The more I think about the nature of my mind and consciousness, the more I come to the conclusion that it is inextricably linked to matter, i.e. to my brain.
It may well be that the consciousness itself is somehow greater than the process of it’s generation (brain activity), but it seems to arise from, and be dependent on that process nonetheless, and I can see no reason why it should survive the death of the brain.
I would very much appreciate the sharing of sound philosophical reasons why people think otherwise, other than just faith that it is so, or wishful thinking.
I have no arguement, why ‘conciousness’ would survive after physical death. However there is something interesting about your title and how most people including myself percieve it. If we take some magicians noticns of mind over matter, we then start (for good reason) to disbelieve that such a thing is possible. However if the world is truly matter over mind, we then need to question in more detail anything thats in your thoughts.
I experience doubt of such notions as ‘mind over matter’. (using the magician) But what of the phrase ‘matter over mind’. Do we except this to be truth, and if so, where does that leave us. At what point did the object have primacy?
There seem to be no shortage of ways in which matter can effect mind, extreme examples including how my grandmother is unable to recognise her own daughters or understand her situation due to dying neurons, or my own past experiences with various ‘recreational’ drugs and how they tickled my synapses… but there is also evidence of mind over matter, for example the placebo effect or the use of meditation to cope with pain.
It would seem logical that mind/consciousness has evolved along with the brain, although the most basic forms of (single cell) life would appear to have no more(or less) consciousness than a pebble. Perhaps then mind and matter are just aspects of the whole, but mind itself has become greater than the sum of its parts, just as the body is.
Perhaps the point of self awareness was a big milestone for the mind?