Can consciousness in some way transcend the physical limits of the human body and, if so, how?

Our consciousness is perpetually informed by events from outside the body, the most obvious example of this is sight. Photons originating from different points trigger neurons to fire by creating electrical impulses on the rods and cones in our eyes via the photo electric effect.

It is not unreasonable to suppose that our brains are wired to pick up other naturally occurring signals, which we know scientifically come in many forms, for example magnetic flux which is used by whales, dolphins, sharks, fish and some birds to aid in navigation over vast distances.

It is not impossible to suppose that when our brains fire to certain patterns like fear, a pulse of electromagnetic energy is created which can be "seen" by other minds, especially those of similar construction, which could be a plausible or at least possible insight into why we sometimes seem to know when our relatives or friends are scared, or in danger.

And then there is the very nature of consciousness itself. Scientifically, we know that matter is a non-local phenomenon. It exists throughout all space with varying degrees of probability, and the act of observation constrains it to being localized. We do not fully understand what consciousness is, nor how it operates, though we do know a fair bit about the brain, and we do know some of the patterns that some thoughts and behaviors seem to provoke in the brain.

I can see many reasons why a human mind may find ways to share information over distance, and connect into the awareness of other minds around it. It would certainly have advantages within natural selection, and there is a lot of anecdotal evidence, especially from indigenous peoples, that it happens. It would need little in the way of scientific voodoo to suggest that we can emit electrochemical signals and electromagnetic signals that others can tune into over short distances, like radio, and perceive and interpret those signals.

If such things do happen, then it is most likely that they come in the form of feelings or intuitions. If they were stronger, we would be much more certain of how they operate as we are with phenomena like vision and hearing. The fact that they do not appear to happen reliably, or to many people for much of the time suggests that a good deal of attunement is needed to detect them, if they are not artifacts of our imaginations.

Many things are possible, and a good many may be possible within the constraints laid down by current scientific law. Our existing senses of vision and sound certainly transcend the limits of the human body because they interpret data that originates at distance. Other ideas only seem strange because we do not know how they might work and have not experienced them in the same direct manner.

You might be able to answer this question yourself if you asked first: where would the human body and its limits be WITHOUT consciousness?

Your answer is no doubt: "nowhere". From this you will deduce that consciousness is the sine qua non of existence. Put another way: consciousness is the basis of human existence which means that consciousness not only transcends the limits of the body but also creates them.

Consciousness is not subject to the body or any other material apparition. The reverse is true: the body is subject to consciousness. Thus if there is the sense that consciousness needs to transcend any physical limits it is due a misunderstanding of the relationship between the body and consciousness.

That misunderstanding is at the basis of your question.

Sorry, I really have understood your question but have behaved badly. Now let me answer it the way you would have liked it answered. Imagine that consciousness is a vast and endless ocean. Like all waters this endless ocean is subject to freezing over every now and then. Ice covers it which eventually breaks up and spawns countless icebergs. You and I are such icebergs. We float hither and tither deploring that we have solid bodies with certain outlines and frustrating limitations. We deplore this vexing feeling of being separate from the waters we float in because of our crystalline bodies that seem to set limits to our awareness of the rest of the ocean. We ponder our position and wonder if we might be able to transcend our crystalline limitations that make us strangers to the waters that keep us afloat.

You know the solution to our predicament, don’t you?! So let’s wait for global warming to intensify and hey presto, our limitations will be melting away!

The more we learn about the brain, the more apparent it appears that there is nothing divine, magical, or supernatural about it. It very much appears to be an entirely natural phenomenon, consciousness included. While some (probably many) may decry this as an indication that there are no souls, this is actually good news in that our natural brains can be acted upon and improved by our science and technology.

The brain is essentially a giant neural-net computer; in fact, real neural-net computers work in virtually identical fashion (albeit on much smaller scales). Our physical brain is the hardware, and our consciousness is the software. Of course, software needs hardware to function; it can not run independently, by itself.

For some years now, there has been quite a bit of study & discussion given to the concept of mind uploading, the transferral of one's mind to a platform that's more stable and immune from aging, diseases, lack of oxygen, etc. In other words, to a computer. This would have several wild benefits:

1. Immunity to aging.

2. Immunity to poisons, diseases, lack of food or oxygen, etc.

3. The ability to be tweaked, significantly expanded, and greatly sped up.

Note that the first two translate to near-immortality. The third means you are no longer bound by the limits inherent in the human physical form, but can evolve into the next phase of sentience, the posthuman.

Below are a couple web pages on mind uploading. I've also included a Wiki link to transhumanism, the movement to make posthumans an eventual reality.

No. Consciousness has no independent existence from your body. You should study brain injury cases if you would like that confirmed. There are no ways to transcend the physical limits of the human body and you should be glad of that if you think about it for more than a minute.

consciousness arise in the inert matter with life. In human being it becomes conscious of thoughts, which is not composed of matter. Ordinary man is mixture of some desires, some mixed up thoughts,some moral feelings, some vague emotions but largely lives in subconscious state, not only during sleep but in waking state as well. At later stage one aquires intellect, certain clarity of thought but doesnt know where the thoughts come from. By a conscious effort one can begin to separate oneself from thoughts and impulses and becomes aware of a neutral witness self which supports or cares not about these activities. Thats is the begining of the rise of consciousness.

The distance effects demonstrated by many identical twins indicates that there is an effect of consciousness that is independent of time-space. The instrumentation and knowledge of our time are inadequate to explore the effect through objective science, but Indians, and some Chinese ,have been exploring them from a systematic anecdotal perspective for millenia.

When it seeks itself through inner investigation for answers rather than externally (Who am I? or rather WHAT am I?).

The method is taught in a wide variety of ways, mainly through meditations that originated in the East.

I suggest if you really want to know to study the world leading researcher in the subject of Consciousness Dr. David R. Hawkins and his teachings.

http://www.beyondtheordinary.net/drhawkins.shtml

http://www.tiller.org/

http://www.noetic.org/

http://noosphere.princeton.edu/

http://www.integralscience.org/

http://www.tcm.phy.cam.ac.uk/~bdj10

http://www.sheldrake.org/

http://www.carolbowman.com/

http://www.divinecosmos.com/

"The Path of the Higher Self" and "The Masters and Their Retreats," Mark Prophet,

"Testimony of Light," Helen Greaves,

"Watch Your Dreams," Ann Ree Colton,

"The Master of Lucid Dreams," Dr. Olga Kharitidi.

transferred into a computer.

very good question