Christof Koch - Is Life After Death Possible?

Does everything about a person disappear at death? The body? Sure, it's gone. The brain? It stops working, then dissolves. But what about awareness? Does our consciousness end forever? Nothing could be more frightening! Is there any hope? Are there ways that, conceivably, our consciousness can survive the ultimate insult?

[DeusVivus]

I don't know if quantum mechanics plays a role in consciouness or not, but interestingly there is a theorem in quantum theory that says it is not possible possible to copy an unknown quantum state. So if somehow the quantum states of the particles or our brain do impact our consciousness it will never be possible to make copies of our consciousnesses, even in principle.

[dogwithwigwamz.]

I remember Woodey Allen saying - to paraphrase - `I don`t want to achieve immortality through my works. I want to achieve immortality by not dying.`

[jedicharls]

The question is 'why?' Why would I want to do this if my conciousness wouldn't be transferred? It would be a seperate conciousness with my memories.

[uremove]

Great interview! I love Integrated Information Theory of consciousness that Christof Koch has been very involved in developing. I think Parfit’s “Tele-transporter problem”, which Dr Kuhn raises, ie. which of two identical selves is the ‘real me’, is only a problem if one is wedded to the idea of consciousness as “my individual immortal soul”, rather than consciousness as a universal process, occurring in all sentient beings, of which I am currently this one, discrete (temporary) embodied instantiation.

[jgeorge]

I don't want another me i want to be someone else.

[yasfi]

let say you make exact copy of you, both atomic and biology structure, exactly identical. But in the first person perspective, still, it would be TWO "person" or two different subjective experience, right?

[joehatton]

What an insanely interesting conversation. Beautiful camera work as well

[neilm]

I would argue with the premise that just because there is one that there automatically would be a duplicate or more, but I have a relative whose first spouse passed away, then got remarried. I was asked “who will they spend eternity with”? I believe without the physical body then there can be two separate streams of consciousness — so the answer is both

[fraser_mr]

The problem with this is that you're not transferring ME to another part of the room, you're transferring a twin, I'm still going to die.

Edit: Also the brain is not a computer.

[daveedmusic]

So amazing to see these seemingly intelligent scientists have the dogmatic belief that physical body is fundamental and consciousness is derived from it, they have absolutely no theory absolutely no concept of showing that. Yet quantum physics has shown again and again that consciousness is fundamental, It’s just unbelievable to see pretty intelligent people religiously believing magically that the body exists first and then consciousness when It’s exactly the opposite. you’re not The avatar, you are the player of the avatar outside the game. Please please Beautiful friends it’s time to take the intelligence to the next level and let go of the dogmatic belief of physicality as fundamental, here’s some good ones for you Professor Donald Hoffman. Watch the Ted talk and the book is” the case against reality.” Another one, physicist Tom Campbell. Another one Dr. Bruce lipton, another one Dr. Fredkin.

[robotaholic]

Now this guy is all about real science. Thank you for having him on

[honeys.kapoor]

Death is meaniengless.
After death ? We will find overselves in the whole universe as consciousness.

Because, thinking is a state of consciousness.
No law applies to thinking.
That is why a person understands that I am experiencing myself.

Thinking is a state of consciousness.
No law applies to thinking.
Thinking means, experiencing, work of consciousness.

We are being experienced from the prespective of consciousness.

All exists based on experience.
Experience is not our identity.

Prespective of quantum mechanics, we are a Quantum Universe which exists everywhere to which no law applies.

The universe is experiencing itself.

Prespective of consciousness whatever is happening is happening in nothingnes.

Past present future running in nothingness.
Because, no law applies to consciousness.

[WMAlbers]

Life after death is logically certain, we only don't know what kind of life...

[Untilitpases]

Love your undertaking Closer to Truth (Mr. Robert). Wish more people would have the constitution to exhibit this degree of being human.
What I presume you were striving to formulate was:
Even with uploading and structural replicating, the location of your ontology remains within your biological body. Prove of that would be that whatever happens to your copy, you don't experience it *in the first person*.
That's tantamount to cloning.

Amortality would require replication WITH ontological transcendence and the destruction of the "host". And that leads (so far) to a dualist impasse.

[cvsree]

Consciousness does not arise from brain
Consciousness exists everywhere. Some physical configurations can get activated by it.

[redeemedchannel]

1 Corinthians 15

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised [a]imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this [b]perishable must put on [c]the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

[BasicBobby]

If time is infinite, and universes die and are reborn, then we are infinite. At some point, our consciousness will be replicated. In fact, it would be replicated an infinite amount of times. Maybe if already has been. Maybe it’s our memories that are material, and impermanent while our consciousness is enduring and transcendent.

[nickknowles]

WHY CANT YOU SAY, I DONT KNOW LOL. THOUGH CHRISTOF IS MY FAV SCIENTIST

[davidgalvez]

I don't like how this starts off with the assumption consciousness is a result of brain activity

[schinaro]

I know you’re you and you know I’m me. But we don’t really know we are us!