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foltiktoday at 4:24 AM1 replyview on HN

From a functionalist perspective, there is no “you” sitting in one body or another.

The experience of “you” is just your specific memories and world model, continuously updated with sensory input.

If another body “runs” the same exact pattern, that is you. Theres no link and nothing was transferred; the pattern of thoughts and memories is all “you” ever was.

Same as playing the same song on two different speakers. Nobody asks what links the song across them; it’s the same song wherever it’s played. You’re just a far more complicated pattern on a far more complicated speaker.

You might ask, “but why am I this pattern?” Because this is the specific pattern modeling itself from the inside in asking that question.


Replies

felipeeriastoday at 6:25 AM

The question is whether you can separate that “same exact pattern” from the physical body where it is taking place.

And my intuition is that no, you can’t, they are two aspects of the same reality.

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