Cool Worlds: Quantum Immortality With Professor David Kippling
My thoughts on this video come down to one idea: how do we know who we are? What constitutes identity? Why are we not, in some way, everyone else? If consciousness is the substrate of reality, as many physicists and philosophers have considered, then isn’t our “uniqueness” and our “free will” merely a persistent illusion?
The “many worlds” theory assumes that there is a stable, self differentiated identity that can travel from branch to branch, somehow maintaining its age, physical characteristics, and mental processes in a coherent and continuous transference. This, however, is probably not the truth of the matter. If you introduce reincarnation into this many worlds view, then “you” could be almost anyone; the missing ingredient is awareness. Awareness of yourself as a separate and unique being travels along the many branches of the infinite worlds, but that does not equate to you looking or appearing the same in these various realities. You can “feel” yourself as a separate entity identified with who you think you have always been, and yet you could appear on the outside as a different being.
Bring time into this equation, and things get more bizarre. If the block universe is correct, as many physicists now accept, then time is irrelevant. All things happen at once: your youth, your maturity, your old age. Why then, would you be constrained by your age in one branch of the universe? After all, what ages us is not time, but entropy–and that emerges in a local, closed system that we experience in very particular conditions. If you head out into another branch of the universe, then why would you necessarily be the same age or subject to the same conditions that you were in the “here and now”?
Essentially, however, we don’t know what consciousness is, or why we perceive ourselves as individuals with a unique history and set of experiences. If we can’t define who “we” are, then how would we know who, or what, is replicated in the multiverse? All that matters is that we–whatever we are–PERCEIVE a continuity of identity, regardless of whether or not such a continuity has actually happened (and how would we define and measure such a concept?). Our perception of ourselves as special universal patterns of being is the only thing that must be present for immortality to feel authentic.
In other words, we are immortal as long as we accept that consciousness isn’t a special property that somehow belongs to us as individuals. Consciousness is a property of the universe itself, and we neither possess it or lose it. It simply shifts from one perceived location to another.
—Kirsten A. Thorne, PhD
International Society for Paranormal Research 
Another great article that has me stumped – our reality is so complex. I wish I knew how to defy the perceptions I have created for myself in this current perception of my life. The politics to the South would be different and the economy would be more friendly and my middle aged body would have a ton more energy. Lately, will power is a hard one for me – I seem to be on repeat mode – maybe because in this perception of my reality, it’s easier to play safe than to create any true ripples. Lots of inner work needs to be done for sure – I just don’t seem to have the energy to tackle it. Hoping my other “me’s” are living in a warmer country in a condo overlooking the ocean. I will keep to my vision dream board – so even if I don’t ever have it realized in this life, maybe it’s happening in another. 😉
On another note, do you feel that at some point all the other “me’s” will converge at some point and will come to a holistic or total awareness of its entirety or do you think, that while all the other’s are living, that some aspect of our higher selves have complete awareness always? So many questions! Its such a mind blowing concept to ponder. I struggle with keeping track – especially memory, of what is currently even going on around me – so awareness of one “me” is enough – it would be disastrous I think, if I were made aware of others. But maybe one day, there will be the capacity (if our wiring will evolve to accommodate this ability) to be aware of the “others” while being steeped in living in this here and now. I wonder if this is something that will occur as the species evolves.
Again, thank you for tackling the complexity of this amazing universe and leaving your readers with so much to think about. The immortality aspect of this gives me hope. 🙂
LikeLike