Cosmic Consciousness

The consciousness of a dead person could live on in the consciousness of others and I don't mean as a memory. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_consciousness

I remember reading something about how some neuro science suggests that the last conscious moment experienced by the brain persists for eternity from the perspective of the brain. If it's true, it's unsettlingly terrifying. I think the implication was that the brain is the arbiter of the passing of time, and the last snap of consciousness persists for eternity, because there's no next snap, from the perspective of the brain, not drawing infinite energy from within the universe or anything like that.  The brain surely runs down. The mind could contain some other energy source, the soul could be capable of anything.  So that's a good enough loophole for anything to happen after death. So until we figure out the mind/body problem, the question of material braindeath is secondary.

How do you define conscious? I just define it as having a sense of existing.

No one knows what causes consciousness. For all we know EVERYTHING might be conscious (have a subjective 'sense of self') and it just might be our novel arrangement that leads to our particular variety of consciousness. Why would only the human brain allow for subjective experience? It doesnt quite make sense. The earth for example has electrical impulses, it moves, it adapts. The earth could be conscious. The sun could be as well. Its likely EVERYTHING in the universe is conscious (read: Has a subjective SENSE of existing) but its our novel arrangement that gives rise to our particular variety.

How does the mind relate to the body? Was there consciousness before birth or conception? Does a week old fetus have consciousness? On the subject of fun theories, what if the infinite multiverse theory if true, and dreams are you glimpsing into one of your alternate lives?