X-Message-Number: 14146
From: 
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 07:46:43 EDT
Subject: Re: survival and continuity, the present-moment self

In :
Message #14136 "Brook Norton" <>
 Subject: survival and continuity, the present-moment self
 said:

>Our consciousness and emotions and drive to be happy seem to only exist at
>the present moment.  Our past and future selves are only important in that
>we have memories of the past and anticipations of the future that affect our
>happiness at the present moment.  Only in the present moment do we survive.
>Beyond this connection to the past and future, I don't see any special
>significance to our continuity over time.

I think we must define what is present. In philosophy, it is what separate the
past from the future, in science it is the quantum duration of an event, and
that rest on the event's energy via the Heisenberg uncertainty formula:
(time duration) x (energy variation) > or = Planck's constant.

Assume we want to define present for life. Life rests on chemical processes
in the electron volt (eV) energy range. The corresponding time is near
10^-15 second. this is the present for life, indeed a very short duration.

Now, think about the wave produced by an electric power plan, the main is at
60 Hz or 50 Hz. At a time far shorter than the wave period (1/60th of a 
second)
the time arrow is not defined and you are in the present. For that wave, 
present
is at least some miliseconds long.

Think next about the solar cycle of 2 x 11 years, it produces a modulation in
the charged cosmic ray and so a wave with a 22 years periodicity. For that
wave, called a Forbush's wave, present is at least some years long

Black hole in galaxies centers may produce wave with period well over
100 000 years, for them, all the registered history of man is included in
a single present instant.

You may think the only "true" present for us is the biological one, this is a
good view point until you start to think about cryonics recovery. As I have
said in another message, we may use here a technology based on
squeezed states of quantum mechanics. A squeezed state is always
coupled with a "stretched" state, that is, a long wavelength one. These
stretched states may well have very long presents so you can't say there
is a large time gap for the recovered person.

Yvan Bozzonetti.

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