The document discusses various approaches to preserving consciousness beyond physical death, including mind uploading, cryonics, brain preservation, and mindfiles. It notes debates around what consciousness actually is and skepticism around whether computational reproduction is possible within current technological timeframes. Specifically, it summarizes the views of Susan, who is skeptical that uploading a brain would revive a person and questions if digital copies of loved ones could truly be considered the original. The document proposes that consciousness may be part of reality's fabric and condense into droplets of personal consciousness defined by memories, feelings and personality. It suggests preservation methods could work if the attractor structure is captured in detail and the target substrate supports personal consciousness.

1. Terasem Colloquium, December 10, 2021
How to preserve consciousness beyond physical
death?
And WHAT is consciousness?

2. Mind uploading
(whole brain emulation,
substrate-independent minds)
Randal Koene

3. Cryonics today and tomorrow
Max More

4. Brain preservation (cryonics for uploaders)
Ken Hayworth

5. Mindfiles
Martine Rothblatt
The Lifenaut Approach to Creating Cyber-
Consciousness

6. Toward brain preservation
Robert McIntyre
What I learned running a rapid-response human
brain bank

7. But WHAT is consciousness?
And what does preserving consciousness mean?

8. Too bad Susan can’t come 
Susan wanted to talk about:
Consciousness preservation: a
Skeptic’s Guide
Susan says:
“If we can crack consciousness and
truly find that the neural basis of
consciousness can be reproduced
computationally, I’d feel more
confident. (I do not object to the
possibility, just the technological
timeframe/technological
plausibility.)”

9. In Susan’s book:
“there is tremendous uncertainty here, due
to the perplexing and controversial nature
of the personal identity debate.”
“minds are not programs per se, but
program instantiations—a given run of a
program.”
“I have no confidence that resorting to
uploading her brain would be a form of
revival.”
“the personal assistants—the Siris and
Alexas of the future—might be uploaded
copies of deceased humans we have loved
deeply.”

10. My take:
Consciousness is part of the fabric of
reality.
Consciousness condensates.
Droplets of personal consciousness.

11. Which substrates support personal
consciousness?
Integrated Information Theory?

12. Personal consciousness is an attractor in the
mindscape.
Memories, feelings, personality texture…

13. I think all the consciousness preservation
methods discussed today (and some others) will
work, IFF
The structure of the attractor is captured in
sufficient detail, AND
the target substrate supports personal
consciousness.