If the Universe is infinite, will we be reborn?

[FindingMeaning]

Lets assume the universe is infinite (which may or may not be true), would this mean that we would be created again, in the exact same circumstances as we were in this life?

If something is infinite, then surely the exact same make up of something will be created again, whether that be in 10 years or 10 trillion years? It could be here on this earth or it could be on another planet in another universe.

I do very much believe that we are just our brains and there is no soul, as such.  However, I think we will experience consciousness again but a difference consciousness with no connection or memory of previous ones.

I suspect we would also not feel any time go by between death and birth, as even if this is trillions of years, we'd have no consciousness to perceive it.

Edited October 28, 2021 by FindingMeaning
Typo

[swansont]

You also have an infinite combinations of initial conditions. How could you guarantee that you would recreate the exact conditions required? What if one of the influences was the temperature of the CMB, which could not be replicated at a later time? There are probably many variables that would not be the same. Composition of the matter available for star and planet formation, for another example - they would tend to have more heavy elements in them as we cycle through generations of stars.

[dimreepr]

1 hour ago, FindingMeaning said:

Lets assume the universe is infinite (which may or may not be true), would this mean that we would be created again, in the exact same circumstances as we were in this life?

If something is infinite, then surely the exact same make up of something will be created again, whether that be in 10 years or 10 trillion years? It could be here on this earth or it could be on another planet in another universe.

I do very much believe that we are just our brains and there is no soul, as such.  However, I think we will experience consciousness again but a difference consciousness with no connection or memory of previous ones.

I suspect we would also not feel any time go by between death and birth, as even if this is trillions of years, we'd have no consciousness to perceive it.

What makes you think we'd remember our previous self?

[geordief]

2 hours ago, FindingMeaning said:

Lets assume the universe is infinite (which may or may not be true), would this mean that we would be created again, in the exact same circumstances as we were in this life?

If something is infinite, then surely the exact same make up of something will be created again, whether that be in 10 years or 10 trillion years? It could be here on this earth or it could be on another planet in another universe.

I do very much believe that we are just our brains and there is no soul, as such.  However, I think we will experience consciousness again but a difference consciousness with no connection or memory of previous ones.

I suspect we would also not feel any time go by between death and birth, as even if this is trillions of years, we'd have no consciousness to perceive it.

If you could find a way past @swansont 's  obstacles (which I agree with) what consequences might follow?

Also are there any ways one might ascertain whether  in the past or in the future two systems -  living or non living - had separately evolved to be (and continued to be) identical?

What if one restricted oneself to the timespan and location of the  solar system? Is there  an infinitesimal chance that two or more systems of any size could have evolved to be ,and continued to be identical?

Edited October 28, 2021 by geordief

[dimreepr]

52 minutes ago, geordief said:

What if one restricted oneself to the timespan and location of the  solar system? Is there  an infinitesimal chance that two or more systems of any size could have evolved to be ,and continued to be identical?

If you can't remember?  why does it matter?

[geordief]

47 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

If you can't remember?  why does it matter?

I assume the OP may have been implying that 2 "identical" people might exist  and that an observer might , in principle be able to ascertain that they were in fact the same.

 

Memory would not come into it ,but they would of course have to have the same  ongoing memories and that would be impossible unless their entire espective universes were  also identical in every respect

 

 

[Phi for All]

4 hours ago, FindingMeaning said:

I do very much believe that we are just our brains and there is no soul, as such.  However, I think we will experience consciousness again but a difference consciousness with no connection or memory of previous ones.

Something I had to do was split my belief system into three parts: Explanations I trust, explanations I wish were true, and explanations I accept on faith. Science gives me a methodology that produces information I can trust, and I feel the explanations for various phenomena derived from that method are the strongest parts of my beliefs. OTOH, I wish what you're saying here about consciousness were true, but I have nothing to support that belief except hope. There's no evidence that our consciousness survives the death of our body and brain.

There is very little to nothing I believe using faith, since that requires me to ignore evidence to the contrary. Some people think faith is the strongest form of belief, but I think it's the weakest.

[geordief]

17 minutes ago, Phi for All said:

Something I had to do was split my belief system into three parts: Explanations I trust, explanations I wish were true, and explanations I accept on faith. Science gives me a methodology that produces information I can trust, and I feel the explanations for various phenomena derived from that method are the strongest parts of my beliefs. OTOH, I wish what you're saying here about consciousness were true, but I have nothing to support that belief except hope. There's no evidence that our consciousness survives the death of our body and brain.

There is very little to nothing I believe using faith, since that requires me to ignore evidence to the contrary. Some people think faith is the strongest form of belief, but I think it's the weakest.

How would you feel if death was not associated directly with illness  but that our consciousness was programmed to "blink out" painlessly at a random time as we were going  about our daily existence?

 

Would it seem more likely that the conciousness would be somehow recycled  if that happened without all the drama we and our fellow sentient beings undergo towards the end of our lives?

 

People often say that they don't mind dying but don't want to be there when it happens 

Edited October 28, 2021 by geordief

[Phi for All]

6 minutes ago, geordief said:

How would you feel if death was not associated directly with illness  but that our consciousness was programmed to "blink out" painlessly at a random time as we were going  about our daily existence?

 

Would it seem more likely that the conciousness would be somehow recycled  if that happened without all the drama we and our fellow sentient beings undergo towards the end of our lives?

 

People often say that they don't mind dying but don't want to be there when it happens 

I would classify this as wishful thinking. If it helps you in thinking about death, and doesn't cause you to change the way you live your life, I see no harm in it.

[geordief]

39 minutes ago, Phi for All said:

I would classify this as wishful thinking. If it helps you in thinking about death, and doesn't cause you to change the way you live your life, I see no harm in it.

You may be right.I was once buttonholed by Scientologists in the street with the psychology profile questionnaire they used to entrap the incautious .

 

Anyway the result/interpretation  of it  was apparently that I see the/my world as better than it is.

 

"Frightened of living"  is how I see myself but that is way off topic .....

 

 

 

 

[dimreepr]

22 hours ago, geordief said:

I assume the OP may have been implying that 2 "identical" people might exist  and that an observer might , in principle be able to ascertain that they were in fact the same.

Memory would not come into it ,but they would of course have to have the same  ongoing memories and that would be impossible unless their entire espective universes were  also identical in every respect

If you can't remember eating a meal, what's the point of taste buds?

[geordief]

1 hour ago, dimreepr said:

If you can't remember eating a meal, what's the point of taste buds?

Don't see the relevance to my posts. Maybe the OP  might find it relevant . I don't know. (not looking for rabbit holes today)