[cenRealliat]

Does "OP" mean original post? If so, the original question was, "Did anyone ever ask the Buddha (as recoded in the Pali texts) about what happens when a person becomes unconscious, and then after a period of time regains consciousness?"

I posted this shortly after having begun reading a book, whose context is mahayana, in which the following appears:

"One ...problem was how to combine the denial of an underlying atman, or Self ...with the continuum of an individual. For though one moment of consciousness is said to give rise to the following moment, what could explain the reappearance of consciousness after its interruption by deep sleep or unconsciousness..."

Now, before I continue, I understand that there are some who regard anything espoused by later mahayanists to be, essentially, crap. And while I don't personally agree, I respect that viewpoint and and ask that you understand my purpose in asking is not because I am asserting that mahayanists have a good answer to the "problem" quoted above. I merely want to know if that 'problem' (what could explain the reappearance of consciousness after its interruption by deep sleep or unconsciousness) has been addressed in the Pali literature or not.

My assumption would be that what seems to be a "reappearance" of consciousness is actually a next moment of consciousness which takes on the same characteristics of the previous one simply because the causes, individualized by the particular karmic events, are essentially the same. Of course, that is merely my 'speculation' and so I thought I'd try to find out if the Buddha had already addressed this question, provided an "explanation" or even whether or not this is structured as a viable question.

Thank you.