life?

[Rozzy]

sometimes i've pondered to myself, is this world real? like i will be driving down the street and i'll stop at a red light and look at other people driving. some look angry while talking on the phon. others look distracted and sad. i think wow people have totally different lives. like i never really stop to think that out there, people are geting into fights, getting engaged living joyfully and even making love. it's very interesting to me. sometimes i think that maybe i am the only one that truly exists and that i could live my life consequence free if i figured how to let my mind get rid of the authority figures. i feel like maybe life is some big dream and that if only i could become lucid in this huge dream, i would live a kind of life that i wanted to. i could live consequence free. interesting it all is...

[ClassyElf]

I agree that life is interesting and that other people have emotions, but what's your point?

[Kushna Mufeed]

Step number one: stop letting your fear of people's opinions prevent you from doing certain things and make you do others.

[dajo]

I know exactly what you mean. It can be pretty amazing just stopping, trying to comprehend what is actually going on at that moment in various different settings. Or just singeling out one person and trying to imagine what his/her life might have been like to this point or what he/she is thinking at the moment. In these moments I feel a way more personal connection to pretty much everyone else, which is also kind of fun. Thats when I usually start smiling at people. And letting your thoughts loose is fun anyway But life doesn't have to be a dream for you to do what you want!

[Xei]

These questions are currently beyond science. Quite possibly they will always be beyond science, as they have no observational consequences. So they're essentially philosophical. I'm open to the idea that this reality could be a simulation; it shouldn't be too long before we can pretty much flawlessly emulate reality virtually. If in a century or so a rich person wishes to make a perfect life for themselves, assuming no technological barriers they could well wipe their memories and make a fake virtual life for themselves. However this is no utopia... so I'm not sure what the logical necessity would be.

[drewmandan]

There's one school of thought that says given that there could be billions or trillions of simulations and only one real universe, it seems more likely that we're in a simulation. Although, I find that notion a little dubious. Also, there need not be a distinction drawn between "real" and "simulation". I suspect the truth, if it's ever discovered, will not be categorized so easily.

[dajo]

These questions are currently beyond science. Quite possibly they will always be beyond science, as they have no observational consequences. So they're essentially philosophical. I'm open to the idea that this reality could be a simulation; it shouldn't be too long before we can pretty much flawlessly emulate reality virtually. If in a century or so a rich person wishes to make a perfect life for themselves, assuming no technological barriers they could well wipe their memories and make a fake virtual life for themselves. However this is no utopia... so I'm not sure what the logical necessity would be. I think I pretty much agree with you. The necessity I believe is 'thinking outside the box'. There are very different ways to do that, of course.

[ClassyElf]

To flawlessly emulate reality virtually a machine would have to keep track of every single subatomic particle in an environment. The period at the end of a sentence has 7.5 trillion atoms all acting together dynamically. The computational power needed to emulate this far exceeds any computers currently in existence. The sheer amount of computational power needed to emulate every particle in the entire universe is unthinkable. If we live in a simulation then we live in one HELL of a computer. it shouldn't be too long before we can pretty much flawlessly emulate reality virtually. I don't think so bro.

[Xei]

Don't be so silly. When have you ever observed atoms? We're talking about emulating human experience, not on a cosmological scale and not on an atomic scale. Think about it; video games can already pretty perfectly simulate life experience in terms of physics and visuals; but they don't do it by simulating trillions upon trillions of atoms. Also you're making assumptions about the computing power of the hypothetical emulator. Nobody's saying that the reality which emulates ours has to be at all like ours.

[drewmandan]

I would also like to point out that we are on a site devoted primarily to lucid dreams, which are in essence the art of coaxing the brain into emulating reality. Now we (hopefully) all know how real lucid dreams can seem in terms of how humans measure reality, and that's a mere 3 pounds of meat doing that. Something like a Matrioshka brain could very easily create a reality consistent enough to fool 7 billion humans.

[AirRick101]

I very much believe life is real. And even if it was a dream, think of this....when you wake up from a very vivid or lucid dream, you feel like you were there, right?

[lysergic]

sometimes i've pondered to myself, is this world real? like i will be driving down the street and i'll stop at a red light and look at other people driving. some look angry while talking on the phon. others look distracted and sad. i think wow people have totally different lives. like i never really stop to think that out there, people are geting into fights, getting engaged living joyfully and even making love. it's very interesting to me. sometimes i think that maybe i am the only one that truly exists and that i could live my life consequence free if i figured how to let my mind get rid of the authority figures. i feel like maybe life is some big dream and that if only i could become lucid in this huge dream, i would live a kind of life that i wanted to. i could live consequence free. interesting it all is... oh my fucking god dude. i'm crying in school right now because i just found out that someone understands and i'm so happy. it's such a relief to know i'm not the only one. do you ever feel like you're being hoodwinked? as if you're on the verge of waking up and entering something bigger than this life? thank you for existing. if you really do.

[LucidFlanders]

If this is a simulation, what may the cause be from? or we just built into a simulation and evolve with the program. If so what made the program? or did it create itself? edit- BTW if only i am real, and nobody else here is, then you can all be my emotions. Some people are hostile between others, so they are my angry side, some are nice, so that is my nice side etc. I know what my face looks like so i can easily create others, but everything is feeling based.

[Rozzy]

oh my fucking god dude. i'm crying in school right now because i just found out that someone understands and i'm so happy. it's such a relief to know i'm not the only one. do you ever feel like you're being hoodwinked? as if you're on the verge of waking up and entering something bigger than this life? thank you for existing. if you really do. i know right!!!! i thought i was the only one, so i decided to post and figure it out... i do feel that way sometimes. i mean are you all real? lol. If this is a simulation, what may the cause be from? or we just built into a simulation and evolve with the program. If so what made the program? or did it create itself? edit- BTW if only i am real, and nobody else here is, then you can all be my emotions. Some people are hostile between others, so they are my angry side, some are nice, so that is my nice side etc. I know what my face looks like so i can easily create others, but everything is feeling based. exactly!!! sometimes i just want to yell at everyone and be like go away imagination ppeople... but i can't...sadly...

[Xei]

Most of the people in this forum will have had similar thoughts, in all honesty. Try watching The Matrix or The Truman Show if you think it's a new idea. And read Descartes' Meditations which is several centuries old.

[DeathCell]

To flawlessly emulate reality virtually a machine would have to keep track of every single subatomic particle in an environment. The period at the end of a sentence has 7.5 trillion atoms all acting together dynamically. The computational power needed to emulate this far exceeds any computers currently in existence. The sheer amount of computational power needed to emulate every particle in the entire universe is unthinkable. If we live in a simulation then we live in one HELL of a computer. I don't think so bro. The mind of the all, the best computer 42?

[Rozzy]

or 43?

[dajo]

nah.. 42. It has been checked a few times

[WolfeDreamer531]

I always think about this everyday. I feel like there's something more than just this life. I feel like the second I die, I will awaken to a whole new reality that is not of this Universe. I also feel like I am the only consciousness in All Existence, this I dont like thinking about but I cant help it. I know if there's only "one consciousness", then I know for a fact that its me. Why? Simply put, because I'm conscious, have been my whole (waking) life. No one can convince me that I am not conscious, you can try, but will reach no avail. But I hope it (existence) isn't that way. Otherwise, I'd be lonely after I died, then I would probably recreate a whole new reality/existence and start all over again... and again... and again... and again... ...into infinity for eternity...

[marcc]

sometimes i've pondered to myself, is this world real? like i will be driving down the street and i'll stop at a red light and look at other people driving. some look angry while talking on the phon. others look distracted and sad. i think wow people have totally different lives. like i never really stop to think that out there, people are geting into fights, getting engaged living joyfully and even making love. it's very interesting to me. sometimes i think that maybe i am the only one that truly exists and that i could live my life consequence free if i figured how to let my mind get rid of the authority figures. i feel like maybe life is some big dream and that if only i could become lucid in this huge dream, i would live a kind of life that i wanted to. i could live consequence free. interesting it all is... I'm glad I'm not the only one. Sometimes, when I see a plane streak across the sky, I just think about each person, so wound up in their own miniature world. Nothing material is important, really, when I'm in that kind of mindstate. 3 more things I've thought of, as well: Imagine there's a red apple drawn on a chalkboard. There are two children looking at it and both identify it as red, but see different colors. What if our mind is purely a supercomputer, and life is a simulation run by being, checking statistics and merely playing "The game of life" What if, in fact, we are all the same mind, except different aspects are accentuated or different thoughts have been ingrained in our minds to just steer off each of us from sharing an ego.

[Rozzy]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. Sometimes, when I see a plane streak across the sky, I just think about each person, so wound up in their own miniature world. Nothing material is important, really, when I'm in that kind of mindstate. 3 more things I've thought of, as well: Imagine there's a red apple drawn on a chalkboard. There are two children looking at it and both identify it as red, but see different colors. What if our mind is purely a supercomputer, and life is a simulation run by being, checking statistics and merely playing "The game of life" What if, in fact, we are all the same mind, except different aspects are accentuated or different thoughts have been ingrained in our minds to just steer off each of us from sharing an ego. oh my gosh!!! i have had those exact thoughts!! are you my conscience? lol that is why i have always loved that part in "city of angels" when he asks her what a peach tastes like. sometimes i want to do that cuz like, what does a peach taste like to you? u know?

[Xei]

oh my gosh!!! i have had those exact thoughts!! are you my conscience? lol They are all extremely well studied metaphysical problems. See qualia, Cartesian doubt and the brain in a vat, and collective consciousness, respectively.

[DeathCell]

They are all extremely well studied metaphysical problems. See qualia, Cartesian doubt and the brain in a vat, and collective consciousness, respectively. Such common ideas around the world.

[drewmandan]

I don't think our egos are as important as we may think. Consider this: when we look at an ant colony, we see all the ants working in unison. Sure, each ant looks out for its own survival, but we don't tend to think about ants having egos. Now, how do you think an advanced alien civilization would see us?

[LucidFlanders]

I don't think our egos are as important as we may think. Consider this: when we look at an ant colony, we see all the ants working in unison. Sure, each ant looks out for its own survival, but we don't tend to think about ants having egos. Now, how do you think an advanced alien civilization would see us? Look at those noobs, they are pathetic, i wanna squash them PLEASE CAN I SQUASH THEM????