The Neural Replay Thought Experiment: Exploring the Physical Basis of Phenomenal Consciousness and Intelligence

This paper presents an extension of the "neural replay thought experiment" as a heuristic tool for probing the reader’s implicit assumptions regarding the relationship between physical and mental phenomena. By systematically varying the physical instantiation of a recorded neural activity pattern, we aim to elicit divergent intuitions about the persistence of consciousness and intelligence. The analysis focuses on possible arguments asserting the disappearance or alteration of consciousness and intelligence across these scenarios, alongside corresponding counter-arguments. While not exhaustive, this exploration highlights the challenges in articulating a robust physical basis for mental phenomena and underscores the counterintuitive consequences that often arise from seemingly straightforward assumptions. The discussion briefly considers the broader implications of this analysis for theories of mind and intelligence.