Thread: Reality As You Know It Does Not Exist

Ok, so the universe isn't real. So what?

Originally Posted by tkdyo

Ive heard this idea before...but what exactly are the implications of this? How does it expand out potential?

Originally Posted by drewmandan

Ok, so the universe isn't real. So what?

Who knows, as of now (to both)?

Personally, I do not know all of the implications anymore than the first person to view an atom knew immediately what all would be possible in a world of nuclear technology. (Much less so, of course, but I'm sure you understand my meaning.)

What's important, at the moment (IMHO) is that we accept and understand these ideas, and work to find those implications, not simply hold onto our view of the world through outdated paradigms. Such a perspective could potentially change much in the world of "physical" science - if not to the extent of changing things we already presume to know, then maybe opening up this whole new frontier of science to investigate. Such is not an idea devoid of merit, right?

(And while I believe the Matrix trilogy had the most potential - and I love the first two - I think the LotR trilogy is practically flawless. )

Yeah, you guys are right. LOTR is the best movie trilogy. I think I've mentioned that before lol. Still, the first couple of Matrix movies are my favorite movies.

This thread is now about movies.

Great movie. It sums it all up nicely.

I hope most people have at least a general understanding of this. Maybe I'm overestimating people? I think the hard part is integrating it into our daily lives. So far, there seems to be no real practical reason for people to care about this philosophy/ truth. It doesn't really threaten or reward people into living their lives differently.

And I have to say the Look Who's Talking trilogy was the best ever. Or was that the worst?... I can't remember.

I don't like that the 'consciousness creating reality' thing has become the popular view of what scientists think, it isn't. I think a more plausible explanation for the collapse of a wave function is that a conscious observer is only capable of perceiving one aspect of the infinite possibilities. The wave function of the particle continues as is, but the conscious observer now perceives it as a particle.

Maybe the dream state is just the expression of our duality. We have the waking particle world, while the dream state is all about waveform probabilities.

While in waking world where wave forms have collapsed in to solid matter, it difficult to conceive how it couldn't be real. But that solid matter comes from a wave form first, and the control learned in the waveform realms of sleep would still be valid in the waking world. Just like we can make things solid and real in dream. Both modes of operation apply equally well to either reality.

Originally Posted by Xaqaria

I think a more plausible explanation for the collapse of a wave function is that a conscious observer is only capable of perceiving one aspect of the infinite possibilities. The wave function of the particle continues as is, but the conscious observer now perceives it as a particle.

Never heard or thought of that before, but I like it a lot! I'm going to have to take some time to digest it.

"Life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves."

That line does a great deal in terms of summing up my own ideas about the nature of the universe. I do in fact believe that we are analogous to dream characters, fragmented bits of consciousness derived from the mind of a greater being. Dream characters, after all, are no more than pieces of our own mind divided and realized in another reality that they are individually bound to. Reality, in this sense, is borne entirely from consciousness. The dreamworld reality for any dream character is borne from the mind of the dreamer. You can see where I'm going with this.

Am I making sense?

Originally Posted by drewmandan

Ok, so the universe isn't real. So what?

... so our dreams are just as real as our awake state... just messing with you

however, that does make me wonder if there is some truth to that statement...

hmm...

"What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet." (Woody Allen)

Readers who liked David Bohm also enjoyed:

Michio Kaku - String Theory
David Deutsch - The Fabric of Reality (on quantum computation and its multiverse)
Rudy Rucker - Infinity and the Mind
Rosenblum & Kuttner - Quantum Enigma (on consciousness)
Kenyon - Forbidden History
Stephen Pinker - How the Mind Works
D. Hofstadtler -Goedel, Escher & Bach
Asimov - Understanding Physics
Fred Alan Wolf - Parallel Universes
The Tibeten Book of the Dead, recently translated in full for the first time.

Wow.

There's no one answer, no single ultimate question.

The truth is ... all that is, as it is, and as it is approached.

...

It's nice to be back. It's been awhile.