XPost: alt.paranormal.reincarnation   
   From: no.one@here   
      
   On Sat, 05 Jun 2004 14:26:57 -0400, Ukes    
   wrote:   
      
   >On Sat, 05 Jun 2004 11:29:41 GMT, "Steve S."    
   >wrote:   
   >   
   >>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.   
   >>   
   >   
   >I think you're oversimplifying sleep.   
   >   
   >Scientists who are attempting to find the neurobiological basis for   
   >what they call self-consciousness do so, in part, by comparing how the   
   >brain funtions in the two states when we have self-consciousness   
   >(self-awareness) - which is when we are awake and when we experience   
   >dreaming sleep - with the one state in which we do not experience   
   >self-consciousness - which is dreamless sleep. Based on the research   
   >of neuroscientist Rodolfo Llinas and others, there is a hypothesis   
   >that self-consciousness is related to brain waves that are coupled   
   >between "oscillators" in the thalmus of our brains (the intralaminar   
   >nuclei and another "family" that connects neurons in the thalamic   
   >nuclei).. During wakefullness & dreaming sleep, these "oscillators"   
   >are coupled, but during dreamless sleep, they become decoupled.   
   >   
   >What do folks think their "souls" are, and where are those "souls"   
   >while we're in dreamless sleep?   
   >   
   >Jerry   
      
   In metaphysics, it's theorized that everything proceeds from pure,   
   clear consciousness.  Buddhists call it the pure light, void, or   
   emptiness because it is beyond anything and all things that could be   
   used to describe it.  It approaches non-duality in which no   
   comparisons can be made.  It is all One.  It is awareness that   
   transcends thought or "mind" as we commonly know it.  Our "waking"   
   consciousness is actually the lower levels of consciousness and   
   dreamless sleep is a time we refresh at higher levels.  But the higher   
   we go in consciousness, the closer to emptiness or the void we become.   
      
   There seems to be some relationship between brain waves and levels of   
   consciousness.  Higher levels of consciousness are experienced when   
   brain wave frequency is low, delta wave and below.   
      
   These scientists attempting to find consciousness in biology appear to   
   be determined to find a solution that fits a materialistic,   
   mechanistic view.  But the relationship between consciousness and the   
   state of matter, as reveled by quantum theory, contradict the   
   materialistic, mechanistic view.  Brain waves seem more to be a effect   
   of consciousness rather than the cause.  Much as vibrating air is the   
   effect of music, but not music itself.  Of course, in a closed loop   
   system, it can be hard to tell the cause from the effect.  But I think   
   there is a vast amount of experiential evidence that supports the more   
   metaphysic view(s) of consciousness.   
      
   Many other scientists are starting to investigate alternative models   
   and are finding much data that does not fit a biological origin of   
   consciousness theories.  Most to these new theories (holographic,   
   quantum, etc...) describe consciousness as being manifest as patterns   
   of energy, but arising from some unknown higher level.  With all the   
   "unknown" dimensions described by string or M theory, it just may fit   
   this model.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)