Does consciousness survive death?

Answer 1

Good question. I don't think anyone can know for sure until we die and our consciousness survives death. If it doesn't then we won't care.

I personally don't believe that consciousness survives death. In my experience in meditation, "I" disappears. I suspect the same happens when we die. But then again, I could be completely wrong.

Answer 2

Any rational person sees no evidence whatsoever that this is the case. It's nothing but soft-headed wishful thinking. We can see what happens: the body *rots*, along with the brain and any hint of what that person was.

It's not that bad; we don't know we're dead after we die. Our pattern disappears, the material goes back to the earth, and it's just like before we were born - simple non-existence. The only people who suffer for a while are our family and friends, and then life goes on, as it must. Whatever good we did while alive still has value even if it doesn't last forever; in fact the temporary nature of existence makes it that much more precious - so go out there and do good things!

Answer 3

consciousness is a part of the mind. both mind and body are two separate entities. yet, mind cannot exist without body nor body without mind. even in a person who is in coma (a vegetative state) there is neural activity or brain waves. when the body ceases to exist, the brain stops functioning in turn shutting down the functions of the mind. If you look at mind and body as interlinked, then you will understand what i am trying to explain. death is the end of all that pertains to the physical body...without body mind cannot exist, so basically consciousness does not survive death.

and if we take an alternative thought about what survives death, it's soul or the energy what we are all made up of which exists or survives death.

Answer 4

I think it would be a lot easier to verify that there is no one on earth who can actually give THE answer to your question; but I would like to point out a few things.

In regards to consciousness, mind or soul; quite often, people use these words inter-changeably and they do refer to the same thing. Unfortunately the sold definition of consciousness has never been made and even the international dictionary of psychology cannot make a definition. (they do to an extent, but their definition breaks down due to logical contradictions it contains; and the language is tactically used to blind logical contradiction in their definition.)

The idea that sufficiently complex machine (body) can give a rise to consciousness is known as Strong AI argument. I cannot say that position is wrong, but by the same token, I cannot even say their position is right. Two reasons: we have never confirmed it in any experiment and strong AI argument does NEVER confirm the consciousness itself. Its original argument is that sufficiently complex machine can give a rise to consciousness and complex machine itself is consciousness. In short, consciousness is another word for comlex machine (body). If you take this position, the answer to your question becomes NO.

If you'd like to hear the answer YES, there is one. It is extremely complex to explain it here, but it borrows some ideas from a Quantum Theory developed by David Bohm. His theory was not adopted as the official theory in Quantum Physics, but his theory works just the same as the official theory (copenhagen interpretation on quantum mechanics.)

According to Bohm, a material (any object) is one form of energy. In short, Energy is the mother of all materials and it is not the other way that matters come first then energy. Similar thing can be said to matter (body) and consciousness. The traditional thinking that matter comes first then consciousness next may be wrong. The right direction may be that it's consciousness that comes first, then material follows. Under this idea, and if you twist the ideas around, the death of a body may not be the death of consciousness; and there seems to be more grounds to suppose that consciousness survives death. It can further be suggested that Jung's idea of Many Minds World may have something in common to share with Bohm's theory on Quantum Physics.

very interesting question.

Answer 5

That is an emphatic yes. I was clinically dead in '99 and felt more alive than ever. I didn't even know I had died, until I came back then a doctor told me that I had been clinically dead. It is in my medical records.

The conciousness doesn't only survive death, but you find you are connected to the universe and all life on this planet.

Answer 6

Yes absolutely. After our death, our consciousness rises to a higher level and is aware of a much larger picture. This is the unfolding the many layers to the unified whole.

Answer 7

Consciousness survives death....whether you are or not aware of it, is another thing!

Answer 8

No. Your consciousness is instantiated in your mind; your mind is instantiated in your brain and the brain is an organ system of the human body. Live your life to the fullest on earth.

Answer 9

yes, I believe the concious can survive after the body is spent. We have examples when people say they hear noises after a loved one dies. Things shift from place to place, when you know you didn't move them. We can sometimes feel that person near us even if we know they have already passed.
And we all hope that somehow we can still be here after we are no longer living; to be in contact with those who are still here.

Answer 10

Yes. There are three bodies for every one. The physical , causal and metaphysical. The consciousness remains so long as any of all the three remain