Do we actually exist?

Are we just an illusion created by our brains, perhaps serving as a small part of some much larger whole?

I think I do. 🍿

Kate James3 said:I think I do. 🍿

But what about when you're fast asleep? Then you aren't? 🤔

Michael Gonzalez77 said:But what about when you're fast asleep? Then you aren't? 🤔

You're denying the antecedent. That's a logical fallacy. 😉

Then again, maybe thoughts are happening during sleep. It's just that there's no conscious awareness to pick them up.

Probably both—there’s an objective reality out there, but people just interpret it based on what they can handle or understand.

There’s only one thing that’s actually impossible for us: not existing. We’re constantly shifting through this weird illusion we call time, but there's no way around it—we exist, one way or another. 🎉

Just kidding, lol

Seriously though, everything that exists stays part of existence forever, and stuff that doesn't exist? It’s never gonna happen. 🕺

Maria Parker77 said:There’s only one thing that’s actually impossible for us: not existing. We’re constantly shifting through this weird illusion we call time, but there's no way around it—we exist, one way or another. 🎉

Just kidding, lol

Seriously though, everything that exists stays part of existence forever, and stuff that doesn't exist? It’s never gonna happen. 🕺

Can you extinguish a fire once it's gone?
Or sink a ship that’s already underwater?
What about paper after it's burned?

Kate James3 said:Can you extinguish a fire once it's gone?
Or sink a ship that’s already underwater?
What about paper after it's burned?

Of course they exist—they just change shape, simple as that.

Ever heard of parallel realities? Seriously.

Think about that fire you supposedly "put out." 🥳

What happens to *you* when you "die"? Just trying to see where your head's at. 🙂

Kate James3 said:You're denying the antecedent. That's a logical fallacy. 😉

Then again, maybe thoughts are happening during sleep. It's just that there's no conscious awareness to pick them up.

Hmm.. 🤔 So how am I supposed to know I was dreaming if I wasn't aware of it?? Is that some kind of pathological error in your eyes?..

Kate James3 said:I think I do. 🍿

I mean, I'm aware, so yeah* 🍿

Anthony Robinson10 said:Are we just an illusion created by our brains, perhaps serving as a small part of some much larger whole?

Oh, absolutely. The "consciousness" we feel like we have isn't actually what's happening under the hood for some parts of us, because when you look inward, we are totally oblivious to the actual physical machinery driving the whole thing. It’s kind of like how someone who can't see might look at a brain scan and see neurons firing without ever truly grasping the subjective experience of sight itself. In both cases, the reality of it is nothing like what it seems on the surface.

But trying to claim consciousness doesn't exist? That’s basically a failed suicide attempt. You’re sitting there denying your own existence while actively existing to make the argument. It's a total paradox. 🙂

Kate James3 said:You're denying the antecedent. That's a logical fallacy. 😉

Then again, maybe thoughts are happening during sleep. It's just that there's no conscious awareness to pick them up.

You can't have "no consciousness" if there's nothing for that consciousness to actually process—you just lack the awareness (the specific thoughts that would give consciousness something to be aware of).

Even an animal's brain produces thoughts—so animals exist, both when they are conscious and when they aren't. 😁

darkraven said:I mean, I'm aware, so yeah* 🍿

Oh, absolutely. The "consciousness" we feel like we have isn't actually what's happening under the hood for some parts of us, because when you look inward, we are totally oblivious to the actual physical machinery driving the whole thing. It’s kind of like how someone who can't see might look at a brain scan and see neurons firing without ever truly grasping the subjective experience of sight itself. In both cases, the reality of it is nothing like what it seems on the surface.

But trying to claim consciousness doesn't exist? That’s basically a failed suicide attempt. You’re sitting there denying your own existence while actively existing to make the argument. It's a total paradox. 🙂

Interesting thought. 🙂

Anthony Robinson10 said:Are we just an illusion created by our brains, perhaps serving as a small part of some much larger whole?

Go drop an anvil on your foot, seriously.😲😁😲

Benjamin Taylor6 said:Go drop an anvil on your foot, seriously.😲😁😲

http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/con...tivity-to-pain

Anthony Robinson10 said:http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/con...tivity-to-pain

More on that...🙄...honestly, I’d probably act like Bill Gates trying to stay composed while a bunch of hyperactive toddlers were running circles around me.

But look—if we aren't entirely sure whether we're right, why not just go out there and prove it? 🤷

If anyone’s interested, you can grab this book in PDF format right now.

HOLOGRAPHIC UNIVERSE - Michael Talbot

Look, I’m not going to sit here and claim that everyone needs to agree with everything this guy writes—that’s just not how the world works. But there is definitely some seriously relevant info in here about the reality we're living in. Some things are just incredibly hard to wrap your head around, especially when you experience them firsthand right in front of your own eyes, and this book touches on exactly that.
There’s a ton of fascinating stuff packed into these pages. Even if you already have a solid opinion on all this theory, reading this might just give you a whole new dimension to consider—maybe even broaden your horizons a bit more than you expected.

👍

Anthony Robinson10 said:Are we just an illusion created by our brains, perhaps serving as a small part of some much larger whole?

You exist, sure—but only as a piece of the whole puzzle.

The real illusion in the mind? It’s this nagging feeling that we're actually separate from everything else.

Engels once suggested that pudding only truly exists at the exact moment we consume it.

Anthony Robinson10 said:http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/con...tivity-to-pain

People like that—the ones completely disconnected from reality—should probably just tie a scarf tight around their necks. Honestly, I didn't see anything in the text clarifying whether people who are totally immune to pain can actually hold their breath until they pass out... or if that mechanism is broken for them too.

Anthony Robinson10 said:Are we just an illusion created by our brains, perhaps serving as a small part of some much larger whole?

If we’re just an illusion, then our brain is an illusion too—since it's part of our physical body.

That would make us an illusion of an illusion!

But honestly, that doesn't even track—if an illusion is something that isn't actually real, then we'd basically be an illusion of something that doesn't exist at all.

So, the real takeaway has to be that we AREN'T anyone's illusion—we're just as real as the world around us.

Cheers! ☕

Benjamin Taylor6 said:Engels once suggested that pudding only truly exists at the exact moment we consume it.

People like that—the ones completely disconnected from reality—should probably just tie a scarf tight around their necks. Honestly, I didn't see anything in the text clarifying whether people who are totally immune to pain can actually hold their breath until they pass out... or if that mechanism is broken for them too.

A tightly tied scarf wouldn't cause them any pain, though I suppose they might feel the lack of oxygen, since that isn't technically pain. But that's just my opinion, I guess.