Hum, teletransportation paradox/multiuniverse . Many including many PhDed are assigning a real level of probability to multiuniverses. If so, so I wrote this, you read it, one offshoot universe, I wrote you didn't read, another off, I wrote he didn't read, off again, I didn't write this, off we go into the..., etc.
Think I'll just go for infinite regress and turtles all the way down.
If we assume the multiverse thing is true, then you’re so right—and even that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the questions we could ask. Can we travel between them? Are we choosing between potential universes with every choice that we make?
I would say each and every one of us is not choosing but instead creating a new universe with each and every choice we make, if such is true it's not turtles all the way down, it's always something else all the way down, up and around to infinity.
I've given this a little bit of thought, so I figured I'd share. These are only my perceptions.
More goes into the receiving / blessing of a Koa (soul) than just DNA and 'consciousness.' The time and place of receiving (or, 'transformation,' if you will, since energy - which IS the soul - cannot be created nor destroyed, merely transformed) all weigh into the overall 'you' that exists. That Koa is intricately tied - integrated, even - to the vessel in which you inhabit, and without the specific vessel that energy cannot remain in the Temporal Realm.
As such, when you are transported (to use a Star Trek term) and are 'killed' on the transporter pad, your Koa departs. You are gone. When the form once-yours rematerializes, whatever body which is generated receives a new Koa, due to the aforementioned factors. A new 'soul.'
Sure, this thing is closely tied to you, due to shared memories and DNA, but it is not you - you're dead. It would be more like a direct offspring - similar, VERY similar - but still... not you.
Anyhow, just my two cents, for whatever they are worth; great piece!
Wow. I've always conceived of the soul as something fully-formed but separate from the body, and I think this makes more sense—the Koa is made out of that 'something greater' (energy), but can't exist without the body.
If you don't mind me asking, where did you get the word from? (I googled it and couldn't really find anything)
Also, like John, I'm curious as to where you think the Koa goes afterwards.
Thanks so much for this, Stone—I think you may be onto something here.
What happens to the Koa afterwards? As with all energy, it 'transforms.' Into 'what' or 'where,' I have no clue (that info is well above my proverbial paygrade LOL), but an essence of you - and of every life in which you have lived - remains in that energy.
As for 'Koa?' Rather than a lengthy dissertation here, I'll give you a link to the 'Page' I wrote about it; hopefully that will help explain it...
I loved the article, and I really like your concept of this stuff. 'I don't know' is a decent answer, and probably the most honest and accurate anyone can come up with. Thanks for sharing this.
It's been my experience that people are so terrified of being judged as less than brilliant or 'deep,' they'll yammer themselves into a frenzy trying to mask their uncertainty. For me, "I don't know," is wildly liberating 😉😂
Looks like I’ll need to start mourning the fictional grad students again… But seriously, this is one option I didn’t explore and I’m glad you brought it up. I like it and it doesn’t fill me with any sort of existential dread. I’d like to hear your thoughts on what their original KOA goes on to do after the death of their bodies from the teleportation.
What happened to the consciousness of the body your consciousness teleported into? Copies of your physical "you" are just standing around lifeless in other universes waiting for you to jump into them? If you say that trillions of "yous" all simultaneously switch places like a multiverse game of musical chairs, one of them has to wind up without a seat.
Even back in the boomer days of science fiction, Michael Moorcock was writing about the multiverse in his Universal Warrior series. Elric of Melniboné was my introduction to alternate worlds. The deeper I went into speculative fiction, the more interesting things became, until reaching the state where my brain spins out of control.
There is another novel that tackles this same topic of particle physics, teleportation and all their possible effects and ramifications. Here & There by Joshua V. Scher is a wonderful example of using the thought experiment to spin out a thumping good tale. After reading your piece, as well as the fabulous comments, I was reminded of this book. After I found my copy and the reading the first page I was utterly hooked— again. Third time’s a charm.
If you are a thrill seeker, you could read Here & There after reading Timeline, and go for the multiverse meltdown.
Out of the two novels, it was Here & There that stuck with me. I had to stop reading at various points to internalize what had just happened, and to spin out the end cases. That doesn’t happen very often.
I have vague memories and positive feelings about Timeline, but not enough to read it again.
Hum, teletransportation paradox/multiuniverse . Many including many PhDed are assigning a real level of probability to multiuniverses. If so, so I wrote this, you read it, one offshoot universe, I wrote you didn't read, another off, I wrote he didn't read, off again, I didn't write this, off we go into the..., etc.
Think I'll just go for infinite regress and turtles all the way down.
If we assume the multiverse thing is true, then you’re so right—and even that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the questions we could ask. Can we travel between them? Are we choosing between potential universes with every choice that we make?
I would say each and every one of us is not choosing but instead creating a new universe with each and every choice we make, if such is true it's not turtles all the way down, it's always something else all the way down, up and around to infinity.
Clones and human robots do exist. Thank you for bringing out!
Haha!
I've given this a little bit of thought, so I figured I'd share. These are only my perceptions.
More goes into the receiving / blessing of a Koa (soul) than just DNA and 'consciousness.' The time and place of receiving (or, 'transformation,' if you will, since energy - which IS the soul - cannot be created nor destroyed, merely transformed) all weigh into the overall 'you' that exists. That Koa is intricately tied - integrated, even - to the vessel in which you inhabit, and without the specific vessel that energy cannot remain in the Temporal Realm.
As such, when you are transported (to use a Star Trek term) and are 'killed' on the transporter pad, your Koa departs. You are gone. When the form once-yours rematerializes, whatever body which is generated receives a new Koa, due to the aforementioned factors. A new 'soul.'
Sure, this thing is closely tied to you, due to shared memories and DNA, but it is not you - you're dead. It would be more like a direct offspring - similar, VERY similar - but still... not you.
Anyhow, just my two cents, for whatever they are worth; great piece!
Wow. I've always conceived of the soul as something fully-formed but separate from the body, and I think this makes more sense—the Koa is made out of that 'something greater' (energy), but can't exist without the body.
If you don't mind me asking, where did you get the word from? (I googled it and couldn't really find anything)
Also, like John, I'm curious as to where you think the Koa goes afterwards.
Thanks so much for this, Stone—I think you may be onto something here.
I'll answer both you and John here :-)
What happens to the Koa afterwards? As with all energy, it 'transforms.' Into 'what' or 'where,' I have no clue (that info is well above my proverbial paygrade LOL), but an essence of you - and of every life in which you have lived - remains in that energy.
As for 'Koa?' Rather than a lengthy dissertation here, I'll give you a link to the 'Page' I wrote about it; hopefully that will help explain it...
https://stonebryson.substack.com/p/soul-food
I loved the article, and I really like your concept of this stuff. 'I don't know' is a decent answer, and probably the most honest and accurate anyone can come up with. Thanks for sharing this.
It's been my experience that people are so terrified of being judged as less than brilliant or 'deep,' they'll yammer themselves into a frenzy trying to mask their uncertainty. For me, "I don't know," is wildly liberating 😉😂
Appreciate the gracious words, most kind of you 🙂
Looks like I’ll need to start mourning the fictional grad students again… But seriously, this is one option I didn’t explore and I’m glad you brought it up. I like it and it doesn’t fill me with any sort of existential dread. I’d like to hear your thoughts on what their original KOA goes on to do after the death of their bodies from the teleportation.
What happened to the consciousness of the body your consciousness teleported into? Copies of your physical "you" are just standing around lifeless in other universes waiting for you to jump into them? If you say that trillions of "yous" all simultaneously switch places like a multiverse game of musical chairs, one of them has to wind up without a seat.
That's a good point... There goes that theory I guess, haha.
Even back in the boomer days of science fiction, Michael Moorcock was writing about the multiverse in his Universal Warrior series. Elric of Melniboné was my introduction to alternate worlds. The deeper I went into speculative fiction, the more interesting things became, until reaching the state where my brain spins out of control.
There is another novel that tackles this same topic of particle physics, teleportation and all their possible effects and ramifications. Here & There by Joshua V. Scher is a wonderful example of using the thought experiment to spin out a thumping good tale. After reading your piece, as well as the fabulous comments, I was reminded of this book. After I found my copy and the reading the first page I was utterly hooked— again. Third time’s a charm.
If you are a thrill seeker, you could read Here & There after reading Timeline, and go for the multiverse meltdown.
Out of the two novels, it was Here & There that stuck with me. I had to stop reading at various points to internalize what had just happened, and to spin out the end cases. That doesn’t happen very often.
I have vague memories and positive feelings about Timeline, but not enough to read it again.
Woah, Here & There looks like it's right up my alley! Thanks for the recommendation—I might give it a read after Timeline.