[OT] Plato's Pub and Philosophical Society

[QuarianRex]

Originally posted by Chronon:
Also, I think the human mind is more a pattern of energy than strictly a chemical process. And this pattern is extremely complex and ever-changing.

Actually, the energy component is relatively short-term, about 20 min or so. It is during these 20 min that the looping energy pattern that will be memory acts as a template for the growth of dendritic spines on the neurons. Further stimulation (through dreams) can tead to growth of actual dendritic branches. Once the growth is finished you have yourself a new memory. Also, the more that memory is activated, the more the dendrites grow, and so the easier it is to access that memory.

Why do we structurally store memories? Because the energy Version is too damn fragile. One good bump and it's gone. That is why those who have had head trauma, electric shock, etc. have memory loss (usually of the preceeding 20 min).

Also, realize that energy is not transmitted within our brains through electrons. It is done through chemical ions (calcium, potassium, etc.). That is one of the reasons that computers are so fast. They operate through much faster electrons. Ironicly, this may be a strike against them ever becoming conscious. Cousciousness is very much a temporal event. In fact it only emerges with specific timing (20 msec) and complexity. Computers just might be too fast to gain cousciousness.

Thinking of the brain as some kind of crude anchor to which the energy of ou mind is tied is somewhat baseless. The structure of our brain is our mind.