Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on March 22, 2012 at 3:25pm

Rimshot, Rob!

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Permalink Reply by Kris Feenstra on March 22, 2012 at 7:55pm

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Permalink Reply by Pope OoO (Out of Order) on March 22, 2012 at 1:35am

It's interesting that believers in dualism rarely remember or even wonder where their soul/spirit was before their body existed (unless they also believe in reincarnation).

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Permalink Reply by IEatDinosaurMeat on March 22, 2012 at 1:47am

That's part of what helped lead me away from dualism... Tool helped a lot actually... somewhat sadly.

"We barely remember what came before this precious moment,
Choosing to be here right now. Hold on, stay inside...
This body holding me, reminding me that I am not alone in
This body makes me feel eternal. All this pain is an illusion" - parabol
.
I was hoping for things to turn out different than they did. I was seeking to restore some mythical break between my body and my mind. Instead I breached the "gap" by recognizing there wasn't one to begin with, that the "mind" is a physical thing, and thoughts are the result of physical processes.

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Permalink Reply by Pope OoO (Out of Order) on March 22, 2012 at 3:42am

This body makes me feel eternal.

I like that quote!

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Permalink Reply by M.B. on March 22, 2012 at 2:51pm

This body is giving me the itches. I need a new one.

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Permalink Reply by IEatDinosaurMeat on March 22, 2012 at 6:13pm

Usually that's a sign you need a bath.

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Permalink Reply by chiz on March 22, 2012 at 9:36am

There are lots of possibilities but I don't know that making things up to fill voids in knowledge is the best way to go. I've also had some interesting debates with people who use "Duotheism" as their base and it all comes back to the same problem... there is no evidence whatsoever one way or the other. It's one thing to admit that we can't possibly know or understand all of the possibilities at this point, but it's entirely another thing to fill in those blanks with more what-ifs.

Coming up with new names for "I don't know" is like throwing gas on a big fire of WTF...

So, my take is... to each their own. People should believe whatever gets them through the day.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on March 22, 2012 at 10:05am

There is, however, a lot of evidence against mind/brain dualism.  In particular, the changes that can take place in personality if a particular part of the brain is damaged.  Memories can be cut out of the brain, personality traits can be cut out of the brain, our ability to reason can be cut out out of the brain - all of which makes it hard to believe that destroying the brain entirely results in complete restoration of the person it once animated.

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Permalink Reply by chiz on March 22, 2012 at 11:10am

Well, there is a lot of evidence that debunks most aspects of religion but I was trying to at least play along. Mind/Brain dualism is a little over the top for me. Because the OP posed the question around a deity, I assume this is all about Duotheism.

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Permalink Reply by Shabaka Tecumseh on March 22, 2012 at 2:37pm

The Universe is full of appositions.. as for a "god-like" force, it depends on what you define as "god like"..energy?, gravity?, dark matter?, feeling of belonging to all there is? what?

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Permalink Reply by Ed Neubauer on March 22, 2012 at 7:46pm

It's obviously hooey.  The brain is made of neurons.  Neurons are part of the physical world.  Neurons work via chemical reactions.

A physical explanation suffices.  The interactions between them are complex, but still are physical.

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