Question for fellow atheists, and others if you like.

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To preface this, I do not accept the claim that gods exist (lack belief, atheist). I also happen to believe gods do not exist (have a belief, strong atheist). I do not accept the claim that souls exist, however I do not also actively believe souls do not exist - perhaps for the following reason.

In all of my "soul-searching", for lack of a better word, the nature of the world has come to make complete sense to me - except for one thing. I'll try not to make it seem like I'm asserting that I am somehow different than my physical body, because I'm not - although it often seems that way.

I get this feeling of... alienation... sometimes. It feels like I'm completely separate from the rest of the world, and in many ways I am. I am a biological form of life that operates on naturalistic mechanisms, etc, I have no objection to that. The objection I do have is that, well....

Why is this one me? "This one" referring to this biological organism named Legato. I completely understand the biology and psychology of the matter, but I'm having a hard time coping with the confusion I feel when I try and comprehend what makes this one me. I don't mind the prospect of having not existed prior to my conception, but I fail to see the connection between the development of an infant and the subsequent rise of unique consciousness as it pertains to the individual, and, hence, me. What makes this consciousness mine? Why do I not have the consciousness of another biological entity?

Why is this one me?

who says you are you?

it's theoretically possible another you could have existed previously but given that it'd be another time period, the stimuli your brain would have encountered growing up would have been drastically different resulting in you being drastically different.


you have to take into account everything with a human developing.

And there you are positing a soul - or at least some form of reincarnation or consciousness that moves from human to human, am I right?

But to be honest, maybe I am as well... All I know is that, as convinced I may be of other things, this problem is one that I simply have no idea on.

I see what you mean, but that doesn't really answer my question. Regardless of change over the 21 years of my life, this one is still me.

Who's that?

Exactly, patternist. You know, it almost seems like this world would make much more sense if I wasn't in it - because then I wouldn't have to worry about what makes this one me. Everything but this question makes sense!

And, to clarify, my question of "what makes this one me" is more to the point of, why is the consciousness that I inhabit, or am, not in the body of another person. I am aware that the system must exist in a state, but what makes THIS ONE different from the other ones, such that I am this one?

*sigh* I haven't been able to stop thinking about this for a good 36 hours... halp pl0x?

i do believe i have a soul and a spirit. i think there different, the soul for me is who you are. the spirit is the oxegen the alien blew in my nostrils, it doesnt necessarily have to be everlasting because i think i was genetically engeneeried

You're right, actually. And it's very confusing to me as well. The only thing about it that I know for certain is that I don't know why this one is me, as opposed to another one being me.

When I talk about "this one", it's Legato. "Another one" could be skafather or patternist.

When I talk about "me", I'm not talking about Legato. I'm talking about the consciousness of Legato, the homunculus, if you will. Why is my homunculus experiencing Legato, and not another person.