Question for non-zombies: If you went to sleep as me in my bed with my memories...

[AverageBozo]

To readers who are philosophical zombies, please do not attempt to answer the below question, and please do not post in or participate in this thread. In other words, if you are not or do not have a spirit (a.k.a. consciousness), please do not answer the question or participate in this topic.

This question is only for truly conscious people. In other words, this question is only for non-zombies. This is because philosophical zombies will not understand what is meant by the words you, me, and I in the question.

In the sense that the words are used in this topic, if I said the word "you" to a philosophical zombie, I would be referring to something that doesn't actually exist, since the word 'you' in the sense used in this topic refers to something that the zombie lacks by definition.

With those important clarifications in mind, if you are a not a philosophical zombie, please do let me know your answer to the following question:

If you went to sleep in my body in my bed with my memories, and awoke in your body in your bed with your memories, would you notice a difference? Would there be a difference to notice?

I think the answer has to be 'yes'. If, on the other hand, the question were reworded as "If you went to sleep in my body with ONLY my memories, and awoke in your body with ONLY your memories..." the answer would be 'no'.

Just curious. How would you be aware of a difference (in Scott’s version)?

[tsihcrana]

Because Scott states 'YOU went to sleep in my body with my memories...' The words imply that I am 'me' just with additional memories and inside Scott's body, in which case I would be aware of each of those facts from the perspective of being myself having those experiences. So I am myself and aware of what is going on while in Scott's body, and as such am accumulating memories in that state. When I return to my body I have access to those memories because they're 'mine'.

[AverageBozo]

Yes, additional memories. Good points.

But wouldn’t those memories simply seem to be part of the overall pool of memories? Awareness of memories that weren’t present previously is not the same as being aware that these memories are new.

Your thoughts?

[tsihcrana]

That's a good question: if memories were suddenly planted in my mind would I realize it? Or would they just be available for recollection? The latter seems more likely. However, interesting though the question is, I don't think it radically alters the scenario in question.

The question states I am me going to bed in Scott's body in his bed and with (I'm going to call it 'the addition of') his memories. Regardless of the ability to experientially apprehend alterations in one's memory, there would still arise new memories of being in Scott's body and going to sleep in his bed, which would still persist upon waking in your own bed.

[AverageBozo]

Agree.

We probably should have interpreted the original question to mean that we went to sleep with Scott’s memories but were unaware of them because of being asleep.

Of course, it really wouldn’t matter if we did that, because there would be a twilight time between awake and asleep.