First off, the 'Singularity' is the point where our technology exceeds our humanity. Perfect self-replicating, self-improving AI, for example. Presumably allowing us to 'download' ourselves onto solid-state drives, become immortal to a point, etc.
Assuming that(the download)is at all possible, do you think those who did it would only be a silhouette of their former selves? Or, granting that consciousness probably isn't containable by data, what might happen if someone tried?
It could be possible for someone to insert all of their memories into a computer. But they wouldn't be alive any longer. A body is a vessel for your soul to be able to connect with this plane of existence. If your body is damaged to much that it is no longer functional, the soul abandons the body. I do not know what happens to your soul next, it usually depends on what religion you follow, but that is what happens. Now, you cannot insert your soul into a computer simply because it is not of this plane. However, you can insert your brain such as your memories, ect. But you will no longer be alive. Only your brain and memories will. That is my opinion on the matter. Disagree with me if you must.
@heani No, I think I agree, I just wanted someone else to share their thoughts.
I think it's an interesting concept that someone might have a 'photographic' copy of themselves sometime in the future, but that if they tried to do it to save themselves from death, they would leave the 'copy' unable to change in regards to spiritual progress, but also thinking that it was the person of it's memories.
And the actual 'person'(the soul) isn't there on the physical.
Thanks for the responses though. It was just sort a random thing I had been trying to make sense of/wondering about.
If it ever came to that point, I'm sorry but I would rather die than live forever immortally (so to speak) on a disc. But its an interesting train of thought, you have there.