From zme ower@ yaho o.com:

Re: What is consciousness? Study aims to settle debate (May 20): This idea of sending sounds while a person is brain dead seems to be not very well thought out. Hearing is a mechanical chemical process, and this test tells us about the functioning of both the hearing process AND the ability to remember. So if either of these are nonfunctional in a brain dead-then revived patient, then this test can only conclude that either the ears were not working, or the person could not remember. The test tells us nothing about he who would hear. The reality or non reality of self is not tested by this, or any test. All that can be tested are the functions of consciousness, not consciousness itself.