X-Message-Number: 9192
From: 
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 1998 11:59:00 EST
Subject: memories

Dr. Haftka (#9188) has some questions about memory and identity.

The "philosophocal" questions concerning "identity," or criteria of survival,
have not been answered. (Many think they know the answer, or at least have a
preference, but the plain fact is that we just do not yet know enough to be
sure or even to have a strong opinion. In particular, we lack basic biological
information about the nature of the "self circuit" or anatomy/physiology of
feeling (subjectivity), and we lack basic physical information about the
nature of time. It is even possible that time and self are in some sense
illusions.

For practical purposes, we can hardly do anything except assume that a
reasonably accurate conservation and repair job will save us, and work to
improve the chances and the accuracy.

Pesonally, I have quite a few early memories of events that especially
impressed me emotionally or intellectually. However, I do not cherish those
memories inordinately. In any case, I see no reason to doubt that memories
"read in," if necessary, from externally derived information, could be
integrated with in-situ memories and the whole personality. (It is ironic to
note that some people who doubt this nevertheless do not doubt that they can
be uploaded and survive!)

Incidentally, Dandridge Cole wrote on this question in his 1965 book, BEYOND
TOMORROW: THE NEXT FIFTY YEARS IN SPACE. We will have some material from this
book on our web site fairly soon.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

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