Cryonics and the importance of body to cognition

lukeprog

Many approaches to cryonics assume that a detailed map of the neural patterns in a brain (via brain scanning technology) may be sufficient, using future technology, to bring that person "back to life." But cognition is greatly shaped by more than just the neural pattern: it is shaped by biology - by the body. (See Noe 2009; Pfeifer et al. 2006; Lakoff & Johnson 1999.)

I admit I'm pretty unfamiliar with the cryonics literature. I assume this is a standard objection, and has standard responses. Where can I find those responses?

Thanks!

I admit I'm pretty unfamiliar with the cryonics literature. I assume this is a standard objection, and has standard responses. Where can I find those responses?

Thanks!

I think his objection is more about what body in particular is being simulated. As two examples, I've been doing martial arts for years, and massage for decades. I'm not sure how much of my somatic ability and characteristics is completely within my brain, and how much is in my peripheral nervous system, muscles, etc.

I don't know of any conclusive studies showing one way or the other whether Alcoring my entire body is worth twice as much as just doing my head.

One question worth thinking about is how much you value your specific martial arts and massage experience, vs. some other experience in a similar space.

That is, if you lost all of that stuff upon being rebooted, but I installed off-the-shelf martial arts and massage modules that were not quite identical, how much would you care?

By way of comparison -- I would care a lot if this were done for, say, my memories of or feelings about my marriage, my birth family, my social circle, my abstract thoughts about life, my stroke and recovery. If you told me that on ... (read more)