Comments for The Phantom Self http://phantomself.org A Case for Conceptual Reform Wed, 16 May 2012 16:42:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Table of Contents by Being Protean – Johnston’s Narratives of Survival « The Phantom Self http://phantomself.org/table-of-contents/comment-page-1/#comment-39264 Being Protean – Johnston’s Narratives of Survival « The Phantom Self Wed, 16 May 2012 16:42:21 +0000 http://phantomself.org/?page_id=151#comment-39264 [...] to the Phantom Self?  Read what this site is about, scan the Table of Contents,  or begin with the Introduction.  Contact the author – or comment on any [...] [...] to the Phantom Self?  Read what this site is about, scan the Table of Contents,  or begin with the Introduction.  Contact the author – or comment on any [...]

]]> Comment on Anticipation and the Extreme Claim by Anatta to Agape – Mark Johnston’s Surviving Death « The Phantom Self http://phantomself.org/anticipation-and-the-extreme-claim/comment-page-1/#comment-38749 Anatta to Agape – Mark Johnston’s Surviving Death « The Phantom Self Fri, 11 May 2012 17:36:03 +0000 http://phantomself.org/?p=498#comment-38749 [...] advances an argument for what Parfit called The Extreme Claim: the mere fact that some future experience will be mine does not provide me with a reason to care [...] [...] advances an argument for what Parfit called The Extreme Claim: the mere fact that some future experience will be mine does not provide me with a reason to care [...]

]]> Comment on Forking – episode 1 by Being Protean – Johnston’s Narratives of Survival « The Phantom Self http://phantomself.org/forking-episode-1/comment-page-1/#comment-38748 Being Protean – Johnston’s Narratives of Survival « The Phantom Self Fri, 11 May 2012 17:35:38 +0000 http://phantomself.org/?p=86#comment-38748 [...] as we have seen, carries the risk of duplication. When Johnston’s Teletransporters are accidentally duplicated (a [...] [...] as we have seen, carries the risk of duplication. When Johnston’s Teletransporters are accidentally duplicated (a [...]

]]> Comment on About by Being Protean – Johnston’s Narratives of Survival « The Phantom Self http://phantomself.org/about/comment-page-1/#comment-38747 Being Protean – Johnston’s Narratives of Survival « The Phantom Self Fri, 11 May 2012 17:35:21 +0000 http://phantomself.org/wp/?page_id=2#comment-38747 [...] to the Phantom Self?  Read what this site is about, scan the Table of Contents,  or begin with the Introduction.  Contact the author – or comment [...] [...] to the Phantom Self?  Read what this site is about, scan the Table of Contents,  or begin with the Introduction.  Contact the author – or comment [...]

]]> Comment on Anatta to Agape – Mark Johnston’s Surviving Death by Being Protean – Johnston’s Narratives of Survival « The Phantom Self http://phantomself.org/anatta-to-agape-mark-johnstons-surviving-death/comment-page-1/#comment-38664 Being Protean – Johnston’s Narratives of Survival « The Phantom Self Thu, 10 May 2012 18:40:26 +0000 http://phantomself.org/?p=597#comment-38664 [...] This is the second part of a two part review of Mark Johnston’s Surviving Death. Part 1 is here. [...] [...] This is the second part of a two part review of Mark Johnston’s Surviving Death. Part 1 is here. [...]

]]> Comment on Introduction by Gordon Cornwall http://phantomself.org/introduction/comment-page-1/#comment-37968 Gordon Cornwall Tue, 01 May 2012 21:54:46 +0000 http://phantomself.org/?p=12#comment-37968 I think we need to get over the idea of invisible spirits that have location and shape. That idea only holds us back. We have the Greeks to thank for it, principally Plato, who wrote about the immaterial, immortal soul--an indestructible spiritual substance. This, in my view, was a wrong turn. I've been toying with the idea of writing a post called "Soul 2.0." I'll have to research it first, and right now I don't know if the research will bear me out. The idea is that, long before Plato, there were pre-philosophical ideas of 'spirit' or 'soul' in common circulation, not precisely articulated, and that those pre-philosophical ideas of the soul were consistent with what we would now call the set of a person's attributes, or her informational content. Remember the anecdotes about primitive tribes who object to being photographed on the grounds that the camera 'steals their souls?' The camera only acquires information. Perhaps the tribemen understand that, and that's WHY they object. (Even in technological societies, many people object if their picture is taken without permission.) In this sense of 'soul,' books have souls as well as people. The soul of a book is its text. The body is its physical pages, cover, and ink. And a book is the kind of entity that survives if ANY COPY of it survives. Hence the viability of teleportation. The spirit is not left behind. I think we need to get over the idea of invisible spirits that have location and shape. That idea only holds us back. We have the Greeks to thank for it, principally Plato, who wrote about the immaterial, immortal soul–an indestructible spiritual substance. This, in my view, was a wrong turn.

I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a post called “Soul 2.0.” I’ll have to research it first, and right now I don’t know if the research will bear me out. The idea is that, long before Plato, there were pre-philosophical ideas of ‘spirit’ or ‘soul’ in common circulation, not precisely articulated, and that those pre-philosophical ideas of the soul were consistent with what we would now call the set of a person’s attributes, or her informational content. Remember the anecdotes about primitive tribes who object to being photographed on the grounds that the camera ‘steals their souls?’ The camera only acquires information. Perhaps the tribemen understand that, and that’s WHY they object. (Even in technological societies, many people object if their picture is taken without permission.) In this sense of ‘soul,’ books have souls as well as people. The soul of a book is its text. The body is its physical pages, cover, and ink. And a book is the kind of entity that survives if ANY COPY of it survives.

Hence the viability of teleportation. The spirit is not left behind.

]]> Comment on Melanoma Journal – First Four Months by Jan Westendorp http://phantomself.org/melanoma-journal-first-four-months/comment-page-1/#comment-37958 Jan Westendorp Tue, 01 May 2012 18:38:22 +0000 http://phantomself.org/?p=588#comment-37958 Hello Gordon, My best wishes for full recovery – and much strength and peace to you, Claudia and the children through your healing journey. Jan Hello Gordon,

My best wishes for full recovery – and much strength and peace to you, Claudia and the children through your healing journey.

Jan

]]> Comment on Introduction by Peter Haase http://phantomself.org/introduction/comment-page-1/#comment-37912 Peter Haase Tue, 01 May 2012 01:24:41 +0000 http://phantomself.org/?p=12#comment-37912 Over 40 years ago I sat for a few days with an interesting, old, spiritual sage/brother. This was down in Ozzy land. I think the heat, fasting and long hours of meditation was getting to us. He rambled on about the spirit that we all possess and it's beginning form; that of a tadpole or sperm. We both agreed that the strongest motivating force in all of nature was the reproduction of the self. Whether it was plant or animal, the main theme of all things, was pro-creation. Oui? The continuity of the species. We laughed for hours over all the silly connotations we could come up with. It's amazing what comes to mind when it's been 'weeks' since the last meal. The invisible spirit, he went on to describe, maintains this 'comma-like shape' as it developes to maturity. This physical 'brain attached to the spine', being the mirror image of it's partner, the personalized spirit of the being. All this without drugs! So Gordon, if the grey matter between the ears, as you mentioned, has been programmed to operate the coordination of movement and motor management of the visible, would a slap on the leg be a repremand to the invisible life-force, that resides within; telling it to behave and stop complaining that part of what you used to 'possess' was now missing? Why is it that near-death-experience people report on looking back with sadness at the frail body they've just stepped out of? Does a spirit express angst upon seperation from it's host? Are they symbiotic twins? Will the spirit be left behind upon teleportation? Will they catch up in the luggage? I remain agnostic and I like to relish the mystery of it all. L Pete Over 40 years ago I sat for a few days with an interesting, old, spiritual sage/brother. This was down in Ozzy land. I think the heat, fasting and long hours of meditation was getting to us. He rambled on about the spirit that we all possess and it’s beginning form; that of a tadpole or sperm. We both agreed that the strongest motivating force in all of nature was the reproduction of the self. Whether it was plant or animal, the main theme of all things, was pro-creation. Oui? The continuity of the species.
We laughed for hours over all the silly connotations we could come up with. It’s amazing what comes to mind when it’s been ‘weeks’ since the last meal.
The invisible spirit, he went on to describe, maintains this ‘comma-like shape’ as it developes to maturity. This physical ‘brain attached to the spine’, being the mirror image of it’s partner, the personalized spirit of the being. All this without drugs!
So Gordon, if the grey matter between the ears, as you mentioned, has been programmed to operate the coordination of movement and motor management of the visible, would a slap on the leg be a repremand to the invisible life-force, that resides within; telling it to behave and stop complaining that part of what you used to ‘possess’ was now missing?
Why is it that near-death-experience people report on looking back with sadness at the frail body they’ve just stepped out of? Does a spirit express angst upon seperation from it’s host? Are they symbiotic twins? Will the spirit be left behind upon teleportation? Will they catch up in the luggage? I remain agnostic and I like to relish the mystery of it all. L Pete

]]> Comment on Introduction by Gordon Cornwall http://phantomself.org/introduction/comment-page-1/#comment-37889 Gordon Cornwall Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:21:46 +0000 http://phantomself.org/?p=12#comment-37889 Wow, what a comment! It's like you, Peter - a bit larger than life. And many-threaded. Too many to pick up on, but that's so often the case. Our connections to other people are not only to our children, and I don't think DNA is the most important connecting thread. I will say something about phantom limbs. A lot more is going on there than frayed, confused nerve endings. Our brains support a computational model of our bodies. The model is vital for coordinated movement, for navigating the world, and for staying out of various kinds of trouble. A phantom limb can be painful to an amputee, but it also has a positive importance. Oliver Sacks reported an amputee with a prosthetic leg. When he woke up in the morning, he couldn't walk until he first gave his stump a healthy slap--his phantom leg would then"shoot out" of the stump. When he put the prosthesis on, the phantom would adjust its boundaries to those of the artificial leg--and that enabled him to walk. Wow, what a comment! It’s like you, Peter – a bit larger than life. And many-threaded. Too many to pick up on, but that’s so often the case. Our connections to other people are not only to our children, and I don’t think DNA is the most important connecting thread.

I will say something about phantom limbs. A lot more is going on there than frayed, confused nerve endings. Our brains support a computational model of our bodies. The model is vital for coordinated movement, for navigating the world, and for staying out of various kinds of trouble. A phantom limb can be painful to an amputee, but it also has a positive importance. Oliver Sacks reported an amputee with a prosthetic leg. When he woke up in the morning, he couldn’t walk until he first gave his stump a healthy slap–his phantom leg would then”shoot out” of the stump. When he put the prosthesis on, the phantom would adjust its boundaries to those of the artificial leg–and that enabled him to walk.

]]> Comment on Melanoma Journal – First Four Months by Sheryl and Kirk http://phantomself.org/melanoma-journal-first-four-months/comment-page-1/#comment-37884 Sheryl and Kirk Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:51:11 +0000 http://phantomself.org/?p=588#comment-37884 If it is true that "prayer" helps people heal, then we hope our meditations and that of others will keep you well. As you know, we have been through something similar and so understand the range of emotions you, Claudia, and your children are experiencing. Gordon, your blog is a reflection of the philosophical, inquisitive, logical, loving individual that you are. It is a wonderful way to communicate openly with family and friends. You have much to do, so enjoy your various projects. If it is true that “prayer” helps people heal, then we hope our meditations and that of others will keep you well. As you know, we have been through something similar and so understand the range of emotions you, Claudia, and your children are experiencing. Gordon, your blog is a reflection of the philosophical, inquisitive, logical, loving individual that you are. It is a wonderful way to communicate openly with family and friends. You have much to do, so enjoy your various projects.

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