Human as Energy And Information
Our Essence
At the simplest level, we humans are solid matter with mass and embedded energy. As children, we consume food, grow, and gain weight. In old age, our food intake lessens, our bodies weaken, and eventually, at death, the body disintegrates. What sustains us throughout is energy—the life force that drives our dynamism. When it is gone, we say the life force has departed.
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| Image Credit: Gemini |
Our body is a finite system, powered not by a hidden reservoir but by the subtle body—an unseen yet experienced dimension made up of mind, intellect, memory, and consciousness. This subtle body has no mass; it channels vital energy throughout us, animating heartbeat, digestion, thought, and action.
Yet this energy is limited. Like a fixed-capacity battery, it cannot be expanded or reduced. When it is fully depleted, the subtle body separates from the solid physical body. At that moment, since the life force has left, the solid body becomes still and finally disintegrates.
This reflects a common way of thinking about our human body and life. The biological time that defines the moment of death, is different for each individual; for some, life is complete in 35 years, for others in 90 years; but both complete their full journey.
Though we are around on this planet Earth for only 250,000 years, we are truly one of the most complex things in the cosmos.
Matter and Energy
In this scenario, matter is "stuff" and energy is the "ability to do work." In physics, the traditional view of matter and energy as two separate "buckets" was revolutionized in the 20th century. Today, physics views them as two different expressions of the same underlying reality. Albert Einstein’s mass–energy equivalence formula, E = mc², changed everything by showing that mass, the measure of matter, is simply a super-concentrated form of energy.
The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it only changes form. Energy can turn into matter (pair production), and matter can turn back into energy (annihilation). The total amount of "stuff" (mass-energy) in the universe remains constant. From a Vedic perspective, this mirrors the concept of Brahman—the unchanging reality that takes on infinite temporary forms (Maya).
A Deeper Perspective
At a deeper level, our physical body is made of atoms; an astonishing number of atoms — roughly 7 × 10²⁷ atoms or 7 octillion atoms. That’s a 7 followed by 27 zeros, or about 7 billion billion billion atoms. To put it in perspective, that’s far more atoms than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy. That’s 10 million times more atoms than grains of sand on Earth’s beaches. Looking at it another way, if you counted one atom per second, it would take longer than the age of the universe to finish counting!
Most of these atoms come from just a few key elements: Hydrogen – about 62% of all atoms in the body; Oxygen – about 24%; Carbon – about 12%; Nitrogen – about 1%; others (Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulfur (S), Sodium (Na), Chlorine (Cl), Magnesium (Mg), and Iron (Fe)) make up the rest 1% in smaller amounts. Even though hydrogen atoms dominate by count, oxygen contributes the most by mass (since oxygen atoms are much heavier). That’s why water (H₂O) makes up such a large portion of our body weight; on average, water makes up about 60% of an adult’s body weight.
At a pretty basic level, we're all made of atoms, which are made up of three main particles: protons and neutrons in the nucleus, and electrons orbiting around it. The size of an atom is governed by the average location of its electrons: how much space there is between the nucleus and the atom's amorphous outer shell.
Nuclei are around 100,000 times smaller than the atoms they're housed in. If the nucleus were the size of a peanut, the atom would be about the size of a large shopping mall. If we lost all the dead space inside our atoms, we would each be able to fit into a particle of dust, and the entire human race would fit into the volume of a sugar cube.
From a life and death perspective, every one of these atoms were there long before we were born; and everyone of them will be there long after we are gone!
The Dynamic Nature of Our Body
Are we the same person from birth to death? Obviously not. We are continuously changing. We are aging. But, even in this phase of changes, there is something that is permanent, unchanging. Our personality, our essence - the deeper, consistent set of core traits, behaviors, and emotional patterns that define who we are.
Apart from this process of aging, there is another type of change taking place in us that you may find unbelievable. The atoms in our body are not staying permanently; they are continuously being replaced by new atoms.
For example, the phosphorus atoms in our brain have been swapped out in 14 days, by the phosphorus atoms that we ate in our food yesterday. Similarly, the atoms in our muscles, our skin, our bones, are all constantly being removed and replaced. The old atoms are carried away, exhaled as carbon dioxide, flushed out, sweated off, and thus given back to the world.
The atoms in our brain that processes these thoughts now, were not there a year ago. They are literally last week's potatoes that we ate. Yet we remember what happened a year ago. We remember our name. We remember our childhood. So what is this mind of ours? What are these atoms with our consciousness? They are a pattern, a dance. They come into our brain, and go out. They are always new atoms, but doing the same dance, the dance of yesterday.
This is what we are. Not a collection of stuff, but a pattern, a dynamic arrangement, a configuration, a way the matter has organized temporarily, beautifully, into something that can look up at the stars and wonder!
Dynamic Patterns of Being
So, we are not things, as we commonly assume, but we are patterns. That is, each one of us is a "pattern" and not a "thing" or an "object". To say “we are patterns” is to recognize that our existence is not a static object but a dynamic arrangement of matter, energy, and information—constantly shifting, repeating, and evolving.
A simple analogy is to think of a wave on the ocean:
The water molecules change constantly, but the pattern of the wave persists.
Similarly, our bodies and thoughts change, but the underlying pattern of life and consciousness continues until it dissipates.
To say “we are patterns” means that human beings, life, and even consciousness can be understood as recurring structures of information, behavior, and energy rather than fixed, static entities. It highlights that what we call identity or existence is essentially dynamic arrangements that emerge, repeat, and evolve. In different contexts it can be considered to mean different types of arrangements:
1. Biological Patterns
Our bodies are built from atoms and molecules arranged in repeating structures.
DNA itself is a pattern of information encoded in sequences of nucleotides.
Growth, aging, and even disease follow recognizable biological rhythms and cycles.
2. Psychological & Behavioral Patterns
Human thought and behavior are shaped by recurring habits, memories, and responses.
The brain is often described as a pattern-processing machine, detecting structure in chaos and predicting outcomes. This ability is what allows us to learn language, solve problems, and adapt to environments.
3. Social & Cultural Patterns
Societies operate through repeated rituals, traditions, and systems of belief.
Religion, politics, and economics are all sustained by patterned interactions among people.
Even conflict and cooperation follow cycles that can be studied as patterns.
Some thinkers argue that everything is patterns layered upon patterns. What we call chaos is simply patterns we don’t yet recognize. In this view, identity is not a fixed “thing” but a dynamic arrangement of matter, energy, and consciousness.
A Fundamental Change in Outlook
This is a profound shift in perspective—moving from the "statue" view of ourselves to the "whirlpool" view. If you look at a whirlpool in a river, it has a distinct shape and location, yet the water flowing through it is never the same from one second to the next.
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| Image Credit: Gemini |
When we stop viewing ourselves as static objects and start seeing ourselves as dynamic patterns, several fascinating biological and philosophical truths come to light.
1. The Biological River: Constant Flux
The physical "stuff" that makes you you is in a state of perpetual replacement. We aren't a fixed collection of atoms; we are a temporary arrangement of them.
Atomic Turnover: You replace roughly 98% of your atoms every year. You breathe in oxygen that becomes part of your blood, and you shed skin cells that were "you" just days ago.
Cellular Regeneration: Your stomach lining replaces itself every few days, and your red blood cells every four months.
The Identity Puzzle: If you replaced every plank on a wooden ship one by one (the Ship of Theseus), is it still the same ship? Biology says yes, because the design (the pattern) remains even as the material changes.
2. We are Information, Not Just Matter
Think of a song played on a piano. The piano is the "object," but the music is the "pattern."
The Genetic Script: Your DNA is essentially a code—a set of instructions. It is the information that tells matter how to organize itself into "you."
The Connectome: In neuroscience, some argue that "you" are the specific pattern of connections between your neurons (the synapses). Even if the molecules within those neurons change, as long as the structure of the connection persists, your memories and personality survive.
3. The "Flame" Metaphor
A candle flame is a perfect example of a pattern masquerading as a "thing".
The flame looks like a solid object you can point to.
In reality, it is a process of combustion—hot gases rising and reacting.
If you stop the process, the "thing" disappears.
We are much the same. We are metabolic processes that maintain a stable form. We don't have a metabolism; we are a metabolism.
The Significance of This Change
Viewing yourself as a pattern rather than an object changes how you perceive life and death:
Resilience: Patterns are adaptable. You can change your habits, your thoughts, and your environment, thereby "re-patterning" who you are.
Connection: If we are patterns, we aren't isolated bubbles. We are part of a larger ecological and social flow, much like a "wave" is just a specific behavior of the ocean.
According to Norbert Wiener, Father of Cybernetics : "We are not stuff that abides, but patterns that perpetuate themselves."
The Hospital as a Dynamic Pattern
An object is characterized by being fixed and permanent, in contrast to a pattern, which is dynamic and sustained through continuous change. A compelling illustration of this is the healthcare facility, where I am currently staying for two weeks, namely the Ayurvedic Hospital & Research Center at Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, Keralam. Although my last visit was 26 years ago, and despite a complete refurbishment, many features remain recognizable, such as the buildings, driveways, patient rooms, garden, pathways, temple, and streets outside. The personnel has also changed; while some old therapists and staff are still present, most of them are new, and some of the physicians have also changed over time. Patients, naturally, are a floating population, arriving and departing within 2, 3, or 4 weeks. Daily, it is interesting to observe the continuous turnover of new faces, Indians and foreigners, in the canteen and garden. Despite this constant human flux and the subtle environmental changes, the facility seems like something solid and persistent. However, beneath the surface appearance of a stable object of buildings and facilities, this Arya Vaidya Sala is, in reality, a living pattern—a continuously evolving system, just like our human body.
The Concept of Mind Uploading
The idea of uploading consciousness—often called mind uploading—is a hypothetical process where a person’s mental state is transferred into a digital system, allowing their thoughts, memories, and sense of self to exist outside the biological brain. It’s seen as a path toward digital immortality, but it raises profound scientific, ethical, and philosophical questions.
Focusing on how this "pattern theory" applies to uploading consciousness and aging reveals just how much our identity relies on the continuity of information rather than the survival of our original "parts."
1. Uploading Consciousness: The Ultimate Pattern Transfer
If we are truly patterns, then the "medium" doesn't necessarily matter. A song is the same song whether it’s played on a vinyl record, a CD, or streamed as a digital file.
The Functionalist View: This theory suggests that if you could map every neuron and synapse in your brain—the Connectome—and simulate those interactions on a powerful computer, the resulting entity would be "you."
Substrate Independence: The "pattern" of your consciousness would be "running" on silicon chips instead of carbon-based neurons. If "you" are the software, the hardware becomes secondary.
The Teleportation Paradox: This is the "Star Trek" dilemma. If a transporter scans your pattern, destroys your body, and rebuilds you on a planet using new atoms, did you travel there, or were you murdered and replaced by a perfect copy? If you are a pattern, the copy is you.
2. Aging: The Drift of the Pattern
Under the "object" view, aging is seen as a machine wearing out. Under the "pattern" view, aging is more like a "copy of a copy" becoming blurry over time.
Information Loss: Biologist David Sinclair’s "Information Theory of Aging" suggests we age because our cells lose their "epigenetic" instructions. They forget which pattern they are supposed to be following.
The Scratched Record: Imagine a cell is like a CD. The music (the pattern) is still there, but the "scratches" (molecular damage) make it impossible for the player to read the data correctly.
Entropy: Over time, the energy required to maintain the complex pattern of a human being becomes harder to sustain against the natural pull of disorder.
3. The Digital "Ghost"
We are already becoming "digital patterns" before we even consider brain uploading. Your browsing habits, your writing style, and your social interactions, posts, and blogs form a data fingerprint.
Legacy Patterns: Even after the "object" (the body) ceases to function, the "pattern" of your influence continues to ripple through the people you knew and the digital footprint you left behind.
In short, uploading consciousness is the idea of transferring the human mind into a digital system, offering the possibility of immortality and transformation—but it remains speculative, with enormous scientific hurdles and deep ethical dilemmas.
Neuroplasticity: The Science of Brain Aging
The brain is not a machine that wears out; it's like a muscle. Its ability to grow new cells and connections is called neuroplasticity, and this process continues even into late age. In order to stay healthy the brain needs novelty—new learning, conversations, and emotions—without new experiences, the brain "dims".
Three key biological factors that affect brain aging are:
BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor): This is a special protein that acts like "growth fertilizer" for neurons. Low levels are linked to slow thoughts and poor memory.
Cortisol: Chronic stress releases cortisol, which can shrink the hippocampus (the memory center), leading to memory loss and a loss of identity.
Lifestyle vs. Genetics: Science suggests that only 20-25% of brain aging is genetic; the rest is determined by daily habits.
The five habits we can cultivate for a younger brain are:
Do Something New Every Day: Small changes like trying a new recipe, taking a different route, or learning one new word build new neural connections.
Focus on One Thing at a Time: Multitasking is "mental junk food". Deep focus for just 20 minutes is more effective for mental energy than hours of divided attention.
Stay Connected to People: Loneliness accelerates brain aging. Real conversations, laughter, and sharing meals act as "medicine" for the brain and release calming chemicals.
Sleep Well and Eat Right: The brain repairs itself during sleep. It requires "clean fuel" such as water, healthy fats, proteins, and micronutrients to function optimally.
Stay Curious: Mentally young people never stop asking "why". Approaching the world with wonder and curiosity keeps the brain's focus center active.
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