Jake, yes, I know your father suffered strokes, and I feel for you. I too know several people who have suffered a series of minor strokes, and I've also watched two who were very dear to me, and who, unable to move or speak after suffering devastating stokes, lingered on for months before they died. The thing is, you think your father isn't there, but you can't know what's going on in his mind. I spoke regularly to consultants at one of the most respected hospitals in the country - Addenbrookes in Cambridgeshire - and they told me they simply don't know whether stoke victims retain the ability to think lucidly. They do, however, suspect that stroke victims may be aware of their surroundings - and of the people around them. It seems to me that it's possible that a stroke results in an active mind being trapped inside a useless body that has no means of communication. Severe stroke is one of the saddest conditions.
I suppose the question is 'what is a thought'? We can't physically grasp it, or measure it, or assess an actual 'thought' in any way - but that doesn't mean we should automatically assume it isn't there.
Hi Notasyoung, nice to see you again. :o)