I don't know.
But one thing is for certain, if the brain stops functioning the 'self' dies. For a patient with alzheimer's disease, the 'self' eventually dies, but there is still a life force that coordinates simple motor reactions. Like blinking or the squeezing of hands when touched.
The 'self' is a product of the brain. Like it was argued before, it is not above brain damage. Otherwise a sense of 'self' would be evident for patients with amnesia, in commas, or other brain related traumas.
So, if the brain dies, will my 'self' continue to exist?
All that is certain is that whether I die, life goes on. It is also clear that a sense of 'self' isn't the cornerstone to life, as life exists with or without a 'self'.
I do like to entertain the notion of an afterlife, because I think it's a cool topic. But, I am not going to believe or hold as reality accounts of near death experience, nor naysayers of the afterlife. There is evidence for both ways. Whether I believe one way or the other, doesn't affect reality as it is now, which is most important.
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