Many philosophical statement have been made to connect consciousness and awareness not only to the brain but also to connect somehow to, and reside in, a supernatural realm that makes it possible that when the brain dies one’s awareness and consciousness continue to exist for eternity. For those who propose this because of the wish to avoid the reality of death, neuro-science research is now coming to the conclusion that consciousness and awareness are functions totally depended on the material brain and that in reality brain death is the end of consciousness and awareness.
A new study indicates that our brains operate under the same laws as any other matter. The second law of thermodynamics is the essential rule of the physical universe. Systems move naturally from a low to a high rate of entropy. Scientist recently discovered parts of the brain which form a circuit that provides consciousness. They believe that consciousness has risen in response to entropy.
Scientists from the University of Toronto (Jose Luis Perez Velazques) and Paris Descartes University (Ramon Guavarra Erra)
applied a kind of probability theory, to look at statistical models neural networks. This method has been very good in determining the thermodynamic properties and entropy present in other systems.
"We find a surprisingly simple result,” they wrote. “Normal wakeful states are characterized by the greatest number of possible configurations of interactions between brain networks, representing highest entropy values." Consciousness in this view isn’t due to connectivity in and of itself, but how many different ways the brain can connect certain bundles of neurons to others. Due to the presence of high entropy, these scientists believe that to maximize the exchange of information between neurons, consciousness arose as an “emergent property,” helping to improve survival, but leading to a higher rate of entropy as a result.
Conclusion is that since it is now clear that consciousness and awareness are functions totally depended on a living material brain, when it dies, you as an individual are gone and no philosophical musings based on the desire to live forever will alter that reality.
References:
https://www.ibtimes.com/what-consciousness-self-awareness-may-be-side-effect-brain-trying-maximize-entropy-2433746
https://bigthink.com/philip-perry/harvard-researchers-have-found-the-source-of-human-consciousness
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/how-do-you-know-you-know
https://physicsworld.com/a/consciousness-is-tied-to-entropy-say-researchers/
A new study indicates that our brains operate under the same laws as any other matter. The second law of thermodynamics is the essential rule of the physical universe. Systems move naturally from a low to a high rate of entropy. Scientist recently discovered parts of the brain which form a circuit that provides consciousness. They believe that consciousness has risen in response to entropy.
Scientists from the University of Toronto (Jose Luis Perez Velazques) and Paris Descartes University (Ramon Guavarra Erra)
applied a kind of probability theory, to look at statistical models neural networks. This method has been very good in determining the thermodynamic properties and entropy present in other systems.
"We find a surprisingly simple result,” they wrote. “Normal wakeful states are characterized by the greatest number of possible configurations of interactions between brain networks, representing highest entropy values." Consciousness in this view isn’t due to connectivity in and of itself, but how many different ways the brain can connect certain bundles of neurons to others. Due to the presence of high entropy, these scientists believe that to maximize the exchange of information between neurons, consciousness arose as an “emergent property,” helping to improve survival, but leading to a higher rate of entropy as a result.
Conclusion is that since it is now clear that consciousness and awareness are functions totally depended on a living material brain, when it dies, you as an individual are gone and no philosophical musings based on the desire to live forever will alter that reality.
References:
https://www.ibtimes.com/what-consciousness-self-awareness-may-be-side-effect-brain-trying-maximize-entropy-2433746
https://bigthink.com/philip-perry/harvard-researchers-have-found-the-source-of-human-consciousness
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/how-do-you-know-you-know
https://physicsworld.com/a/consciousness-is-tied-to-entropy-say-researchers/
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