Mar 6 2012: Yes, afterall "nature" could be a model. Keep in mind we need only model what we perceive to be nature, we don't know what nature is and of itself. See... http://www.simulation-argument.com/
Aug 15 2011: I have two indirect experiences to relate.
When my brother passed away, though separated by several thousand miles, my wife woke up from a dream seeing a person she recognized as my brother looking down on us. When my father passed away, coincident to the time of death in the night, my aunt had a dream of my father laying a table for a meal for her.
Perhaps just coincidence or interpolation of memory after the event - it is not objective or even direct to my personal experience. I can understand how some might dismiss this anecdote. Nevertheless, I have no reason to believe either my wife and aunt made up the stories. That they claim to specifically have dreamed of my brother and dad, at a time near to their deaths, is hard to reconcile to conventional psychological explanation.
Perhaps it is possible to relate to an NDE phenomenon: if NDE are genuine evidence of non-local consciousness being released at, or near, to the time of death - then I suppose this might be related to my families experience.
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A comment on Conversation: Will we ever truly be able to model nature?
A comment on Conversation: What do you think about NDE's (near death experiences)? Is it a phenomenon that can possibly help transform our world?
When my brother passed away, though separated by several thousand miles, my wife woke up from a dream seeing a person she recognized as my brother looking down on us. When my father passed away, coincident to the time of death in the night, my aunt had a dream of my father laying a table for a meal for her.
Perhaps just coincidence or interpolation of memory after the event - it is not objective or even direct to my personal experience. I can understand how some might dismiss this anecdote. Nevertheless, I have no reason to believe either my wife and aunt made up the stories. That they claim to specifically have dreamed of my brother and dad, at a time near to their deaths, is hard to reconcile to conventional psychological explanation.
Perhaps it is possible to relate to an NDE phenomenon: if NDE are genuine evidence of non-local consciousness being released at, or near, to the time of death - then I suppose this might be related to my families experience.