On 6/1/2018 7:49 AM, Telmo Menezes wrote:
Physical theories of the brain, based on extensive empirical research, have
linked the mind and consciousness to physical brain activity in irrefutable
ways.
The above statement is pseudoscience. Given that there is no
scientific instrument that can detect consciousness, no empirical
research on this question is possible at the moment. If you disagree,
please provide references to publications that describe such an
instrument.
The instrument used to detect consciousness is a body. You see if it
acts intelligently and reacts to the environment. You see if it
responds to stimuli. You may even look at fMRI or otherwise monitor
brain activity. If it was responsive earlier, you ask it if it
remembers the period in which is was unresponsive. You ask it if it
feels as if time passed.
Of course you will object that none of these directly detects
consciousness vs unconsciousness. But science doesn't directly detect
quarks either. We work with reasonable hypothesis that are not
contradicted by the evidence and have predictive power. So the
anesthesiologist will be able to predict that you will be inert and
unresponsive during the operation and you will not remember any of it
and will not even feel that time has passed. He will also be able to
predict that this can also be achieved by a strong blow to the head...
but not to the foot.
Brent
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