Speculations on Life, Death, and Electricity

[Lloyd]

Kell, you could probably start a thread on Ether Life to discuss the possibility that life may be able to exist in just ether, without normal physical matter. I've discussed consciousness before, but wasn't able to get far in the discussion. I think everything consists of consciousness, instead of matter etc.

[kell1990]

Kell, you could probably start a thread on Ether Life to discuss the possibility that life may be able to exist in just ether, without normal physical matter. I've discussed consciousness before, but wasn't able to get far in the discussion. I think everything consists of consciousness, instead of matter etc.

It is glaring apparent that a person on this Earth consists of two parts: 1) The physical body, and 2) the personality/spirit/soul/consciousness, etc.

Obviously the physical body doesn't last very long--maybe 100 years--but the other part (whatever you call it) seems to me to have an unlimited lifespan. I have no idea where it started or when it ends, if at all. We are talking about eternity here.

It is also obvious, from studies done on identical twins (to rule out a genetic element), that certain people have talents that cannot be explained in any other way than information from some source outside the normal channels.

It is my belief that these people have all done some of these things before and through some process that I do not understand are able to continue with their "project" (for lack of a better word).

This is straying a bit far from the topic here, but this is the NIAMI board, after all.

[Grey Cloud]

kell1990,

It is not 'glaring[ly] apparent that a person on this Earth consists of two parts'. If it was it would not have been the subject of debate for several thousand years. In any case, ancient philosophy generally goes for three parts.

It does not of a necessity follow that the 'other part' or parts have an unlimited lifespan. Nor are we necessarily talking about eternity <insert definition of eternity here>.

An individual does not necessarily have to have done a thing previously. They could, for instance, be 'tapping into' some form of universal mind. See the Indian concept of 'Akasha', the Taoist 'Wu Wei', or the Greek Athene (nous) for examples.

All of your argument is predicated upon there being such a thing as an individual/person.

[kell1990]

kell1990,

It is not 'glaring[ly] apparent that a person on this Earth consists of two parts'. If it was it would not have been the subject of debate for several thousand years. In any case, ancient philosophy generally goes for three parts.

Sure it is. Go to any funeral home on visitation day and you'll see a body lying in a casket. The body is no longer functional. The part of the body that gave it its "personality" is gone. Where did it go?

It is my belief that the part of the body (the "personality"), which I think is electrical in nature, goes into another realm, possibly into the cosmos. But there are also valid accounts of some of those "personalities" hanging around on Earth for quite some time. I do not know how to explain it any other way. (see below for further comments)

[It does not of a necessity follow that the 'other part' or parts have an unlimited lifespan. Nor are we necessarily talking about eternity <insert definition of eternity here>.]

Eternity: without end.

[An individual does not necessarily have to have done a thing previously. They could, for instance, be 'tapping into' some form of universal mind. See the Indian concept of 'Akasha', the Taoist 'Wu Wei', or the Greek Athene (nous) for examples. ]

Could be. I think we are referring to the same thing here, just using a different vocabulary. One way I think of this is the "cloud" used in computing, except that every personality has its own separate file.

[All of your argument is predicated upon there being such a thing as an individual/person. [/quote]

Well, you're in the UK and I'm in the US and here we treat every person as a unique individual. That is one of my core beliefs, but I'll defer to your knowledge of formal philosophy, as I haven't spent a lot of time pursuing it.

I just call 'em like I see 'em.

[Grey Cloud]

Sure it is. Go to any funeral home on visitation day and you'll see a body lying in a casket. The body is no longer functional. The part of the body that gave it its "personality" is gone. Where did it go?

Why does it have to have gone somewhere?

But there are also valid accounts of some of those "personalities" hanging around on Earth for quite some time.

Not quite sure what you mean here.

Eternity: without end.

Which end? Do you mean without termination?

Well, you're in the UK and I'm in the US and here we treat every person as a unique individual.

This is due to 2,000 years of Judeo-Christian pollution. The druids seemed to have thought otherwise and Native American (N, S and Central) have/had a different take on things.

Could be. I think we are referring to the same thing here, just using a different vocabulary.

Yup. The pedant in me was taking you to task for the use of hyperbole.

One way I think of this is the "cloud" used in computing, except that every personality has its own separate file.

Good metaphor/simile. Leaves on the same tree.

[kell1990]

Sure it is. Go to any funeral home on visitation day and you'll see a body lying in a casket. The body is no longer functional. The part of the body that gave it its "personality" is gone. Where did it go?

Why does it have to have gone somewhere?

Because it was a functional part of the person before and now its gone. I don't get the problem here, unless you think that when life ends, so does the "personality". I just don't believe that.

But there are also valid accounts of some of those "personalities" hanging around on Earth for quite some time.

Not quite sure what you mean here.

There are anecdotal reports of people who have died and are still hanging around. Some people call them ghosts, but I prefer to call them "hangers-on". Other people, IMHO, leave this zone for another place and many of them return to complete their "mission". (We are getting off into some serious esoterica here.)

Eternity: without end.

Which end? Do you mean without termination?

What else could that mean?

Well, you're in the UK and I'm in the US and here we treat every person as a unique individual.

This is due to 2,000 years of Judeo-Christian pollution. The druids seemed to have thought otherwise and Native American (N, S and Central) have/had a different take on things.

How many Druids are left? When the Romans invaded England they hunted down and killed every Druid. Just like we should hunt down and kill every single member of ISIS. The native Americans that you mention were a blood-thirsty lot, and were a group that I would not like to be around.

Could be. I think we are referring to the same thing here, just using a different vocabulary.

Yup. The pedant in me was taking you to task for the use of hyperbole.

Well, good for you.

One way I think of this is the "cloud" used in computing, except that every personality has its own separate file.

Good metaphor/simile. Leaves on the same tree.

I wish that the moderators would peel off some of these posts and rename them, "What happens when you die."

I am done with this thread.