Gray Exercise
As a follow up to the Ship of Case blog entry, i would like to sum up just where i was going with it… there were a lot of good responses but the ultimate conclusion of the exercise was to identify that identity had nothing to do with parts. If you had answered that the parts were important as your identity… then you should know that every couple of years every bit of your body has been completely changed to new parts. So if who you are doesn’t reside in the body… maybe the brain?
Throughout history there has always been the notion of an observer within us… the one in the driver’s seat of our existence, but trying to identify where this observer/driver (soul/mind/spirit) resides has always been a mystery.
Well the follow up excercise is about the brain, and if perhaps our mind/soul/spirit/observer reside within the construct of our gray matter. Lets say you are a millionaire who is hospitalized and you may be stuck in that hospital bed for an indefinite amount of time. For argument sake, lets pretend that this is in the future with technology beyond our imaginations. So, instead of being vegi-fied in bed, your family spends millions to have your brain wirelessly connected to a remotely controlled body. What this means is that while your body and your brain residing within it, is stuck in bed, you are experiencing life through this android body (capable of mobility and all the six senses). Where are you? in bed or roaming the streets in the remote control body? (Think about your answer before reading on…)
Ok so many of you may say that you are in the hospital bed, because that is where your brain is, which is the essense of you and storing all your memories and whatever else. Okay, So if thats what you say or feel. Lets split up the brain, left and right lobe of the brain are placed at the two ends of the city and still remotely hooked up to your remote body…. so, where are you now? Please discuss.
hmp let me think….very confusing but if im a millioner and can be done like that i’ll be roaming around the city with my family after all somebody needs to attend to me lol!(and that only happen “if”( im not God fearing person) but if thats the real situatoin i guess better to just hospital bound than raoming aroun the city i’ll rather wait for the ryt tym to go home with the lord!!
connie said this on September 8, 2006 at 5:30 pm
hey dude chill out even to your new avatar pix you look like ‘your thingking deep’ & lonely?
connie said this on September 8, 2006 at 5:34 pm
Why is it that you are attending your time & mental energy to these irrelevant things and questions. IF you have quesitons for us, then so do I. Does it even matter to you? Will our answers dramatically affect your lifestyle and or life? No hard feelings, I just want to know..There is an insatiable need for me to seek the truth and answers. LOL (Perhaps you’re thinking too deep sometimes)..
Jigsaw said this on September 8, 2006 at 8:22 pm
this is verry exciting topic any way,it make sence to me.well for me you only have life once here on earth,and what we have to do just to be real.injoy our life and do things we want to do but just remmeber only in good ways.we we believe that once we still alive we have too much challenge,coz what we dont know that our life is the only challenge for us how to face the reality,might some one injoy hunging around with friends?so then if it doesn’t hurt you then let them go and we can do what we like either to stay home or some where else.
never said this on September 8, 2006 at 10:04 pm
well,if i have chance to be rich one day.i have to build my own city and invite all the poor people next to my town they can live with me for free.:)so i gues i have to pray to god to amke it happen.
never said this on September 8, 2006 at 10:07 pm
If you are in the hospital means you are there no matter how you split up the brain. But if you choose to be where the remote body is, then the splitting up of the brain may pose as a problem as to where you are now. So where are you now? As for me, I’ll be where the action is coz once the brain is connected somewhere, the body is just as good as dead. And in this case of the splitting brain, I’ll be in two places at one time. Pretty cool ya? Lolz…
Lyne said this on September 9, 2006 at 1:48 am
You are leading us to the idea that in the brain resides this observer/driver (soul/mind/spirit)(Does it?). And so, in proposing of splitting the brain and placing the parts in different places will put as to the dilemma of identifying our true location. To answer your question, we should establish first whether it is an accepted fact that in the brain brain resides this driver/soul, or else we are not really dealing with a person but only with an object. We can only give concrete conclusion with situations within reality. Well for me personally, I cannot make conclusion from a farfetched hypothetical situation especially when it involves pure scientific breakthrough clashing with matters that could only be proven by faith (the existence of soul).
But having that technology would be so cool! hehe. Especially tha capability of six senses. But I could not help to feel jealous (to my self?) having my android dummy making love with my wife! And with the idea of splitting the brain, wow, I could only imagine the possibilities! hahaha
Arniel said this on September 9, 2006 at 8:00 am
my gosh! how did you imagine that situation… grabe!!! your so genious men… whoaaah!!!!! god bless!
analyn said this on September 9, 2006 at 5:58 pm
I do agree in youre knowledgable comment,but the fact that technology is already adapted in our modern world we cannot deny the fact that it is just a part of reality….Weeehhhhhh Technology….. Technology…..
daisy said this on September 9, 2006 at 6:14 pm
will ji hoe i have a brain that ,s it leany
leany said this on September 10, 2006 at 2:40 am
walamg
leany said this on September 10, 2006 at 2:41 am
cfhhgg
Ling's said this on September 10, 2006 at 4:01 am
oh sobra you are ginous men so bored to you in life…………………….
Janet said this on September 10, 2006 at 6:55 pm
brain or parts. before this comment, it doens’t matter with the material. only the goal, the ship can make me rememberence about alco-king.
toward to mylife it doesn’t matter with the last man who changed or the new man.
but now i’m choosing parts. new parts can make our relationship colours. i like the old one.
hanny said this on September 10, 2006 at 7:14 pm
hmm…tough question i suppose.
The millionaire is at many places but it can divided into physically and mentally. In the reality, i suppose he is in the ward. However, i think he will be in the place that he thinks that he will be. Follow the mind. You can lock a person in a shelf physically but there is nothing you can block his mind and will.
By the way, i don’t think that brain can be spilt into 2 parts, as they worked together. Left brain control right part of the body. I don’t think a remote control body is functioning just by moving his unilateral part of body.
Im SInG said this on September 10, 2006 at 8:30 pm
i dont know
sarine said this on September 10, 2006 at 10:33 pm
There is no answer to this question. The “You” is defined as your soul, most people will agree on that. The problem we’re now facing is that we cant see our soul because it is what we percieve with. Its the principle of the eye that cant see itself, the skin that cant feel itself.
Many theories claim that the soul has no dimension, so how can you locate it? Thats why there is no answer to this question.
Winand said this on September 11, 2006 at 1:17 am
hi there.. interesting.. i guess it doesnt quite matter where we are physically.. its more of where our soul/mind/spirit are..cos i heard there are ppl in this world who can ‘travel’ outside of their body when they meditate..
krystal said this on September 11, 2006 at 3:11 am
hi
Angel said this on September 11, 2006 at 6:05 am
At first when u look at it you really get caught by the tricky situation the answer to this question is simple as to location of the physical existence it’s the remotely controlled body who roams the street and experiencing all the 6 senses the one who is perceive by the people to be existing as “YOU”. Actually There is no “YOU” simply because “YOU” only exist in the minds of the people who perceive that “YOU” had or is existing. Its much similar to the question of identity that has nothing to do with the parts and that is right. For what we see in this “real world” is only a representation of the real thing existing in the mind. Its like the existence of what’s real in this real world is just a mere perception. So the question would be if “YOU” exist in the mind then “YOU” probably would exist because “YOU” having its own mind perceive that itself is existing this is like the principle of the eye can’t see itself or the skin can’t feel itself logically speaking to prove that “YOU” really exist it should be perceive by the other “minds” to verify your existence. besides When we talked of the mind does it really reside in the brain? if it does then where it is located? This question will bring us back to the question of locating the millionare’s identity if his brain has been split into two. So to sum up all i was saying is that the location of the millionare can only be answered by the people who believe or perceive where the millionare exist.
gERi said this on September 11, 2006 at 8:49 am
Hm hm hm funny is the case.
1st question:
How do you define “human” ?
Physical characterics? Genetic information (DNA)?
To some maybe..
2nd question:
How do you perceive to be “alive” in the eye of others?
To be alive in another metallic body.. To be cloned that share the same genetic points.. It doesnt matter!
BUT! WHAT IF THAT CLONE/BEING WOULD SHARE NEITHER MEMORY OR PERSONALITY OF THE MILLIONAIRE?
Simple : He’s just a totally different, newborn person that only looked like the millionaire.
If you exchange brain and body, it would only be the information.
MEMORY THAT DEFINE HUMAN AS HUMAN.
If this information is gone:
It’s only appropriate to define that being as dead.
Aditya said this on September 11, 2006 at 10:52 am
hi!po im aida cuenca,my job po me sa calmba ngaun lng me po nkta kc po busy me.thanks po 4r info.sned lng po uli kau.
aida said this on September 11, 2006 at 7:35 pm
hai!!!ang cute mo naman…smile k naman jan…parang ganito
lovely said this on September 13, 2006 at 12:26 am
read again the case leave me a question. do i make the right choice? i guess as the time goes by, i’ll know the true.
hanny said this on September 13, 2006 at 1:41 am
starts from now,, im a hugh fan of ur fab blog!!! keep on writting fella….
Rei said this on September 13, 2006 at 8:22 am
i assume one’s consciousness defines one’s existence. a person does all the thinking and experience-athering in that person’s waking life. Even dreams are appreciated or sometimes given a meaning while one is awake. so in this test, if the android is the working body for the conscious state then the vegetable b ack in the hospital is merely a shell that may either be temporarily useless or even just waiting for the heart to stop so it’d forward to rottin g. Brain lobes in both ends of the city? cool. if i was a millionare id also request my ears attached in those ends.
Wilmers said this on September 13, 2006 at 12:46 pm
i guess the “You” you can be found depending on the perception of people surrounds you. they may think that he can be the android, veggies in the hospital or he can be find at the 2 ends of the city (whatever). and for the rich man sake he can find himself on the people connecting to his inner self.
-ryan- said this on September 14, 2006 at 11:59 am
If i was that I would be roaming around the city cause if in the future we would have technology beyond ur imagiantion i wuld prefer to still continue my life since the brain is the never sleeping organ like the heart because even in our sleep we use our brain and if this android can be used through this m ind link then again,YES, I would be roaming around the city.
cAsMiEl said this on September 14, 2006 at 4:08 pm
Very deep thoughts.
The location of the millionaire is in the hospital. His physical bidy is there but just thoughts running wild. But is the thought still his since the thoughts have been divided into two. It is like a dream but u could be mixing everything up as both mind dun sync in line as it see different things and could be a nightmare as it is forced to multi tasks and confusing image
Shawn said this on September 15, 2006 at 8:21 am
oopopo
wielkein shane said this on September 15, 2006 at 11:56 pm
nice thought dude!!! never think of that b4!!!
nia said this on September 16, 2006 at 7:27 am
If you consider the fact that the only constant thing in this world is change, then basicaly you can deduce that even though you have undergone changes, you are basicaly “you”. Dont ever get mixed up that you are forever in a state that you percieve “you” to be. I (and you even) will undergo through changes but still in essence, still be “me”. Now with your notion of being “out of the body” experiences, let me ask you, what is your absolute reality. The absolute reality is that you(your example)is bed ridden in the hospital. Again dont get mixed up between absolute and relative reality (we are back to the matrix people). Absolute and relative reality is worthy of another post
Paul said this on September 16, 2006 at 11:40 am
hi….
manalac said this on September 16, 2006 at 11:17 pm
hi can i add you in my list? coz you know what i only have a few friend in my friendster! i hope you also add me thanks!!!!!!!!!!1
rose-ann said this on September 17, 2006 at 3:21 am
i think we are too attached with the skin that we have lived with for so many years. not only that- we can’t fully swallow the idea of machines capable of feeling (think A.I.).
And to answer your question of the brain cut in half, that’s basically the only time a person is at two places at the same time— just as crazy as the question.
to even stretch things a bit further, what if the brain isn’t really the root of “you”? what is really “you”???
tingkagol said this on September 17, 2006 at 5:59 am
well dear how foolish answer, but because you reply my message thanks by the way
you know what i dont understand my self i think im out of my mind. i dont know whaw i want i mean theres something missing with me i dont know what is it, i fell im not fully happy where iam know. i know in my heart that theres something i really want but i dont know what is it . oh how cruel i dont know what to do this past few months im already lonely i dont know what makes me happy.
well at first i want to have a job then i have it but days past by im not contented, maybe its true that no one in this world is permanent right?!
rose-ann said this on September 18, 2006 at 12:00 am
“Neuro”-Intense, Rich and Eclectic concoction.
Cosmopolitan-
one part by the conscious state of mind, one part by the sub-conscious mind.
The “brain” tells to let go ,
the”mind”- the heart says No.. reading minds.
Current, The You//Human// “Observer” deceiving..
After the end of time, the “Soul” save the so much time, headache and heartache..
The wandering on a journey to nowhere-”Spirit”
Hopefully, someday ,”IT”"ll R.I.P..Life after death.. People rarely say what they mean or mean what they say..Span!
A topic dicussed freely but not settled
RAQUEL said this on September 18, 2006 at 1:07 am
Oh well! is this a head case or a nut case? I think if i’m attached to an android body capable of all my senses, i will be in the church praying for the salvation of my soul, since i have a body which is clinically dead. No matter how modern techology is, there is nothing and i mean nothing beyond the will of God.
Rufino said this on September 18, 2006 at 2:02 pm
having 6 senses functioning with only the brain working? that’s just a perception of the senses.. for me it’s not enough that my mind works for me.. I have to have my heart to feel and process what my senses perceive.. maybe I’m a feeling person =) but that’s just it.. no matter how you want to be another person or android, there’s just one YOU.. or ME .. and may I ask what the “You” refers to, in the question - “Where are You?”.. is it the body or the essence of the persona in the body? the body dies, but the essence or what you call the spirit.. it lives on.. it resides in every person you had interaction with.. so where am I? I am where my spirit lives.
Lyra said this on September 19, 2006 at 5:48 pm
i think the man is in the hospital coz the brain only functions with all the bits of information fed by all the elements surrounding him and in this case, his room, where his “android” body lies.. that is when the man is conscious.. for when were talking about him being unconscious, with his mind functioning subconsciously, IM OUT of HERE! i dont deal with dreams and imaginations!
blue balls said this on October 11, 2006 at 10:58 pm
What is the essense of being is not something physical? Not your cells, nor your ‘parts’… What if the very essence of being is something abstract like your memory? Like the warmth that lingers on long after your last sip of your coffee? So what if you’ve got your brains all over the place, your very essence of being is your existence in others’ memories. It doesn’t matter if there’s two Ship of Case, because there’s only one and only King Case.
Ping said this on October 21, 2006 at 8:49 am
for me…its where i decide i am…regardless of whether i have an android body remotely wired to my brain or not…i am where i decide i am…we as beings are not limited by our physical state..there’s more to us than that…our body are just representations of ourselves…so are our work..our ideas..our preferences… we’re extended beings…hence, we transcend..
amor said this on October 26, 2006 at 5:03 pm
cogito ergo sum
amor said this on November 7, 2006 at 11:56 am
well the analogy would be like playing video game.
Daniel said this on November 10, 2006 at 4:15 am
Do you always speak so profoundly?
Awww,, I thought I’m good at literature and poetry, but i think you surpasses me.
Are you left-hander or right?
Lee said this on December 20, 2006 at 6:58 am
Very nice to think about neither the poet nor the short story of your inspiration, of your speech b4 because I want learn more how to make these words like that? Everyone has their own talents and never check back what they miss. If I have the story beneath my heart, I’m sure I will fight against you.
Adelia said this on January 26, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Hmm…wait, i’m doin my work here…
This needs a bit of concentration. Challenging.
I think, “YOU or I” should be defined in this case. In my definition in this situation, “you” consists of a persons whole being-the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual being. The story here is that “your body is physically in bed, your brain is connected to an “android body”- a robot and your brain is split and placed at the 2 ends of the city. Your question as to “Where are you-I now?” My answer will be, i am neither at my bed nor at the street because in this case, I am split into pieces. My body, with the physical and spiritual aspect, my brain with the emotional and mental aspect.(Geezz..I don’t want imagine that. Its morbid. Ahh!!! I don’t know. What the hek! I think if someone is already a hopeless case, we might as well let it go, bury it instead of creating things that distorts the natural thing. Besides, evrything has an expiration. Hehehe!)
michelle said this on February 2, 2007 at 12:52 pm
for the sake of the argument. PARE, it that technology exist maim body can be rejuvinate in any case and if your that ugly i mean not you and what i mean that state of time everybody is good looking, hopefully but going back to your confuse WAG MO NA KAMING IDAMAY, NANG LOLOKO KA LANG YATA.
Glenn said this on February 4, 2007 at 10:09 am
the future with technology beyond our imaginations, android body capable with six sense this is awsome, but lets just think about it for a second will ya, with this kind of super AI TECH what cant be cure, u can cure any kind of desease thing, this is beyond our imagination, but You know what, how about this… If your clone is shopping and u playing soccer, the question is where are you…
please discus
Jun W said this on February 11, 2007 at 3:57 pm
hi,how r u?
marilyn said this on March 6, 2007 at 9:32 am
I don’t care where I am. I only know I want to be where my heart is… =)
Dee said this on March 4, 2008 at 12:02 am