Way back when (2004 - 2005 or so), I saw a documentary that proposed "the conservation of order" or "the conservation of information".

The documentary presented a formula with 4 terms.  The terms were s g h b a.  I know - that's 5.  I'm not entirely sure which of the 4 out of those 5 terms were used, or how they were arranged.

This formula led someone to speculate that all the energy and matter that gets drawn into the massive black holes (I think "ours" is 1 light year across) gets spewed out as x-rays at right angles to the plane of the galaxy.  Those x-rays could be a high frequency carrier wave used to broadcast data or information.

Something was said about the information being "beamed" into a nearby alternate universe or something like that.

The article mentions the multi-verse.  So did  that theory.

To some extent, the author may contradict himself in this article.  At one point, he mentions actions in the present having retro-active effects.  Based on my limited lay understanding of quantum physics, retro-active effects involve non-local signals.  Elsewhere, he gets into the 20-watt "fountain of energy" located (localized) within the organ of the brain as the seat of the "person" or "soul".

Amit Goswami (who wrote The Self-Aware Universe which is almost the full extent of my knowledge concerning quantum physics) proposes that consciousness itself is non-local.  He advocates monistic idealism - a theory of quantum physics in which consciousness is viewed as the foundation of the cosmos - all that is.

DS-9 fans will know what I mean by "the great link".  Odo, a shapeshifter, had to revert to liquid form daily.  It was "shapeshifter sleep".  During that time, he "re-generated".  Imagine his surprise when, after thinking he was the only one of his kind, he discovers his home planet.  He first experience "the great link" in concert with one other shape-shifter.  The scene is played with great affect on Odo's part.

In that scene, his is only in contact with a limited portion of the great link.

On his home planet, he learns that his "species" lives in liquid form all the time in a huge ocean or lake.  Odo steps into the lake and takes liquid form.  Later his is able to re-emerge as his familiar self, played by Rene' Auberjonois.

After dwelling upon the idea of consciousness as the foundation of all that is, I began to think of what happens after death as similar to Odo entering "the great link".  We're one with all others while retaining some part of ourselves.

Re-incarnation anyone?  Odo's ability of emerging as himself from the great link is somewhat suggestive - even if fictional.

Urantia Book devotees (if any present) will be able to tell us about the paper regarding "persistence of personality".  I visited a group for a few dozen meetings in the late 1980's - that paper was mentioned at least once, but the group never got to it while I was there.

Meanwhile, there is another riveting re-run of Ghostwhisperer airing on the We channel right now - I simply must get back to it!

DC Treybil