We are but a Dream of the Past

All perception of our conscious self is received from past events only, including those from just a split second ago. All thought awareness of our environment is taken and sorted by our brains after the event(s). This is simple neurophysiology, n'est pas?
This means we are slaves to our own memory and without memory we cannot be conscious of anything. All sensations and messages from the outside must get to the brain from remote sensors, be sorted, processed and/or stored for later reference. During that "other consciousness", while sleeping; dreams are interpretations of accumulated disjointed data collected during the past day, mixed with other stored memories.
This is like a modern echo of Descartes' "Cogito ergo sum" in that our thoughts are really confirmation of this above process. Thought cannot occur without the facility of memory in its complete sense and to THINK is to BE.
One might here stretch to an analogy of two identically formatted computers to which no data has yet been added. Any extrapolation toward the notion of artificial intelligence and cyber-consciousness is impossible to contemplate for these units in this early state.
But later, and similar to the two computers, all humans have the ability to begin processing an awareness of environment soon after the formation of their nervous systems (formatted hard drives in computers). There is even some special data programming inherent in the DNA before conception in both the sperm and egg of the respective parents. Some species have more than others; this we might call instinct. A cat is born with lots for hunting and birds have plenty for flying.
It has been said that we are all one in humanity and that we are separated only by our memories and time. If we all had no memory ability and were born at the same time then we would be like the two unformatted computers - different boxes and superficial design variations, but essentially the same.
This leads to a big question: Are religions, philosophy and ethics merely driven by our personal data bases? Should we not humble ourselves to the idea that we are merely "living holograms" of protoplasm which are part of the total universe/god and very temporary slaves to our memories. Our individual perception of right and wrong, good or bad, are all products of our data bases accumulated since birth or references to the history of humanity. By this I do not imply that this should be described as an atheistic viewpoint. Rather, it need not be if we do truly consider ourselves part of the total. We do not know how the universe works or its purpose other than "being". The universe collects data, interprets it and acts on it just as we or a computer does but on a very large scale. The universe is a gigantic system whose kaleidoscopic interactions fall repeatedly into tumbling patterns which affect later patterns, interactions and outcomes. It might be logically concluded that any system which changes, due to the effect of its environment, and stores a faximily of that change, could be said to have a degree of consciousness...wow! Concepts like "Sensient Universe" and the "Gaia" principle have been recently conceived.
Humanity's consciousness of aesthetics, beauty and art is really an awareness of the repeated patterns of the universe. Quantum physics is already converging with theology in our world. The more we see the patterns, the closer we come to see the "being" of the Universe and, as some might say, "God". Just as an aside and related to this, try this site: Fractal Patterns on our Planet" There are some good links at the end here too.
In the past, world religions have been solely based on faith, arising from very limited databases. This has lead to a wide variety of interpretations. The unfortunate but inevitable result has been wars, cruelty and persecution.
With this convergence of science with theology we can, or have a chance to, climb out of this dilemma and possibly survive on this planet.
Some point out that our senses limit the awareness which might be possible if we had even more. Telepathy and the like are often referred to in this respect. Awareness of extra "hidden" energy phenomena would be exciting to contemplate. Is there a scientific explanation for "ghosts"? What exactly is an "aura"? Perhaps we should not just dismiss these notions as mere fantasies of the deluded and try to keep an open mind. "There are more things in heaven and earth ....." Is something we should consider into our future.

Is there a universal right and wrong or does each individual invent a code of behavior in relation to his/her accumulated data-base in life? Will we be accountable for our actions in life or is the individual aspect of this irrelevant in the light of our "oneness with the universe "? There is, after all, no doubt that everything we do will have an effect on the universe. We strive to put these actions and effects into either "right or wrong" or "positive and negative". But, this classification itself may be redundant. Philosophers like the many Existentialists and Nihilists of recent times have wrestled with these kinds of questions. Of course, organized religions try to make it easier for us by citing rule books for us to blindly follow; complete with listed consequences of our various actions. I fear I have long since discarded the Judeo-Christian one and now follow my own version which refers to my own life's data base.

For myself, I await the new life I might have after I die but, I think, it will be one without any memory of this one. So will I have even existed? Or have I always existed?
Nuts? Well, nuts to you too! Anyway, to give you yet another perpective, you could also read this recent article: God and Philosophy in Hawking's Universe.