X-Message-Number: 4996
From: 
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 00:02:35 -0400
Subject: nearly-full glass

In recent postings Mike Darwin relates evidence of survival of Hossman's cat
after an hour's brain ischemia and of mice after partial freezing damage to
the brain, but with memory or cognitive functions impaired; and John Clark
 reminded us of Merkle's calculation that freezing damage probably does not
entail turbulent changes in the brain, more or less contrary to Mike's
impressions.

Mike seems to feel that a walking-around, normal-acting cat, since it may
have extensive hidden deficits, leaves us with a glass half (or more) empty.
Contrariwise, I see this as very hopeful, with a glass half (or much more)
full.

The point is that memory and cognitive functions are PERIPHERALS; the central
self is far more important, and that almost certainly survived in these
cases. The central self--the self-circuit or subjective circuit--is the part
or aspect that feels and experiences; it is the ground of  being. In these
referenced animals, and in many human clinical cases, there can be very
severe memory/cognitive impairment, but nevertheless unquestioned survival as
an individual. In other words, YOU are much more hardy --including
freeze-hardy--than some of your functions and stores. 

Certainly your memories and connections are important to you, and to some
extent may even be said  to "define" you as a person. Some people would even
prefer permanent death rather than substantial loss of memory. Some (they
think) would even prefer death to revival "alone" in a "strange" world. 

Granted that the "philosophical" problems are unresolved, and we don't yet
know whether a continuer or partial continuer, or a duplicate or partial
duplicate, would "really" be you, or whether we are even asking the right
questions. But I know that I have largely lost my early selves, and I don't
mind too much; I assume my distant future selves may have little in common
with my present consciousness, and that doesn't bother me either (which
doesn't prove it shouldn't). I do not identify myself too strongly with my
memories, or my habits, or my environment, or my history--all that is
baggage, and I can always get new (and hopefully better) baggage. If "I" can
be revived as a living, feeling entity, and if appropriate peripherals can be
attached, I don't think "I" will sweat over fidelity or authenticity.

Once more: Mike and others seem to think that we must restore the brain by
inference from its remains, basically using trajectory-tracing, and that any
substantial failures would be disastrous, and that "homegenization" is
equivalent to destruction. High-fidelity preservation is an extremely
laudable goal, and MIGHT turn out to be essential, granted. But there is MUCH
more in our potential armamentarium than trajectory-tracing--there are
countless history-anchors in the private and public records--and in any case
the traveler who has lost his luggage (however valuable and lamented) has not
perished.

Robert Ettinger


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