HTOTM: FUSION
Original Post
souls, and cell regrowth stuff.
So, here is a question, something I have been thinking about lately, but for now I wont post any links because I am tired.

Basically every 7 years or so your body has been completely replaced by new cells. So then, how is it that we remain generally "the same" as people.

Some people would argue that this is where "souls" come in to play. In case you don't know, a soul is pretty much like a ghost. It is what "goes to heaven or hell" after we die if you are Christian and what is thought to be locked in an endless cycle of death and rebirth if you are Hindu. It is usually an eternal thing, your real presence in the universe.

So, what do you think? What keeps us the same? It is important to note that (unless I am mistaken) this question has yet to really be answered.

Personally I was raised Catholic, so the idea of souls will most likely always be somewhere in my head. However, for people in similar situations, one thing I learned recently is that Judaism, which is the precursor to Christianity, does not really teach that souls exist (or at least they didn't originally), so is that really something worth trusting?

Sorry for the shoddy nature of this post, but I'm tired and don't have any links on hand to further detail what I mean.
Organisation of Awesome: Member.
I'm pretty sure it's our brain cells that preserve our identity. And as they change, so do we.
[Inq]
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Originally Posted by jxc1013 View Post
Each generation of cells passes information to the next.
Thats how we grow.

Interesting, I was thinking something like this.


Also, Odlov, where are you? This reminds me of something you posted a while back about uploading people on to computers and such.
Organisation of Awesome: Member.
Originally Posted by deady View Post
Interesting, I was thinking something like this.

Also, Odlov, where are you? This reminds me of something you posted a while back about uploading people on to computers and such.

Cells aren't the only things constantly being replaced - our souls/egos are always being replaced as well....or, rather, changed. Is there a real difference between dramatic change and replacement? Not really.

Our ego (soul) changes every second. Every new bit of information received, every new thought - changes us a little. Sometimes you can, in a matter of minutes, transform into a radically different person with different perspectives and behavior.

We are not really the same people we were 7 years ago, for example.
Let's see....the only things Odlov from today and Odlov from 7 years ago share is their origin, and some memories of past experiences which allow me to remember young Odlov as a previous state of myself. Some memories are all there is actually connecting us.

If i got hit over a head with a shovel and suffered total amnesia, that Odlov from 7 years ago would be gone forever from my memory. I would cease to associate myself with him.
Last edited by Odlov; Mar 16, 2010 at 05:17 AM.
I don't think brain cells get completely replaced.
I also don't believe that God blowing air up a dust-man's nose makes me human.
Originally Posted by Modius View Post
I don't think brain cells get completely replaced.
I also don't believe that God blowing air up a dust-man's nose makes me human.

Yes they are. All cells in human body are replaced over the course of 6-7 years.

But that doesn't matter. The cell replacement is so slow that it wouldn't interfere with any processes, in the brain or anywhere else.
Originally Posted by Modius View Post
I don't think brain cells get completely replaced.
I also don't believe that God blowing air up a dust-man's nose makes me human.

First of all, Im pretty sure its proven, and
second of all, what?
Thanks.
Originally Posted by Odlov View Post
Yes they are. All cells in human body are replaced over the course of 6-7 years.

But that doesn't matter. The cell replacement is so slow that it wouldn't interfere with any processes, in the brain or anywhere else.

Neurons don't do they? I'm too lazy to find a reliable source.

Originally Posted by jxc1013 View Post
First of all, Im pretty sure its proven, and
second of all, what?

"2:7
And the lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."