For some time now I've been thinking about spiritual reality. Here are some of the ideas I've come across. Note: I'm not promoting any religious beliefs. I'm just trying to understand. Hardware : The body is expendable. If I lose a limb I'm still me. The same with a kidney or heart transplant. Someday the technology may exist to allow a complete body transplant into a younger body or a cloned body; maybe even a mechanical android body. But I will still be me riding the body like I drive a car. Software : The mind also is not really me. It's a set of instructions on how I operate my body, learn something new, solve problems. I can observe this when I watch myself in a quiet situation like meditation. The thoughts come and go on their own. Self-Awareness : Beyond the hardware of the body and the software of the mind is consciousness and consciousness of being conscious and s...