X-Message-Number: 25851
From: "Mark Plus" <>
Subject: Terri the Schi-ombie
Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2005 19:58:20 -0800

I have to wonder whether l'affaire Schiavo invokes so much anxiety in 
religionists because they don't want to face the fact that unconscious 
neurological processes can generate our elementary social behavior even when 
the consciousness engine in the brain is trashed. Terri cries, laughs, 
grimaces and so forth, much like an unimpaired human   but these behaviors 
are all happening automatically; they don't require the organism to maintain 
the delusion of a "soul" behind its eyes.

In other words, Terri's example challenges the common belief that equates a 
seemingly responsive human life with the possession of a supernatural 
consciousness to generate it. Terri is too much like a "soulless" monster 
from a horror story for religionists' comfort, so they are desperately 
trying to project a humanoid consciousness onto her for their benefit, not 
for hers.

Manage your risk, not your terror.
Mark Plus

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=25851