I have recently seen and learned how much a person inherits from the genes of their ancestors to include some diseases and personality traits and flaws and tendencies.

A flaw or trait can cause a person to be an addict or a at the mercy of tendencies towards anger, even murder. Do we inherit personality traits? Insanity? Disease?

It is certainly seen in generations of dogs, why not humans?

If this is so, then how much control of who we are do we really have?

Are we just programed organisms at the mercy of our genes and DNA?

Are we just biological thinking machines running on programs?

And one day it will be possible to download our minds into new physical bodies.

Kewel. I want one like Jennifer Lopez.

I suppose something like that will be possible in the future.

Are we just biological thinking machines running on programs?



Did you watch the Matrix series? of course we are just products of our imaginations.

ahhhh the old "nature versus nurture" controversy

a lot of who a person is, is inherited and a lot of it is a result of environmental influences growing up

I am beginning to think that more is inherited than I used to think.

Yes.

Sure, we all come w/ basic programing. But it's up to people to decide what direction to go. Studies w/ twins show that identical twins separated at birth end up far more alike than twins raised together. That twins raised together are more likely to strive to be more individual. So even though we have a basic program, we can change it based on our striving to be something different.

I think some things are inherited and some we choose

Yes, good post, great thread! I think we are finally starting to gain scientific insight into the hardware side of human nature. Genetics has made a huge leap forward in the last 10 years.

I also think we have a long way to go to understand how as individuals we can edit, and guide the continued development of our software. (Also we have found that this software can have a very powerful and positive effect on the hardware, even in adulthood)

I know that for myself I have worked hard to change certain aspects of myself (reactionary aspects that I do not like), perhaps a little perspective that age and experience has given me has assisted in this new direction.

We are both. Our capabilities are dictated by our equipment, however I think everyone underestimates the potential and under utilizes that equipment by the nature of our limited expectations of ourselves.

We can take hold of our will, forge it into something more then it was with a single decision, and move toward our untapped potential in ways we never believed possible before.

This I believe.

I am glad to hear you feel that way. It makes me feel a little better. It is kind of like the question of 'destiny.' If there is such a thing as destiny and if we are at the mercy of that and our genes, then we are nothing more than some kind of parasitic growth on the face of the earth, or biological machines with no control over our lives. That's depressing.

The only thing going for us is our will to take hold of the wheel that guides our ship through this life. If we don't, we are simply adrift with the tide and following our programs like mindless vegetables.

Do not believe everything you hear about genetics and science in general....they have found genes for just about every human trait or tendency, but does that mean that it is true??? no

i am a geneticist working on my PhD and i have found that genes and environment play a pretty equal role.....one can influence the other and it can go either way actually

I just got this book and haven't started it yet. It looks fascinating. You may be interested in it.
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Location: -> Books
DNA Pirates of the Sacred Spiral book


Product Information


Description: Based on the latest science, this monumental book considers both uses and abuses of DNA – “The Sacred Spiral.” Stunning evidence compiled herein proves DNA is nature’s bioaccoustic and electromagnetic (that is, “spiritual”) energy receiver, signal transformer, and quantum sound and light transmitter. In other words, the bioenergetics of genetics precipitates life.

These scientific revelations bring expanded spiritual meaning to life, physical embodiment, and even evolution. Yet, leading genetic industrialists prefer to keep these uplifting and soul-freeing truths secret. The infamous untrustworthy “Human Genome Pirates” operate covertly, controlling genetic patents, spin-off technologies, and public information dissemination. With the world’s most powerful banking and pharmaceutical cartel behind them, they now control civilization’s destiny.

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DNA: Pirates of the Sacred Spiral, Dr. Horowitz's latest book, offers revolutionary new views of emerging genetic research consistent with largely secreted science and sacred spiritual knowledge. Chapters incorporated this metaphysical science non-fiction thriller include discussions of electro-genetics, quantum physics, bioholography, human consciousness, and even spiritual dynamics, to accomplish an urgent mission: awaken humanity to the highest levels of risk awareness and accountability for our planet’s destiny.

Oh no! Jeannie has been seduced over to the dark side!

(J/K - Luv ya JB )

I just can’t buy into the materialist view. The single most fundamental concept in my entire philosophy of life is that life/consciousness/whatever-you-want-to-label-it is not the result of physical phenomena, rather the opposite. And until the material/determinist camp can answer as many questions, to my satisfaction, as the spiritual/free-will camp, I don’t have any reason to “switch loyalties”.

Not saying the material/determinist camp doesn’t have its uses. Just that it can’t (or hasn’t yet been able to) answer the “bigger” questions that are important to me.

JMHO

I have not been seduced to the dark side. I still believe in the higher mind of the subconscious and the higher self that dwells there.

I am simply attempting to understand the line between the construct of the physical self and the true spiritual self and how it relates to our limitations in the physical world.

Clearly we, as spiritual beings are barely conscious as we realize ourselves and begin to use our WILLS to overcome our physical limitations. Without the use of our personal will, we are just biological somewhat unconscious lifeforms dependent upon our programing.

We are babes in an incubator matrix.

As a joke, my attempt seems to have fallen flat. Sorry Jeannie.

My point though is that, in my opinion, the concept of a “physical self” is a fallacious one. There is no “physical” to self. There is physical that the self inhabits or controls or operates – or even thinks it is. And that’s the fallacious part – thinking that one is a physical entity.

But even if you accept the “higher self”/”physical self” duality, it seems to me that if the higher self is not in control of the genetics of it’s physical self, then the higher self is just as much at the mercy of the physical universe as is the physical self.

To me, it’s like thinking we have an “automobile self” because we drive an automobile. But we’re not the automobile we’re the driver. Studying the automobile can never result in discovering why we’re driving it, or make us better able to read road signs or find a gas station or leave for work on time or remember to use our blinker.

My dad was an alcoholic and I became one. My grandfather had a still even though he was a preacher. I am at least a third generation alcoholic but a recovering one. The song by Hank Williams, Jr or Bocephus comes to mind. "Hank, why do you drink and why do you roll smoke? Why do you live by the songs that you wrote? Try to think it over and put yourself in my unique position. I am just carrying on an old family tradition."

Bio and logical in one word. I think that is funny.

Biology makes sense because that is the study of life but biological? Isn't that making an assumption? Isn't that like saying that life makes sense if you see it as bio and logical at the same time? Doesn't that kind of bypass the question of what is the meaning of life in some way? Good morning. I just got up a little bit ago.

I beieve this too.