Consciousness, brains and the replica problem

Ricard V. Sole

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arXiv · 0712.1126

Consciousness, brains and the replica problem

Ricard V. Sole

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Abstract

Although the conscious state is considered an emergent property of the underlying brain activity and thus somehow resides on brain hardware, there is a non-univocal mapping between both. Given a neural hardware, multiple conscious patterns are consistent with it. Here we show, by means of a simple {\em gedankenexperiment} that this has an important logic consequence: any scenario involving the transient shutdown of brain activity leads to the irreversible death of the conscious experience. In a fundamental way, unless the continuous stream of consciousness is guaranteed, the previous self vanishes and is replaced by a new one.

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Ricard V. Sole. 2007-12-07. Consciousness, brains and the replica problem. https://arxiv.org/abs/0712.1126

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