The Paradox of Essence: A Hypothetical Framework for Testing the Existence of a Core Self through Controlled Rebirth

Abstract:

This thesis proposes a paradox designed to challenge the metaphysical notion of a persistent "soul" or core self by presenting a testable, procedural model. The paradox rests on the idea that identity can only be proven to possess an immutable essence if it survives total experiential erasure. Through the thought experiment of a being—natural or synthetic—being born twice under entirely different conditions, with all memory and environmental influence reset, the paradox poses a single question: If anything remains consistent, is that essence real? The absence of continuity would imply total psychological determinism; the presence of a constant would imply the existence of something beyond memory, environment, or programming. This model neither affirms nor denies the existence of a soul, but instead offers a controlled structure to test its plausibility in future scientific or synthetic contexts.

Thesis Statement:

If a conscious being can be born more than once, stripped of all memory and environmental influence, and still express a consistent internal trait, value, or inclination, then that consistency may indicate the presence of a persistent essence—what some would call a soul. If not, identity is purely a construct of circumstance and memory. The paradox does not prove the soul exists, but it does offer the cleanest possible environment to test whether anything at all survives erasure.

Core Concepts:

Testable Metaphysics: The shift from speculative belief to a hypothetical empirical framework.

Artificial Consciousness: Future scenarios where digital or synthetic beings may be rebooted or replicated in controlled conditions.

Existence Beyond Memory: Analysis of whether identity can be separated from experiential continuity.

The Failure of Subjective Self: If nothing persists between lives, then the self may not truly exist outside conditions.

Purpose:

To offer a thought experiment that functions not as belief or theory, but as a hypothetical tool—a scalpel that, if one day usable, could cut through centuries of theological, philosophical, and spiritual abstraction, and force the question of "soul" into testable terrain.

Text by C.M.V.R (MySoulToTake)

2025