Science Fiction, the Spirit, and the Mechanical Flesh: Major Kusanagi and Ghost in the Shell

It seems that the idea of an encased human (brain, in this case) within another form is an obsession - it dates through the ages, from human souls trapped in animals, to empty armor, and now, in mechanical form.

Lately, the more interesting (for me) versions of these are Robotman from DC's Doom Patrol team, and Major Motoko Kusanagi from the manga/anime franchise Ghost in the Shell.

It is, I think, a major philosophical and spiritual concern. And as the time comes nearer when we may be able to transfer our consciousnesses to virtual storage without a break in the stream of thought, it seems that we all will need to ask ourselves: can we survive as ghosts in the machines?

And will this lead to questions of who is really human?