid of simply not existing, though if "YOU" could simply cease to exist do "YOU" even exist now?
 

LennyZ

Golden Member
Oct 24, 1999
1,557
0
76
My only worry is i my consciousness stays attached to my rotting body.
And then what happens when i get cremated?

Although i def going to HELL if it exists.
 

crownjules

Diamond Member
Jul 7, 2005
4,858
0
76
I have no idea, but I pretty much agree with what the posts said below. It's just as possible nothing happens and the lights just go out, but I'd rather believe something like below since we don't know anyway. Why not?

I saw a science show once (not sure if was How the Universe Works or another one), but this theory is basically what quantum physics points towards happening. Your consciousness becomes one with the cosmos when you die. And that in turn can somewhat explain the near-death experiences people claim to experience (out of body experience, entire life flashing before your eyes, light at the end of the tunnel, etc).

Here's an article about it: http://www.wakingtimes.com/2013/02/09/near-death-experiences-explained-by-quantum-physicists/
 
Oct 25, 2006
11,036
11
91
I dont understand why people care so much.

It'll just be like going to sleep. You don't remember going to sleep every single night, and what happened during that time do you?

Exact same thing. Just nothingness.
 
sale-70-410-exam    | Exam-200-125-pdf    | we-sale-70-410-exam    | hot-sale-70-410-exam    | Latest-exam-700-603-Dumps    | Dumps-98-363-exams-date    | Certs-200-125-date    | Dumps-300-075-exams-date    | hot-sale-book-C8010-726-book    | Hot-Sale-200-310-Exam    | Exam-Description-200-310-dumps?    | hot-sale-book-200-125-book    | Latest-Updated-300-209-Exam    | Dumps-210-260-exams-date    | Download-200-125-Exam-PDF    | Exam-Description-300-101-dumps    | Certs-300-101-date    | Hot-Sale-300-075-Exam    | Latest-exam-200-125-Dumps    | Exam-Description-200-125-dumps    | Latest-Updated-300-075-Exam    | hot-sale-book-210-260-book    | Dumps-200-901-exams-date    | Certs-200-901-date    | Latest-exam-1Z0-062-Dumps    | Hot-Sale-1Z0-062-Exam    | Certs-CSSLP-date    | 100%-Pass-70-383-Exams    | Latest-JN0-360-real-exam-questions    | 100%-Pass-4A0-100-Real-Exam-Questions    | Dumps-300-135-exams-date    | Passed-200-105-Tech-Exams    | Latest-Updated-200-310-Exam    | Download-300-070-Exam-PDF    | Hot-Sale-JN0-360-Exam    | 100%-Pass-JN0-360-Exams    | 100%-Pass-JN0-360-Real-Exam-Questions    | Dumps-JN0-360-exams-date    | Exam-Description-1Z0-876-dumps    | Latest-exam-1Z0-876-Dumps    | Dumps-HPE0-Y53-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-HPE0-Y53-Exam    | 100%-Pass-HPE0-Y53-Real-Exam-Questions    | Pass-4A0-100-Exam    | Latest-4A0-100-Questions    | Dumps-98-365-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-98-365-Exam    | 100%-Pass-VCS-254-Exams    | 2017-Latest-VCS-273-Exam    | Dumps-200-355-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-300-320-Exam    | Pass-300-101-Exam    | 100%-Pass-300-115-Exams    |
http://www.portvapes.co.uk/    | http://www.portvapes.co.uk/    |