Discussion Who/What were we BEFORE we were born?

[4everHeartBroken]

Consciousness absolutely FASCINATES me. I'm trying to find a genuine answer (among different beliefs) about consciousness.

It seems that so many of us are curious as to what happens to our consciousness after we leave our physical body. However, I'm so curious, how and where does consciousness even BEGIN??? Who were we BEFORE we were conceived, if anything?

Every time I see a new baby, my mind always goes in this direction and it's driving me absolutely insane! I just can't wrap my mind around how consciousness begins with so many new babies constantly being born.

I just want eternal nothingness, FOREVER! The idea that consciousness may transcend death literally scares the shit out of me. If consciousness can't be created (no god), nor destoyed (no death), then can reincarnation actually be a thing? Einstein believed this. This terrifies me to my core.

Thanks.

 

[General Alek]

we might have been in a dreamworld that we don't remember

 

[innominesatanas44]

We were sperm bruh

 

[4everHeartBroken]

We were sperm bruh

We were sperm bruh

Only half of us was a sperm. Who/what were we before the sperm met the egg?

 

[innominesatanas44]

Only half of us was a sperm. Who/what were we before the sperm met the egg?

Personally I believe that "we" are just a brain, so without a brain then there's no person. Who knows the truth, some children can talk in detail their past lives.

 

[4everHeartBroken]

Personally I believe that "we" are just a brain, so without a brain then there's no person. Who knows the truth, some children can talk in detail their past lives.

THIS is what I'm hoping for. I don't want my consciousness to be eternal.

 

[General Alek]

THIS is what I'm hoping for. I don't want my consciousness to be eternal.

eternal AND bearable would be great

like maybe you go in and out of consciousness enough for eternal consciousness to be bearable

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Consciousness is probably some mixture of electrical signals and chemistry of the body. This boils down to energy and matter. That's all we were before, it's what we are now, and it's what we'll be when we die.

 

[4everHeartBroken]

eternal AND bearable would be great

like maybe you go in and out of consciousness enough for eternal consciousness to be bearable

LOVE your thinking!

Consciousness is probably some mixture of electrical signals and chemistry of the body. This boils down to energy and matter. That's all we were before, it's what we are now, and it's what we'll be when we die.

Thank you for this.
Does this mean our consciousness can still be absolutely gone in eternal nothingness if it's just energy and matter, or does the energy transcend somewhere in the Universe after our bodies die?

 

[DarkRange55]

"The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness. Although the two are identical twins, man, as a rule, views the prenatal abyss with more calm than the one he is heading for."

- Vladimir Nabokov

LOVE your thinking!

Thank you for this.
Does this mean our consciousness can still be absolutely gone in eternal nothingness if it's just energy and matter, or does the energy transcend somewhere in the Universe after our bodies die?

Energy dissipates in different forms like heat…

 

[4everHeartBroken]

"The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness. Although the two are identical twins, man, as a rule, views the prenatal abyss with more calm than the one he is heading for."

- Vladimir Nabokov

Energy dissipates in different forms like heat…

Can you explain this better to my tiny pea-brain of a mind? Thanks!

 

[DarkRange55]

@Pluto
@SmallKoy
@sserafim

 

[KillingPain267]

Consciousness fascinates me too. I used to believe in an eternal immaterial soul, but am now a physicalist. So consciousness is a physical emergent property of a functioning brain, sort of like the earth's magnetic field emerges from earth's core of motional molten iron. The magnetic field is largely invisible and seems separate from the earth, yet we know it doesn't arise or exist without a physical origin (molten iron).

Likewise, consciousness seems like it exists separate from the brain, but actually doesn't. Science says consciousness in a fetus arises around 30 weeks after conception, so before that we were nothing.

When we die (when the brain stem and thalamus cease to function) I believe consciousness may still last for some minutes but then dissipates, sort of like when a flame in a fireplace is quenched, heat may still linger in the room for a bit before it dissipates.

I do still, as a Christian, however, believe that there will be a (physical) resurrection of the dead when Jesus returns and restores/repairs the earth and universe after judgment day. Then my body, brain and consciousness will be resurrected and also enhanced to be immortal and without pain, sorrow, sin and death forever.

 

[Dark Moon]

I was thinking about that before, we could have just been something else entirely and reincarnated and/or came from a different world.

 

[EvisceratedJester]

Before you are born you just don't exist. Consciousness is a result of neural activity and doesn't transcend death.

 

[SmallKoy]

THIS is what I'm hoping for. I don't want my consciousness to be eternal.

I think we all just coping on Earth and everyone believes whatever they want to believe to cope with what happens after death. And that's perfectly okay. I personally believe there is complete nothingness after death and the thought of anything else terrifies me. So, I choose to believe that there is nothing before and after death. Nothing can really convince me otherwise because nobody knows. If you want to believe that there is nothing, then believe that and be at peace with that comfort. There is nothing to disprove either side of the coin.

 

[4everHeartBroken]

I think we all just coping on Earth and everyone believes whatever they want to believe to cope with what happens after death. And that's perfectly okay. I personally believe there is complete nothingness after death and the thought of anything else terrifies me. So, I choose to believe that there is nothing before and after death. Nothing can really convince me otherwise because nobody knows. If you want to believe that there is nothing, then believe that and be at peace with that comfort. There is nothing to disprove either side of the coin.

This. This is what I believe most. I just always have that 1% doubt that creeps up every now and then because I'm listening to so many others different beliefs… I think that may be messing with my own beliefs a bit and it drives me crazy. When I'm in my own thoughts, I can completely picture absolute nothingness when we leave… and if that means just like sleeping without dreaming, then I am VERY OK with that.

I was thinking about that before, we could have just been something else entirely and reincarnated and/or came from a different world.

The Many Worlds Theory comes to mind and genuinely scares the shit out of me. Quantum mechanics and Metaphysics terrify me to the point to where I need to put the books down!

 

[Pluto]

Spoiler: Also

I've written pretty extensively about this in the past. Let me know if my ideas resonate.

Hardware, Software, Cats and Consciousness

Can the Vedantic perspective of consciousness be explained using the analogy of a computer? Everybody knows the difference between hardware and software. Hardware is physical, like a graphics card. Software is non-physical, like a video game. But alas, a philosophical dilemma follows: if...

sanctioned-suicide.net

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Thank you for this.
Does this mean our consciousness can still be absolutely gone in eternal nothingness if it's just energy and matter, or does the energy transcend somewhere in the Universe after our bodies die?

Both energy and matter are unable to be created or destroyed. Allegedly. I hear that entropy and black holes can destroy these things though but I'm too stupid to understand more. I'm sure when we die, the energy just finds some other form to exist as whether it's in the dirt or in the flames of the ashes if we're cremated or some other method of burial.

Energy dissipates in different forms like heat…

This too.