Sandra Morgan2 said:I wouldn't call that free will. It’s an illusion. While you think you're making a choice, you don't actually have any options—you're just following the one single path that already exists in the future.
But look, if the future is just sitting there right in front of us and we're simply blind to it, that still doesn't explain one thing: why hasn't a single person who claims to see the future ever been 100% spot on?
Maybe those pundits on the news channels aren't actually seeing what's coming. Those who truly see the future might realize that the course is already set—unalterable—so they just stay quiet. Maybe... just maybe. Honestly? It’s better to just say I don't know.
There’s definitely a certain dynamic at play here.There’s this inherent slice of uncertainty baked into the future—a variable that can actually shift the entire causal model of what's to come. To me, that’s exactly where free will steps in. It’s the catalyst for change. If everything stays exactly on its current trajectory, then yeah, we already know how the story ends. But if we don't...? That's where things get interesting.
What kind of dynamics are we talking about? Is it this one right here?
Look, humans aren't necessarily the sole architects of what's coming next. If there’s a food chain positioned above us, then there are certainly forces out there working to dictate our destiny—just like we decide the fate of animals on this planet. But on the flip side, humanity isn't alone. We have our own allies fighting to ensure we actually fulfill the rights God gave us.
Maybe so, maybe not... Once again, neither you nor I have any way of knowing if that's actually the case.
Here’s where we differ: what you just said in that last point. I don’t view enlightenment as some sudden, overnight leap—as if you weren't enlightened at all, and then *poof*, suddenly you are. No. It’s a process. A journey. Sure, there might be one final breakthrough at the very end when everything finally clicks open, but the results start manifesting long before that jump happens. They grow steadily as a person moves toward that ultimate state. If my perspective holds water, it means people like you or me can actually become—just a little bit—enlightened. And that implies we possess a tiny bit of free will, too.
It seems like most people have absolutely nothing of this. However, I’m starting to see a few individuals beginning to open up—people who aren't just mindless automatons, but actually possess a tiny spark of their true selves within their personalities.
Following up on what I told you—that personality itself isn't even a real thing—I’m just reiterating: if something doesn't exist, it can't possibly have free will or any kind of agency.
Yet, we still sense this capacity for will—not even calling it an illusion of free will, but a genuine force we can cultivate, strengthen, or simply ignore. We feel that power of choice deep down. Could it be that our will is fundamentally divine in origin, just like the love we carry within us? If so, wouldn't it be right to call it "our" will, even if it isn't strictly tied to our individual personality?
Beyond that, we see certain individuals who possess an incredible willpower—people who act like locomotives, pulling everyone else along behind them and achieving their goals with almost supernatural precision. Are these people necessarily more spiritually advanced, or is it just good karma at work? Do you find that spiritually evolved people tend to have this kind of intense will? And if they do, how does that strength actually manifest itself?
So, there's this whole idea—this specific way of looking at things—where the future has actually already happened. It’s kind of wild to think about, right? Like, maybe I made a choice using my own free will, but the outcome is already set in stone because time itself is just an illusion... so the future is basically already behind us. Then there’s that other angle—the possibility that time doesn't even exist at all. I guess, if I'm being honest, I'm leaning toward believing that time *does* exist, but it probably isn't what we think it is. Our perception of time—the way we experience it day to day—has to be some kind of illusion, at least if we want any version of this to actually make sense. I mean, it's hard to wrap your head around, but it feels like the only way the math adds up.
Sandra Morgan2 said:I wouldn't call that free will. It’s an illusion. While you think you're making a choice, you don't actually have any options—you're just following the one single path that already exists in the future.
But look, if the future is just sitting there right in front of us and we're simply blind to it, that still doesn't explain one thing: why hasn't a single person who claims to see the future ever been 100% spot on?
Maybe those pundits on the news channels aren't actually seeing what's coming. Those who truly see the future might realize that the course is already set—unalterable—so they just stay quiet. Maybe... just maybe. Honestly? It’s better to just say I don't know.
There’s definitely a certain dynamic at play here.There’s this inherent slice of uncertainty baked into the future—a variable that can actually shift the entire causal model of what's to come. To me, that’s exactly where free will steps in. It’s the catalyst for change. If everything stays exactly on its current trajectory, then yeah, we already know how the story ends. But if we don't...? That's where things get interesting.
What kind of dynamics are we talking about? Is it this one right here?
Look, humans aren't necessarily the sole architects of what's coming next. If there’s a food chain positioned above us, then there are certainly forces out there working to dictate our destiny—just like we decide the fate of animals on this planet. But on the flip side, humanity isn't alone. We have our own allies fighting to ensure we actually fulfill the rights God gave us.
Maybe so, maybe not... Once again, neither you nor I have any way of knowing if that's actually the case.
Here’s where we differ: what you just said in that last point. I don’t view enlightenment as some sudden, overnight leap—as if you weren't enlightened at all, and then *poof*, suddenly you are. No. It’s a process. A journey. Sure, there might be one final breakthrough at the very end when everything finally clicks open, but the results start manifesting long before that jump happens. They grow steadily as a person moves toward that ultimate state. If my perspective holds water, it means people like you or me can actually become—just a little bit—enlightened. And that implies we possess a tiny bit of free will, too.
It seems like most people have absolutely nothing of this. However, I’m starting to see a few individuals beginning to open up—people who aren't just mindless automatons, but actually possess a tiny spark of their true selves within their personalities.
Following up on what I told you—that personality itself isn't even a real thing—I’m just reiterating: if something doesn't exist, it can't possibly have free will or any kind of agency.
Yet, we still sense this capacity for will—not even calling it an illusion of free will, but a genuine force we can cultivate, strengthen, or simply ignore. We feel that power of choice deep down. Could it be that our will is fundamentally divine in origin, just like the love we carry within us? If so, wouldn't it be right to call it "our" will, even if it isn't strictly tied to our individual personality?
Beyond that, we see certain individuals who possess an incredible willpower—people who act like locomotives, pulling everyone else along behind them and achieving their goals with almost supernatural precision. Are these people necessarily more spiritually advanced, or is it just good karma at work? Do you find that spiritually evolved people tend to have this kind of intense will? And if they do, how does that strength actually manifest itself?
Maybe. I mean, some people have definitely seen things or at least made some pretty solid guesses. But honestly, if you actually had the power to sway how things play out—to pull the strings a bit—that would be a massive reason to stay quiet about what’s coming next. Because that kind of influence? It could actually change the trajectory. If everything is already set in stone, then sure, you could talk all you want because nothing you say would move the needle anyway. But if we can change it... well, that changes the whole math of it, I guess.
Sandra Morgan2 said:I wouldn't call that free will. It’s an illusion. While you think you're making a choice, you don't actually have any options—you're just following the one single path that already exists in the future.
But look, if the future is just sitting there right in front of us and we're simply blind to it, that still doesn't explain one thing: why hasn't a single person who claims to see the future ever been 100% spot on?
Maybe those pundits on the news channels aren't actually seeing what's coming. Those who truly see the future might realize that the course is already set—unalterable—so they just stay quiet. Maybe... just maybe. Honestly? It’s better to just say I don't know.
There’s definitely a certain dynamic at play here.There’s this inherent slice of uncertainty baked into the future—a variable that can actually shift the entire causal model of what's to come. To me, that’s exactly where free will steps in. It’s the catalyst for change. If everything stays exactly on its current trajectory, then yeah, we already know how the story ends. But if we don't...? That's where things get interesting.
What kind of dynamics are we talking about? Is it this one right here?
Look, humans aren't necessarily the sole architects of what's coming next. If there’s a food chain positioned above us, then there are certainly forces out there working to dictate our destiny—just like we decide the fate of animals on this planet. But on the flip side, humanity isn't alone. We have our own allies fighting to ensure we actually fulfill the rights God gave us.
Maybe so, maybe not... Once again, neither you nor I have any way of knowing if that's actually the case.
Here’s where we differ: what you just said in that last point. I don’t view enlightenment as some sudden, overnight leap—as if you weren't enlightened at all, and then *poof*, suddenly you are. No. It’s a process. A journey. Sure, there might be one final breakthrough at the very end when everything finally clicks open, but the results start manifesting long before that jump happens. They grow steadily as a person moves toward that ultimate state. If my perspective holds water, it means people like you or me can actually become—just a little bit—enlightened. And that implies we possess a tiny bit of free will, too.
It seems like most people have absolutely nothing of this. However, I’m starting to see a few individuals beginning to open up—people who aren't just mindless automatons, but actually possess a tiny spark of their true selves within their personalities.
Following up on what I told you—that personality itself isn't even a real thing—I’m just reiterating: if something doesn't exist, it can't possibly have free will or any kind of agency.
Yet, we still sense this capacity for will—not even calling it an illusion of free will, but a genuine force we can cultivate, strengthen, or simply ignore. We feel that power of choice deep down. Could it be that our will is fundamentally divine in origin, just like the love we carry within us? If so, wouldn't it be right to call it "our" will, even if it isn't strictly tied to our individual personality?
Beyond that, we see certain individuals who possess an incredible willpower—people who act like locomotives, pulling everyone else along behind them and achieving their goals with almost supernatural precision. Are these people necessarily more spiritually advanced, or is it just good karma at work? Do you find that spiritually evolved people tend to have this kind of intense will? And if they do, how does that strength actually manifest itself?
Did I ever actually claim to be laying down some absolute truth? Like, as if I actually know things? Not really. I can't exactly tell you what *is*—I don't have that kind of authority, I guess. But... I can tell you about the things that aren't. I can sometimes prove that something just isn't the case, simply because it couldn't possibly be. You look at the contradictions, the inconsistencies, the ways certain ideas just fall apart when they hit the real world. So, yeah, I might not be able to grasp what is true, but I can definitely spot what isn't. And honestly, you can too.
Sandra Morgan2 said:I wouldn't call that free will. It’s an illusion. While you think you're making a choice, you don't actually have any options—you're just following the one single path that already exists in the future.
But look, if the future is just sitting there right in front of us and we're simply blind to it, that still doesn't explain one thing: why hasn't a single person who claims to see the future ever been 100% spot on?
Maybe those pundits on the news channels aren't actually seeing what's coming. Those who truly see the future might realize that the course is already set—unalterable—so they just stay quiet. Maybe... just maybe. Honestly? It’s better to just say I don't know.
There’s definitely a certain dynamic at play here.There’s this inherent slice of uncertainty baked into the future—a variable that can actually shift the entire causal model of what's to come. To me, that’s exactly where free will steps in. It’s the catalyst for change. If everything stays exactly on its current trajectory, then yeah, we already know how the story ends. But if we don't...? That's where things get interesting.
What kind of dynamics are we talking about? Is it this one right here?
Look, humans aren't necessarily the sole architects of what's coming next. If there’s a food chain positioned above us, then there are certainly forces out there working to dictate our destiny—just like we decide the fate of animals on this planet. But on the flip side, humanity isn't alone. We have our own allies fighting to ensure we actually fulfill the rights God gave us.
Maybe so, maybe not... Once again, neither you nor I have any way of knowing if that's actually the case.
Here’s where we differ: what you just said in that last point. I don’t view enlightenment as some sudden, overnight leap—as if you weren't enlightened at all, and then *poof*, suddenly you are. No. It’s a process. A journey. Sure, there might be one final breakthrough at the very end when everything finally clicks open, but the results start manifesting long before that jump happens. They grow steadily as a person moves toward that ultimate state. If my perspective holds water, it means people like you or me can actually become—just a little bit—enlightened. And that implies we possess a tiny bit of free will, too.
It seems like most people have absolutely nothing of this. However, I’m starting to see a few individuals beginning to open up—people who aren't just mindless automatons, but actually possess a tiny spark of their true selves within their personalities.
Following up on what I told you—that personality itself isn't even a real thing—I’m just reiterating: if something doesn't exist, it can't possibly have free will or any kind of agency.
Yet, we still sense this capacity for will—not even calling it an illusion of free will, but a genuine force we can cultivate, strengthen, or simply ignore. We feel that power of choice deep down. Could it be that our will is fundamentally divine in origin, just like the love we carry within us? If so, wouldn't it be right to call it "our" will, even if it isn't strictly tied to our individual personality?
Beyond that, we see certain individuals who possess an incredible willpower—people who act like locomotives, pulling everyone else along behind them and achieving their goals with almost supernatural precision. Are these people necessarily more spiritually advanced, or is it just good karma at work? Do you find that spiritually evolved people tend to have this kind of intense will? And if they do, how does that strength actually manifest itself?
Think about a computer program—it’s simultaneously virtual and real, if you look at it relatively compared to the physical stuff we can touch. It's kind of like how a hologram would be considered virtual when you hold it up against a physical body. But then again, the virtual programming that makes them possible actually exists; it's correlated with their emergence, because without that underlying code, there wouldn't even be a virtual manifestation to begin with. So, in a sense, something is definitely there. By that same logic, personality is real too. The issue for us is really just our own illusion regarding what personality is. We fall into this trap of thinking our personality is our entire reality, when in fact, you might experience personality as something fleeting—something that doesn't represent our true essence, but rather acts as a false construct, or maybe even just a dream. Still, I tend to think there isn't any functionally significant difference between virtuality and reality. Whether all of this is "virtual" or not doesn't really matter much. What matters is whether something serves a purpose or not, and I believe in that very strongly—so, yes. I've explained my reasoning: meaning keeps revealing itself to me, and I haven't experienced anything that would lead me to believe otherwise. Once, I went through a situation where I couldn't find any sense in it whatsoever, because it felt like it was leading nowhere, but then years later, the meaning finally showed up. It became clear that what seemed like a meaningless detour actually steered my life in an entirely different direction, which made perfect sense, because looking back, I know that if things had gone differently, my life would be completely different in almost every single way. It's a decent little life story, I guess.
Sandra Morgan2 said:I wouldn't call that free will. It’s an illusion. While you think you're making a choice, you don't actually have any options—you're just following the one single path that already exists in the future.
But look, if the future is just sitting there right in front of us and we're simply blind to it, that still doesn't explain one thing: why hasn't a single person who claims to see the future ever been 100% spot on?
Maybe those pundits on the news channels aren't actually seeing what's coming. Those who truly see the future might realize that the course is already set—unalterable—so they just stay quiet. Maybe... just maybe. Honestly? It’s better to just say I don't know.
There’s definitely a certain dynamic at play here.There’s this inherent slice of uncertainty baked into the future—a variable that can actually shift the entire causal model of what's to come. To me, that’s exactly where free will steps in. It’s the catalyst for change. If everything stays exactly on its current trajectory, then yeah, we already know how the story ends. But if we don't...? That's where things get interesting.
What kind of dynamics are we talking about? Is it this one right here?
Look, humans aren't necessarily the sole architects of what's coming next. If there’s a food chain positioned above us, then there are certainly forces out there working to dictate our destiny—just like we decide the fate of animals on this planet. But on the flip side, humanity isn't alone. We have our own allies fighting to ensure we actually fulfill the rights God gave us.
Maybe so, maybe not... Once again, neither you nor I have any way of knowing if that's actually the case.
Here’s where we differ: what you just said in that last point. I don’t view enlightenment as some sudden, overnight leap—as if you weren't enlightened at all, and then *poof*, suddenly you are. No. It’s a process. A journey. Sure, there might be one final breakthrough at the very end when everything finally clicks open, but the results start manifesting long before that jump happens. They grow steadily as a person moves toward that ultimate state. If my perspective holds water, it means people like you or me can actually become—just a little bit—enlightened. And that implies we possess a tiny bit of free will, too.
It seems like most people have absolutely nothing of this. However, I’m starting to see a few individuals beginning to open up—people who aren't just mindless automatons, but actually possess a tiny spark of their true selves within their personalities.
Following up on what I told you—that personality itself isn't even a real thing—I’m just reiterating: if something doesn't exist, it can't possibly have free will or any kind of agency.
Yet, we still sense this capacity for will—not even calling it an illusion of free will, but a genuine force we can cultivate, strengthen, or simply ignore. We feel that power of choice deep down. Could it be that our will is fundamentally divine in origin, just like the love we carry within us? If so, wouldn't it be right to call it "our" will, even if it isn't strictly tied to our individual personality?
Beyond that, we see certain individuals who possess an incredible willpower—people who act like locomotives, pulling everyone else along behind them and achieving their goals with almost supernatural precision. Are these people necessarily more spiritually advanced, or is it just good karma at work? Do you find that spiritually evolved people tend to have this kind of intense will? And if they do, how does that strength actually manifest itself?
It would be pretty tough to draw a line between actual will and the illusion of will. I can argue why will *must* exist, but I can't provide some litmus test for what constitutes will and what doesn't. Being aware of the sheer volume of patterns, just like you are, it seems clear to me that there has to be a little bit of will left, even when we're automated to the core. It makes sense if the will inside us is of divine origin, because I think it's far more likely that eternal consciousness created consciousness than it just popping into existence spontaneously—I mean, I don't see how non-determinism could ever arise from pure determinism. So, in that scenario, consciousness would have to be deterministic, and the world would be a deterministic chaos/cosmos, but a consciousness that is purely deterministic isn't really consciousness at all; it's, well, dear Sandra Morgan2, it's nothing but a total joke.😉
Sandra Morgan2 said:I wouldn't call that free will. It’s an illusion. While you think you're making a choice, you don't actually have any options—you're just following the one single path that already exists in the future.
But look, if the future is just sitting there right in front of us and we're simply blind to it, that still doesn't explain one thing: why hasn't a single person who claims to see the future ever been 100% spot on?
Maybe those pundits on the news channels aren't actually seeing what's coming. Those who truly see the future might realize that the course is already set—unalterable—so they just stay quiet. Maybe... just maybe. Honestly? It’s better to just say I don't know.
There’s definitely a certain dynamic at play here.There’s this inherent slice of uncertainty baked into the future—a variable that can actually shift the entire causal model of what's to come. To me, that’s exactly where free will steps in. It’s the catalyst for change. If everything stays exactly on its current trajectory, then yeah, we already know how the story ends. But if we don't...? That's where things get interesting.
What kind of dynamics are we talking about? Is it this one right here?
Look, humans aren't necessarily the sole architects of what's coming next. If there’s a food chain positioned above us, then there are certainly forces out there working to dictate our destiny—just like we decide the fate of animals on this planet. But on the flip side, humanity isn't alone. We have our own allies fighting to ensure we actually fulfill the rights God gave us.
Maybe so, maybe not... Once again, neither you nor I have any way of knowing if that's actually the case.
Here’s where we differ: what you just said in that last point. I don’t view enlightenment as some sudden, overnight leap—as if you weren't enlightened at all, and then *poof*, suddenly you are. No. It’s a process. A journey. Sure, there might be one final breakthrough at the very end when everything finally clicks open, but the results start manifesting long before that jump happens. They grow steadily as a person moves toward that ultimate state. If my perspective holds water, it means people like you or me can actually become—just a little bit—enlightened. And that implies we possess a tiny bit of free will, too.
It seems like most people have absolutely nothing of this. However, I’m starting to see a few individuals beginning to open up—people who aren't just mindless automatons, but actually possess a tiny spark of their true selves within their personalities.
Following up on what I told you—that personality itself isn't even a real thing—I’m just reiterating: if something doesn't exist, it can't possibly have free will or any kind of agency.
Yet, we still sense this capacity for will—not even calling it an illusion of free will, but a genuine force we can cultivate, strengthen, or simply ignore. We feel that power of choice deep down. Could it be that our will is fundamentally divine in origin, just like the love we carry within us? If so, wouldn't it be right to call it "our" will, even if it isn't strictly tied to our individual personality?
Beyond that, we see certain individuals who possess an incredible willpower—people who act like locomotives, pulling everyone else along behind them and achieving their goals with almost supernatural precision. Are these people necessarily more spiritually advanced, or is it just good karma at work? Do you find that spiritually evolved people tend to have this kind of intense will? And if they do, how does that strength actually manifest itself?
It’s pretty tough to make broad strokes about willpower—I don't think I could really explain it clearly if I tried—but you know I tend to look at everything through the lens of purpose. So, I suppose "good karma" would be closer to the mark, or maybe just the meaningfulness of the opportunities opening up. Their success creates this specific stage for learning, much like how someone else's failure might set the stage for theirs. There's a reason 😉
But here's one thing: free will implies having actual will to begin with. If someone lacks a strong will, they can't truly have a free one, because you need strength to actually make a choice. Willpower without strength just collapses into determinism, and there's no freedom there. Of course, that doesn't mean a person with a strong will is necessarily spiritual—that kind of drive might actually just be an illusion. In that sense, the strength is present, but the true will isn't
I was trying to wrap my head around the idea of awakening: if awakening is a potential, and if everything leading up to it were just pure automation, then awakening would just be a byproduct of that automation rather than an expansion of consciousness. And suddenly, free will would be emerging from absolute lack of freedom—like a consequence of determinism somehow managing to trigger itself in the right way without any actual volition. It would be like hitting a jackpot after spinning a slot machine enough times. In that scenario, gaining consciousness and free will would just be the result of those deterministic, random spins
Which, honestly, makes zero sense and lacks any consistency. The potential for liberation has to be a result of choice, and choices have to stem from the potential for free will. The unambiguous conclusion? We—the unawakened folks—possess that potential, right here and now. As for what we've actually done with ourselves, how much we've used it, or whether we've just turned into robots driven by patterns... well, that's a whole other conversation