Is Human Reincarnation a Scientific Reality or a Philosophical Concept?

[SW VandeCarr]

There exists such a person and it's one of the greatest tragedies i have read about:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/09/24/070924fa_fact_sacks


That's a case of a person incapable of his own identity. Reportedly “It’s like being dead.”

Thanks. One thing about these cases. Regardless of the cause of pure amnesia, they always seem to retain language capabilities including the names of most objects. This case is more complex, but it seems this man has retained language as well.

 

[Upisoft]

Its not clear any third party must be involved. In any case, people have actually investigated claims of reincarnation using historical records. I don't believe in strong reincarnation. It's a metaphysical idea but so is believing that we experience just one life.

Reincarnation (strong one) is belief that there is some relationship between past life(s) and current life. Ether it is conscious supernatural 3rd party or supernatural essence of life. I don't see any non-supernatural solution to the problem.

 

[SW VandeCarr]

Reincarnation (strong one) is belief that there is some relationship between past life(s) and current life. Ether it is conscious supernatural 3rd party or supernatural essence of life. I don't see any non-supernatural solution to the problem.

Epigenetic influences skip generations and involve traits not known to be genetic. Does it involve anything related to self-awareness? Not that I know of. But I don't know everything. Do you? As I asked, what's the evidence we only have one life?

 

[Upisoft]

Epigenetic influences skip generations and involve traits not known to be genetic. Does it involve anything related to self-awareness? Not that I know of. But I don't know everything. Do you? As I asked, what's the evidence we only have one life?

Self-awareness is a brain function (or supernatural, but we have discussed that option). All brains are unique, even in identical twins who share all the DNA. So, no. It can't be genetic phenomenon.

The uniqueness is evidence that we only have one life (if the supernatural explanation is dismissed).

 

[SW VandeCarr]

Self-awareness is a brain function (or supernatural, but we have discussed that option). All brains are unique, even in identical twins who share all the DNA. So, no. It can't be genetic phenomenon.

The uniqueness is evidence that we only have one life (if the supernatural explanation is dismissed).

Brains are reconfiguring themselves all the time according to our lifestyles and other factors. The uniqueness of brains doesn't tell us much about self awareness. Since we know almost nothing about self awareness, we can't say anything about strong reincarnation or whether it exists or not.

Actually, favoring one life only is much more in line with monotheistic Western religious traditions whereas reincarnation is more in line with Eastern religions which do not follow the monotheistic model.

 

[Upisoft]

Brains are reconfiguring themselves all the time according to our lifestyles and other factors. The uniqueness of brains doesn't tell us much about self awareness. Since we know almost nothing about self awareness, we can't say anything about strong reincarnation or whether it exists or not.

You speak as the self-awareness is a constant thing. It changes. And here comes the point about 5 year old and 60 year old. Well, maybe 3 year old. They have distinctly different self-awareness, but they are the same person. I still think that the self-awareness is a function of the brain. Yes, we don't know much about it, but there is no need to invoke the supernatural yet.

Actually, favoring one life only is much more in line with monotheistic Western religious traditions whereas reincarnation is more in line with Eastern religions which do not follow the monotheistic model.

I favor no religion.

 

[Jamma]

Brains are reconfiguring themselves all the time according to our lifestyles and other factors. The uniqueness of brains doesn't tell us much about self awareness. Since we know almost nothing about self awareness, we can't say anything about strong reincarnation or whether it exists or not.

Actually, favoring one life only is much more in line with monotheistic Western religious traditions whereas reincarnation is more in line with Eastern religions which do not follow the monotheistic model.

Maybe a bit off topic because it is just my opinion; but to me it seems that conciousness is just the result of constant gradual change of the brain.

If you took one man, looked at his brain and then looked at it 20 years later, clearly it wouldn't be the same brain. But also, the brain changes every second, so it appears that by the brain only changing very gradually all of the time, the effect of conciousness is created; the brain has some very strong link with the recent past by how similar it was and the thought processes that it had.

This idea (not that is original I'm sure) gives a reasonable definition of the self and shows why there is no strong-reincarnation. Of course, it's completely useless in a philosophy discussion, simply because it is my opinion and cannot be proved- but to me it seems the most logical way of looking at things.

 

[sprudence]

I simply like this: No afterlife consciousness, instead we are return as materials from wence we came from, the Earth/Space etc.. I think that is an observable scientific fact.

In essence returning back the Earth as your atomic 'dust', is an afterlife, bit not the afterlife that needs theory/religion, rather than reality to explain it.