The Grand Illusion: Not the one by Styx

Ok, my last post was a bit sarcastic but it's really not far from the claims of philosophers who insist on the immutable nature of consciousness. Essentially it is what they are claiming: brain and mind are analogous to computer and software. It's the software that makes us human and special above all others. Kind of the way Mac users feel. It is software as a service. We get access to our soul under certain limited terms and conditions which can be revoked at any time. So all those people who complain about Gates or Jobs thinking they're God, really aren't too far off...

I, of course don't buy this. I think that what we have named consciousness, doesn't really exist. It is a grand illusion. Over the next many months I hope to share my reasons. I've already started with the beginnings of some very basic primers on the basics of our anatomy. Fleshing out the basics will take several installments. In between I hope to continue to post bad poetry, sarcastic political commentary, self-amusing anecdotes, and the occasional story.

The question is complex and brings together a number of disciplines. But in the end, I think we'll be able to show that the basic structure of cognition is written not in some lore, but in our neurons.

Let the games begin!

Soulware as a Sevice

I don't know why I did not see this sooner. I have had an epiphany. I bought a new computer recently. It arrived with all the software pre-installed. To activate it I had to agree to the terms and conditions which basically state that I don't really own the software. I'm basically just leasing it. When the computer goes belly up, I have to get a new software suite. Some part of the hardware fails and the software is toast too.

That was when it hit me - That's what happens to us! We come with pre-installed software that only runs on this model of brain (CPU, RAM and Memory requirements for the system, etc.) - Soulware as it were. Chimp brains for example, don't have the right CPU. Dolphin brains have the CPU but not enough RAM. Mouse and Rat brains for example can only run Windows 7. The big provisioning system in the sky preloads the software at the factory and off we go. We don't actually own the soul, which can be disposed of at The Great Software Makers discretion.

Too bad it's not a polytheistic belief - we could stand some competition or else we'll never get any upgrades.


(Sorry, left over post - didn't want to waste it.)

And the Child Shall Lead

A bittersweet event happened a couple of weeks ago. Our eldest, of highschool age, expressed an interest in taking a comparative religion course. She has been raised to be ethical and moral without religion. She knows how her mom and I feel about religion but from time she could ask such questions my answer has always been the same - deciding what you believe is a choice that you alone get to make. And she is a wonder. A kinder and more empathetic soul has never lived. She is also smart and confident and not easily swayed. She is free of guilt and baggage. She gives me hope for our future.

I suggested that we could have a series of sessions like that at home. She politely said that she preferred to gain an outside perspective on the subject.

"I'm not interested in the teachings so much as the history of religions,"She said.

"No offense, but you and mom kind of cloud the discussion with political commentary about religion."

It is a bit of a shock when your wildest hopes for your children come true - a father's hope that his children would be better than he.

She is.