Subject: [extropy-chat] Self: Description Overhaul (was: cryonics)

From: "Slawomir Paliwoda" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 16:27:31 -0500

Recently, I've realized something new and surprising about the nature of 
self. What I realized was that identity in its classic structure-of-brain 
sense must be separated from other components that cause self to exist. This 
allowed me to gain a better insight into structure of self, reduce it down 
to basic parts, name and organize them into a coherent whole which, 
hopefully, will be easier to explain.

(I know now that when people express their desire to live forever they 
mistake immortality of existence for its component, namely, immortality of 
brain pattern.)

Some time ago I argued on this list (and others before) that a unique 
identity should be assigned to a unique mind process in space-time. Even 
though there's nothing wrong with the idea this definition tried to 
describe, the sentence didn't really give a big picture of what self is or 
how identity fitted into definition of self. It is apparent to me that in 
order to convey a clearer picture of what self is there must be an overhaul 
of the way self and identity are explained, starting with recognizing the 
latter, in its traditional structure-of-brain sense, as, merely, one 
component of what constitutes existence/life.

Comprehensive discussion of what self is and how identity fits into it isn't 
appropriate for a mailing list so here are the highlights of a document I'm 
working on.

* Self is a unique trajectory of a unique pattern of mind-producing activity 
of matter in space and time.

* Theoretically, mind could exist without matter. In this universe, however, 
mind needs matter to exist which makes self measurable.

* Mind structure is a pattern of mind-producing activity of matter in space 
and time.

* Mind structure is independent of the type of system that implements it.

* Identity of mind structure is a unique space-time pattern of 
mind-producing activity of matter.

* Self enters life when the original instance of mind structure is "present" 
(probably temporary term).

* Presence is a mind-producing activity of matter in space-time. It is not 
matter or pattern of activity. It is activity itself.

* Identity of presence is a unique space-time trajectory of matter 
implementing original instance of mind structure.

* Presence-enabling matter has a unique location in space-time and, for that 
reason, presence can never be copied. It can only be transferred.

* Preservation of self requires preservation of two types of identities:
    - Identity of mind structure.
    - Identity of presence.

(Note, that it is possible for one type of identity to exist without the 
other. It is the failure to account for one of these identities that causes 
logical inconsistencies and disagreements among people on the issue of 
self.)

(Note also, that cryonics focuses exclusively on maintaining identity of 
mind structure.)

Slawomir
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