You Are Not Book.indb - Stephen H. Wolinsky Ph. D.

160 / You Are Not
Wolinsky: The concept called “my” consciousness which
wants to keep the memory of her solidified, if
for this concept called “my” consciousness could
not keep the memory of her solidified, then what
would that mean to the concept called “my”
consciousness?
Student: It gets back to existence and somehow the existence,
to exist. Existing includes having memories
and not forgetting the memories and experiences
and the importance of existing, the importance
of one’s life, it all fits in there, it is so fascinating
to sit here and just experience this. And think
about that and to be, it gets back to a purpose
in life, what life is about, what is important in
life, how to prove that my life is worth living, it
is all that stuff. It gets back to that whole thing
that we weave, that I have woven in my life, that
somehow I have to drag, “my” memory with me
all the time so I can remember that I exist.
Wolinsky: So you exist. So the way that you exist is through
the concept called memory.
Student: Right, that I have had all these experiences, and
this and this and this; therefore, I exist.
Wolinsky: Now, for this concept called “my” consciousness,
if it were to separate the concept called
existence, and separate that concept from the
concept called memory to justify existence, if it
were to separate that from I am—if that were
separated from, in order to know that “I” have
some kind of value or worth or something, or
that I am this memory; if all of these concepts,
were separate; if existence is dependent upon
memory, we are going to separate memory
and existence. Rather than I am, I must have