XPost: alt.paranormal.reincarnation   
   From: rgrentcom@kcnet.com   
      
   I think your association " 'soul' = 'consciousness' " is incorrect, and I   
   did not mean for that to be implied in the post to which you are responding!   
   Thanks for bringing it up though!   
      
   I don't believe/think that they equal one another. I think that   
   consciousness is a product of a soul; but, if a soul is not present there is   
   no consciousness. Granted, I do think that there are some biological   
   machines/species that are really good mimics of life and consciousness.   
   This is afterall an evolutionary imperative: effective mimicry enhances   
   species survival.   
      
   I have consciousness, or I do not. Everything between pure consciousness and   
   not, is other consciousness or sub/supra-consciousness.   
      
   When I sleep I have consciousness often nearly bordering on "awake" level   
   consciousness, because I can remember things/dreams that happen while I am   
   asleep.   
      
   And, when I cast my awareness back into my personal time-line, I cannot   
   locate any point at which I was not conscious, incorporeal or not.   
      
   Even when I used to consume alcohol and other substances to excess (which I   
   don't anymore and haven't for many years now) there were times I was toxic,   
   and passed out, but I never lost the thread of my consciousness.   
      
   Also, I am not equating consciousness with memory. There have been many   
   things that I have forgotten in this life physically (and a lot that I block   
   out on purpose), mostly for the reason that it was a triviality in the realm   
   of ongoing growth.  Really, is it necessary for my physical, mental , and   
   spiritual growth, to remember the name of the napkin product I used while I   
   ate a meal 30+ years ago?  Given time and effort, yeah, I probably could,   
   but would the investment be worth it?   
      
   Rog   
      
   "Steve S."  wrote in message   
   news:F8iwc.11347$%F2.9630@attbi_s04...   
   > If "soul" = "consciousness", then we lose our soul every night when we are   
   > unconscious. That's not it--soul must be something more basic than   
   > consciousness.   
   >   
   > Steve S.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)