Soul as Supernatural Other: What about Memory?
See my earlier post on the soul. For the purposes of this discussion, I am assuming that the soul is a supernatural thing, separable from the physical dimension.
If the soul and body are separate, where are memories stored? Are they stored in the physical body, or in the soul. I don't think all memory is stored in the soul, because if the soul contained all memory, then Alzheimers would be different. Alzheimers patients are not soul-less people. They are simply people that have lost memories. If all memories were stored in the soul, then the act of losing memories would involve the loss of contact with the soul. If memories are stored in the physical body then this opens up some interesting possibilities:
- Memories and computer data are only different in their storage medium.
- Memories can be erased by removal of parts of they physical storage medium.
- Destruction of the physical storage medium causes permanent loss of the memory/data unless a backup copy is made.
- Without a physical storage medium there is no memory/data.
- The disembodied soul (upon death) has no memory (or at least loses some memory)
- We can't remember each other in heaven.
- The dead soul does not have state, and thus has no concept of time.
- The resurrection means so much more, because a soul without a body is actually missing something.
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