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Google says they'll be able to upload our entire minds in 30yrs

by BTM
34 replies
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Google futurist claims we will be uploading our entire MINDS to computers by 2045 and our bodies will be replaced by machines within 90 years | Mail Online



In just over 30 years, humans will be able to upload their entire minds to computers and become digitally immortal - an event called singularity - according to a futurist from Google.

Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google, also claims that the biological parts of our body will be replaced with mechanical parts and this could happen as early as 2100.

Kurweil made the claims during his conference speech at the Global Futures 2045 International Congress in New York at the weekend.

The conference was created by Russian multimillionaire Dmitry Itskov and featured visonary talks about how the world will look by 2045.

Kurzweil said: 'Based on conservative estimates of the amount of computation you need to functionally simulate a human brain, we'll be able to expand the scope of our intelligence a billion-fold.'

He referred to Moore's Law that states the power of computing doubles, on average, every two years quoting the developments from genetic sequencing and 3D printing.

In Kurweil's book, The Singularity Is Near, he plots this development and journey towards singularity in a graph.

This singularity is also referred to as digital immortality because brains and a person's intelligence will be digitally stored forever, even after they die.

He also added that this will be possible through neural engineering and referenced the recent strides made towards modeling the brain and technologies which can replace biological functions.

Examples of such technology given by LiveScience include the cochlear implant - an implant that is attached to the brain's cochlear nerve and electronically stimulates it to restore hearing to someone who is deaf.

Other examples include technology that can restore motor skills after the nervous system is damaged.
  • Profile picture of the author KimW
    I think there are some people that they could do now.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      I know this isn't the thread for reality. but I want to stop this myth.

      You cannot upload a mind...anywhere...ever.

      You can duplicate the patterns that your synapses make. But that would just be a duplicate of your brain patterns.

      Eventually, technology may even be able to duplicate a perfect replica of your personality.

      But our brain is where we think. Even if we upload every pattern in our brain...we would just have a computer that now duplicates how we think.

      Our brain will still eventually die, and us with it.

      It would be like creating a clone, except in a machine or computer program. But the clone isn't us. Neither is a twin.

      But, we are still here. Nothing was transferred.

      The program wouldn't be us. It would be a copy of us. We would still die.

      In fact, eventually the copy may even be so good that nobody could tell the difference. Maybe it could even learn, feel emotion, have a sense of humor. Maybe it would stay intact for 1,000 years.

      But it wouldn't be us. It would be a copy of us. We would still die. Our mind would still go away.

      This is almost like watching a movie with Brad Pitt in it and thinking that this is really Brad Pitt, because it sounds like him....looks like him...

      You know what we could do for a change? Think.

      By the way, the implants? the chip to help memory? These things are certainly possible.
      But, man...some people will believe anything to keep from accepting that they will someday end.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        This singularity is also referred to as digital immortality because brains and a person's intelligence will be digitally stored forever, even after they die.
        For the most part, we'd be storing digital refuse...just sayin...

        You know what we could do for a change? Think.
        If computers were able to make us USE our brains during our lifetime - now THAT would be something to see.
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        • Profile picture of the author Kay King
          On another futuristic note - a company is now allowing people to blast tweets to outer space.

          This is brilliant - a steady stream of twitter comments will make any alien think twice about landing here Low cost defense system!
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          • Profile picture of the author ahlexis
            Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

            On another futuristic note - a company is now allowing people to blast tweets to outer space.

            This is brilliant - a steady stream of twitter comments will make any alien think twice about landing here Low cost defense system!

            Somebody should tell the US military about it! Maybe it could save a few billion dollars here and there...

            But then what would happen to the military industrial complex???

            Oh, wait. That's the POINT!

            But seriously, did you know that Twitter is archiving all the tweets with the Library of Congress?*** So all of the daily boring things and the silly things that so many people tweet about that they think are sooooo important will now be on file forever. For some people this can become a major embarrassment!

            Upon first hearing of this, THAT was the moment I decided, maybe Twitter's not a good idea and maybe I don't want to be a part of it.

            *** Turns out this is actually immaterial, as all of EVERYTHING is probably on file @ NSA...probably even Kim Dotcom's "deleted" servers, LOL.


            In fact, eventually the copy may even be so good that nobody could tell the difference. Maybe it could even learn, feel emotion, have a sense of humor. Maybe it would stay intact for 1,000 years.

            For some reason I am reminded of John and Sarah Connor, and SkyNet. What if the machines become self-aware?

            (GRD, ROTFL!)
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      • Profile picture of the author yukon
        Banned
        Humans thought the world was flat at one point in history.

        Saying something that deals with technology will never happen isn't necessarily realistic.

        I'm not trying to side with that OP article/link, actually they might have it bassakwards. Instead of their idea, uploading info to a brain would be pretty cool, cram 4-6 years of college in a 4 hour upload, that saves you 4-6 years of your life to do other things. By age 5 you could be a brain surgeon & speak 5 languages, lol.

        I watched a documentary on TV where they were operating on a persons brain while the patient was awake, gruesome, but when they touched certain places on the patients brain it caused the patient to have extreme mood swings instantly, that was very wild to see someone go from intense crying to laughing like a lunatic in a split second.

        You never know what technology will be discovered in the future, the last 50 years has seen a huge increase in rapid technology advancements thanks to low cost computers.






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        • Profile picture of the author Horny Devil
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          Originally Posted by yukon View Post


          extreme mood swings instantly, that was very wild to see someone go from intense crying to laughing like a lunatic in a split second
          If you spent a week at my house you'd see it's a regular occurrence there. And that's just the cat.
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        • Profile picture of the author seasoned
          Originally Posted by yukon View Post

          Humans thought the world was flat at one point in history.

          Saying something that deals with technology will never happen isn't necessarily realistic.
          I am not saying NEVER, but certainly not in 30 years. HEY, I am the SAME one that about 30+ years ago called a guy that ran a huge biomedical company a LIAR when he said that AIDS would be eradicated within 5 years, and by HIS company. I felt a bit vindicated when he said about 15 years later that NOBODY would find a cure for perhaps decades.

          I ALSO called that supercomputer A project that claimed to have a learning computer wth the inteligence of a 4YO GARBAGE! HECK, WHO could believe it? People KNOW the capabilities of computer memory and the internet, and a LOT of stuff is written in English, so HOW could they have a computer as smart as a 4YO and have trouble teaching it?

          I'm not trying to side with that OP article/link, actually they might have it bassakwards. Instead of their idea, uploading info to a brain would be pretty cool, cram 4-6 years of college in a 4 hour upload, that saves you 4-6 years of your life to do other things. By age 5 you could be a brain surgeon & speak 5 languages, lol.
          Now THAT could be good.

          I watched a documentary on TV where they were operating on a persons brain while the patient was awake, gruesome, but when they touched certain places on the patients brain it caused the patient to have extreme mood swings instantly, that was very wild to see someone go from intense crying to laughing like a lunatic in a split second.
          They have theorized about such things for hundreds of years, and done this for probably the better part of a century. NOTHING NEW!

          Steve
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          • Profile picture of the author Kay King
            My imagination is having fun with this stuff...

            Archiving tweets forever? Oh my. Almost makes me ashamed to be part of this civilization...but guess there's no alternative available.

            If machines/computers do become self aware - and they understand the twitter comments stored in them - is there a risk they will slit their critical wiring out of boredom - and end civilization once and for all?

            I used to laugh at the idea of "thinking machines" but last month I watched the iRobot vacuum cleaner at my son's house. I watched it vacuum around a sleeping dog and then find its way to the base under an end table where it docked itself for recharging. That little sucker is smart!
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            • Profile picture of the author seasoned
              Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

              My imagination is having fun with this stuff...

              Archiving tweets forever? Oh my. Almost makes me ashamed to be part of this civilization...but guess there's no alternative available.

              If machines/computers do become self aware - and they understand the twitter comments stored in them - is there a risk they will slit their critical wiring out of boredom - and end civilization once and for all?

              I used to laugh at the idea of "thinking machines" but last month I watched the iRobot vacuum cleaner at my son's house. I watched it vacuum around a sleeping dog and then find its way to the base under an end table where it docked itself for recharging. That little sucker is smart!
              It's done with smoke and mirrors! SERIOUSLY, it is a trick that is hundreds of years old. The robot has sensors around it. Generally, they are mechanical and radiowave(could be IR), but they are THERE. You KNOW this because they often sell border devices that you can put on the side of a door to get it to stay out of a room, etc... and they have a pattern that it follows within those confines. BTW robot toys made fifty years ago did the SAME thing! The robot ALSO monitors its power. Devices have done that for a long while and, today, nearly every computer does. It obviously has a sensor to detect the dock, and could get to the general vicinity in many ways.

              The trick is that people see this and figure there is intelligence there.

              Steve
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              • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
                Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

                It's done with smoke and mirrors! SERIOUSLY, it is a trick that is hundreds of years old. The robot has sensors around it. Generally, they are mechanical and radiowave(could be IR), but they are THERE. You KNOW this because they often sell border devices that you can put on the side of a door to get it to stay out of a room, etc... and they have a pattern that it follows within those confines. BTW robot toys made fifty years ago did the SAME thing! The robot ALSO monitors its power. Devices have done that for a long while and, today, nearly every computer does. It obviously has a sensor to detect the dock, and could get to the general vicinity in many ways.

                The trick is that people see this and figure there is intelligence there.

                Steve
                A friend's dad had the original Zoomba vacuum. He says his dad had to program it for each room it vacuumed. Really a PITA.
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          • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
            Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

            I am not saying NEVER, but certainly not in 30 years. HEY, I am the SAME one that about 30+ years ago called a guy that ran a huge biomedical company a LIAR when he said that AIDS would be eradicated within 5 years, and by HIS company. I felt a bit vindicated when he said about 15 years later that NOBODY would find a cure for perhaps decades.

            I ALSO called that supercomputer A project that claimed to have a learning computer wth the inteligence of a 4YO GARBAGE! HECK, WHO could believe it? People KNOW the capabilities of computer memory and the internet, and a LOT of stuff is written in English, so HOW could they have a computer as smart as a 4YO and have trouble teaching it?



            Now THAT could be good.



            They have theorized about such things for hundreds of years, and done this for probably the better part of a century. NOTHING NEW!

            Steve
            Don't forget about Watson!


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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    YEAH RIGHT! They DON'T know what insects think. Insects can do some things that they are ONLY NOW trying to copy. And they might have one MINOR aspect down by maybe 20%. STILL, the power and size required to do that is FAR more than the insect. And I SERIOUSLY have to wonder how intelligent those people are, or that they think others are. Did YOU know that for DECADES they have been trying to mimic a person? A bit over a decade ago, they claimed it was as smart as a four year old. ******BULL******! It is nowhere NEAR as smart as a four year old.

    Let me tell you how smart a four year old is! If it had the vision we can present TODAY, and the memory we can present TODAY, and access to the internet as TODAY. It would be the smartest being on the planet within a few days! OK, so it FLUNKS that test!

    IF, the computer had the WORST bipedel abilities ever produced, could only click a speaker, and detect clicks, and were blind, it could develop sonar and compensate for the bad mobility and walk and talk and hear, speak a few languages, and LEARN. OK, it flunked THAT test ALSO!

    So HOW do they determine that it is so smart?

    I once got into an argument with a guy about his term paper and thesis. I told him his concept was DOOMED TO FAILURE AND, that if he COULD do it I would gladly support him, finance the whole thing, and we could be RICH!

    HE and his friends were AGAST! They acted like I was an idiot, said I didn't know as much, and that I didn't see his paper, etc... So I READ his WHOLE paper cover to cover, to see if his plan to produce a bug free program using REAL AI was possible. The paper covered a pseudo language(which is an OLD concept), and IF your NEW program were correct WOULD, if the test were definite and repeatable, tell you if you had a problem.

    I told him. OK, if you must write a translator, and you wanted to use this, HOW could it determine if the program were correct. His answer? It CAN'T! It only works with math programs. ALSO, if the same person writes bot programs, the error may appear in both and thus it would say an incorrect program was correct.

    In short, his paper was a rehash of something that is nearly worthless.

    Well, this is like that. Smoke, mirrors, and HYPE! Besides, most people don't even know what they know, how could a computer read it?

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    And then Google can hand our minds over to the NSA...Where can I sign up?
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  • Profile picture of the author Horny Devil
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    Originally Posted by BTM View Post

    Google says they'll be able to upload our entire minds in 30yrs

    Sounds like they've been on the pop again.



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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    They could never upload my wife's mind, she keeps changing it.
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  • Profile picture of the author socialentry
    Just need to hold on till 111 yrs old and then I can become immortal?
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Seems to me that google has uploaded their brains to where the sun doesn't shine.

    Claude - that's what I was thinking, exactly. If you can't transfer the consciousness and sentience - the part of the mind that science can't pinpoint - all you're doing is storing data. The person is still gone.
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    • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
      Well, at least all of those people spouting off about how Google is evil and want to give them a piece of their mind, can now do it. :p

      Terra
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      Seems to me that google has uploaded their brains to where the sun doesn't shine.

      Claude - that's what I was thinking, exactly. If you can't transfer the consciousness and sentience - the part of the mind that science can't pinpoint - all you're doing is storing data. The person is still gone.
      A LOT that I know is like in a code. If they can't download related knowledge and talents, then good luck trying to read any info. I suspect many others have some memories stored in similar ways.

      Steve
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      • Profile picture of the author HeySal
        Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

        A LOT that I know is like in a code. If they can't download related knowledge and talents, then good luck trying to read any info. I suspect many others have some memories stored in similar ways.

        Steve
        Actually, the brain does store info in "codelettes". It's how we retrieve memory so quickly. The part of the mind that results in sentience and other more esoteric aspects of mind, though, cannot be located within the brain. What if they start transferring, and the actual part of mind that makes us human is extinguished? We end up with data and no human. It would be death of the human even though we have retrievable data.
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        • Profile picture of the author tagiscom
          For some reason I am reminded of John and Sarah Connor, and SkyNet. What if the machines become self-aware?
          Once computers reach 17 Teraflops per second, we are in trouble! Unless it isn't attached to nukes! :rolleyes:


          Actually, the brain does store info in "codelettes". It's how we retrieve memory so quickly. The part of the mind that results in sentience and other more esoteric aspects of mind, though, cannot be located within the brain. What if they start transferring, and the actual part of mind that makes us human is extinguished? We end up with data and no human. It would be death of the human even though we have retrievable data.
          Yep, they can't locate it, since it isn't visible. The mind merely translates energy patterns into something we can use.

          Or organises energy into forms we can use in everyday life.

          That is why thoughts seem to be fleeting, and etherical in nature, rather than concrete and organized, (as would more likely be the case for chemical, or more physical constructs).


          So a computer could transfer the data but not the consciousnesses.

          Probably the best we will get, is something that has access to the deceists memories, and trys to fake their mannerisms, etc!

          It would probably be hundreds to a good part of a thousand years before we could really do it, (not taking into account first contact).

          A few conspiracy bubbles need to be burst first, to get past the, forget about researching something controversial that looks promising, and go with what everyone else does crap!


          Some bubbles should be burst soon, and will help us get out or modern day dark ages into more enlighted pursuits.

          Shane
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        • Profile picture of the author seasoned
          Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

          Actually, the brain does store info in "codelettes". It's how we retrieve memory so quickly. The part of the mind that results in sentience and other more esoteric aspects of mind, though, cannot be located within the brain. What if they start transferring, and the actual part of mind that makes us human is extinguished? We end up with data and no human. It would be death of the human even though we have retrievable data.
          Actually, most don't retrieve all memories so quickly.

          Steve
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

          Actually, the brain does store info in "codelettes". It's how we retrieve memory so quickly. The part of the mind that results in sentience and other more esoteric aspects of mind, though, cannot be located within the brain. What if they start transferring, and the actual part of mind that makes us human is extinguished? We end up with data and no human. It would be death of the human even though we have retrievable data.
          Sal; They cannot transfer. They may eventually be able to copy.
          To transfer, they would have to literally take the brain out of your head and place it in some machine that keeps it alive.

          All of the mind is in the brain. That's why every case of brain damage alters the person's perceptions, memory, talent, senses, or ability to think.

          The mind is what the brain does.

          It's why, when the brain stops working...the person no longer exists.

          There is no way to transfer consciousness from our brain to a machine...only copy it. Our mind is simply the process of the brain functioning.

          You said;
          "The part of the mind that results in sentience and other more esoteric aspects of mind, though, cannot be located within the brain."
          That's only because there is not a specific area that consciousness lives in the brain. Consciousness is an effect of the billions of simultaneous synaptic firings....over many areas of the brain...which we perceive as thought. Short term memory is also involved in our sense of awareness.


          There are lots of current books written by brain scientists and surgeons. I can give you a list if you like.

          This "transferring our mind to a machine" is a way to appeal to our desire to live forever. And the vast majority of people reading this have no idea how the brain works. But there really has been a ton of research done on how it works, and why we are aware. I mean real science by real scientists.

          Consciousness is directly affected by changes in the structure of the brain. Diseases, Alzheimer's, dementia, head injuries, epilepsy...all affect the brain. They directly affect our ability to perceive and think.

          Shane mentioned reading memories of the dead. Sure, as long as the synapses are still intact. But they die and degrade almost immediately after the brain is completely deprived of oxygen.
          The brain would have to be flash frozen after the moment of death (meaning after the brain stops getting oxygen.)
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    There have been some researchers who have implanted chips, so the idea of uploading is under way.

    It would be cool to have instant access to information. Suppose you came across someone who needed medical attention and had not been trained in first aid... Or tapping into the knowledge of someone like Einstein.

    Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author SandraLarkin
    Banned
    That sounds like a lovely life.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      A friend's dad had the original Zoomba vacuum. He says his dad had to program it for each room it vacuumed. Really a PITA.
      I think the technology has improved - this one programs a pattern itself. If you move the furniture it re-programs the pattern. If they let it run while they are at work - it goes from room to room and does the entire floor.

      I loved watching it - Rocky the lab was flopped out on the floor and the vacuum veered from it's pattern to go around him each time and then would resume the pattern.

      Obviously, I'm easily entertained:rolleyes:
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      • Profile picture of the author yukon
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        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        I think the technology has improved - this one programs a pattern itself. If you move the furniture it re-programs the pattern. If they let it run while they are at work - it goes from room to room and does the entire floor.

        I loved watching it - Rocky the lab was flopped out on the floor and the vacuum veered from it's pattern to go around him each time and then would resume the pattern.

        Obviously, I'm easily entertained:rolleyes:
        You mean the sweeper robot didn't suck the curtains off the wall?
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  • Profile picture of the author msharmjia
    Are they trying to repeat the story of surrogate movie? This seems that world is soon going to end with world war between robots.. Since like terminator last part
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    • Profile picture of the author tagiscom


      Yep, they may reproduce human data for the next couple of hundred years, but we could still look forward to cloning our pets!!! :rolleyes:

      Or at least reproducing how our pets react and storing it in our mainframe computers, (or a holographic pet)?

      You said;
      "The part of the mind that results in sentience and other more esoteric aspects of mind, though, cannot be located within the brain."
      That's only because there is not a specific area that consciousness lives in the brain. Consciousness is an effect of the billions of simultaneous synaptic firings....over many areas of the brain...which we perceive as thought. Short term memory is also involved in our sense of awareness.

      Before Sal, jumps in, that must mean, that people who die for half an hour, or longer (correct me if l am wrong, but the brain is inactive at this time) must be hallucinating, in a part of the brain that is overall inactive, or can't be detected?

      Or anyone who claims to die, must be lying to sell a book, etc?

      Just wanted to clarify what the experts say about this issue?

      Shane
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by tagiscom View Post


        Before Sal, jumps in, that must mean, that people who die for half an hour, or longer (correct me if l am wrong, but the brain is inactive at this time) must be hallucinating, in a part of the brain that is overall inactive, or can't be detected?

        Or anyone who claims to die, must be lying to sell a book, etc?

        Just wanted to clarify what the experts say about this issue?

        Shane
        Shane; When you hear someone claim that they "died" and then came back, they mean that they stopped breathing. It can even mean that their heart stopped beating. There is oxygen stored in the body that the brain will use until it's completely gone. It's why people can be underwater for 30 minutes and still survive. Although most don't.

        But once the brain is completely starved of oxygen, in a couple of minutes, it degrades. There is brain damage. And brain cells are very fragile. They die quickly.

        The people that claim that they died, and came back aren't lying. They simply are uninformed about what death is. Being unconscious isn't being dead. When your heart stops, you aren't dead. When your brain stops relaying electrical current...you are dead. Once brain wave activity stops (electrical activity in the brain, our thoughts) we are gone. Nobody has ever come back from that.

        It's where the term "Brain dead" comes from. Once the brain stops functioning....you don't come back. Ever. The brain isn't inactive when the people you describe are "dead". If it were they wouldn't be aware of anything. They couldn't dream.

        There is plenty of information written by brain researchers and brain surgeons about this.

        You may think we are arguing here, or disagreeing. we aren't. I'm just explaining this to you. Just read books by real brain scientists and brain surgeons.

        Argue with them.
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        • Profile picture of the author seasoned
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          Shane; When you hear someone claim that they "died" and then came back, they mean that they stopped breathing. It can even mean that their heart stopped beating. There is oxygen stored in the body that the brain will use until it's completely gone. It's why people can be underwater for 30 minutes and still survive. Although most don't.

          But once the brain is completely starved of oxygen, in a couple of minutes, it degrades. There is brain damage. And brain cells are very fragile. They die quickly.

          The people that claim that they died, and came back aren't lying. They simply are uninformed about what death is. Being unconscious isn't being dead. When your heart stops, you aren't dead. When your brain stops relaying electrical current...you are dead. Once brain wave activity stops (electrical activity in the brain, our thoughts) we are gone. Nobody has ever come back from that.

          It's where the term "Brain dead" comes from. Once the brain stops functioning....you don't come back. Ever. The brain isn't inactive when the people you describe are "dead". If it were they wouldn't be aware of anything. They couldn't dream.

          There is plenty of information written by brain researchers and brain surgeons about this.

          You may think we are arguing here, or disagreeing. we aren't. I'm just explaining this to you. Just read books by real brain scientists and brain surgeons.

          Argue with them.
          Just so you know, atheist doctors state that, when the brain is in a certain deprived state, it perceives things like light, etc.. In short, there is a standard hallucination that seems like the LAD experience. MOST people that have such an experience are either unobserved OR in a state where such an experience may be overlooked. By its nature, the person having the experience can't judge the time, so the time is really usually unknown.

          BTW there IS a lesser deprived state that they say presents another impression that is that of being probed by strange, usually gray, creatures.

          Steve
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          • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
            Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

            Just so you know, atheist doctors state that, when the brain is in a certain deprived state, it perceives things like light, etc.. In short, there is a standard hallucination that seems like the LAD experience. MOST people that have such an experience are either unobserved OR in a state where such an experience may be overlooked. By its nature, the person having the experience can't judge the time, so the time is really usually unknown.

            BTW there IS a lesser deprived state that they say presents another impression that is that of being probed by strange, usually gray, creatures.

            Steve
            Steve; Yes, but at no time is this person dead. At no time has the brainwave activity stopped. They are unconscious, not dead. A large part of the brain controls vision. Bright lights are common. So are loud noises...so are strong smells. And many times, the part of the brain (or parts) that control our ability to know where we end and the rest of the universe begins...shuts off. You then feel like you are somewhere else, or that you are in front of your body, or above it...

            When the brain is oxygen starved it also is flooded with endorphines. Also there is a surge of electrical activity...like a light bulb is brighter just before it burns out. Not a great analogy, I know.

            Whether the brain surgeon is an atheist or very religious, it doesn't change the physics of what is happening to the brain.

            You said "BTW there IS a lesser deprived state that they say presents another impression that is that of being probed by strange, usually gray, creatures."

            Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. At least to me.

            I believe that you have read that. But it sounds made up. It may not be....but it sounds like it. I can't think of a reason we would share that same image.

            I had a near death experience in intensive care years ago. My heart didn't completely stop but they couldn't detect a heartbeat for a minute or so. My main recollection is a very strange smell, like cold dead meat. And I kept hearing a very loud noise, like a door slamming over and over again.

            Images become very vivid in that state. If you are religious...you see religious images. If you are a UFO person..you see through that lens.

            I've seen real clinical experiments where a slight electric charge was sent through a part of the brain and the recipients were then convinced that there was someone standing next to them.

            Again, there are real clinical experiments by qualified medical experts that have covered a lot of this. Charlie Rose had a series on his talk show about the brain. It went on for several episodes, Psychologists, surgeons, patients, all shared their findings. There is real science to this, if you just read up on it...

            You know what's fascinating? Split brain patients. Some forms of severe epilepsy can be treated by severing the connection between the two hemisphere's of the brain. A very strange thing then happens. Half of the brain is now unaware of the other half. There are now literally two minds
            (or two "half minds") sharing one body. Testing of these patients reveals which hemisphere controls what function. It's weird, fascinating, and I would think tragic. It would freak me out.
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