How do we know we exist? It is a strong possibility that we might be dreaming, another possibility is that we are all dreaming at once and we are making things happen. But in a usual dream what you want to happen will happen but it does not happen all the time, but our minds might be fooling us to think that this may not be a dream, and they may not be letting us see if we really exist. In a dream we imagine pain and sometimes not but in the real world we always feel pain. If in a dream we usually don’t dream how come if we are already in a dream how can we dream? Well everything might be a trick of our head.
If you are bullied that is a factor of us existing because in dreams you are always happy and never sad but some people have nightmares is it possible that the dreams and nightmares are combining to make what we think is a reality
Hello,
Wow. I think we have wildly different views. However, especially since this is a blog, I would like to respond to your comment. Please, ask me to clarify if my writing doesn’t make sense. I am majoring in engineering not writing. First off, I don’t understand how being in a dream means that one doesn’t exist. My quote is not saying that reality is the same as the reality that we see. I am saying that people exist no matter what actual reality is. Do you mean that, if I was dreaming up the earth, family, cities, and reality as we know it, that that would mean I didn’t exist. Even if we were dreaming there is still a reality. Let’s take the Matrix movie as an example. The main character, Neo, lived in a dream. As long as he believed that he could fly then he could. He could also do many other things. This does not mean that he did not exist. Even in the dream, or matrix, he existed. He actually existed within that field of cocoons(I forget what they’re called). Therefore, if our senses fail us as they did in the Matrix, we still exist. We just exist in a reality unknown to us.
I don’t believe that we are in a dream, but if we were, it wouldn’t deny our existence
Michael Gray
Hi
Currently I am reding the concept of simulation arguement.It struck me hars. The thoughts laid by you are also strong and interesting. Our existance is really a mystery and I don’t think that humans are going to solve it!
What is being without opposites? The opposites are what create realities and boundaries, for which we must stand on. They are everything and nothing, complete opposites of good and evil, and all that is being without being. We must create these boundaries in order to exist on a plain of conscious, which allows us to perceive the world in sensible order. Without opposites, we would fail to see reality from imagination. Similarly to the matrix where neo must seek reality, in what he believes is unreal, to see “how deep the rabbit-hole goes”. To exist without reality is to exist in a world without bounds, to which there is no walls. This seemingly perfect world is only perfect until you reach the boundaries of your mind, and that is where all humankind sees the flaws of life. We must hold security in something, which does not change and cannot be moved no matter how hard it is pushed, and it must exist from birth. That something just happens to be our own existence, and this is where our first opposite begins “Do we really exist?” In order to solve the first question we must create a new one, “If we do exist why am I here?” Just like paying of debts with more debts continually asking questions does not bring about more answers, but rather more questions, the final question being from Wall-E “Directive?”
Hello,
I am a bit confused by the way that you’re using opposite. Do you agree that we know we exist? You have a point that people need to hold security in some way, but whatever we take security in can change. Some people think that nothing can be known for certain. Aren’t they uncertain in their existence? If they are uncertain in their existence can they rightfully take security in it?
To answer the question “If we do exist why am I here?” is a giant question. And what one believes is the answer to that question depends on what sort of religion one has.
I believe that we can figure out the answer to whether or not someone exists by whether or not they can sense. If they can sense then they exist and if they can’t sense then they may or may not exist. What specific parts of it do you disagree with?
Thanks,
Michael
“I think – therefore I am”. To take this famous comment I think is to start to really understand the truth. I agree that no human can prove the exsistance of others and of any surrouding matter. But in my opinion the fact we have thought and are able to control how we feel, to a certain extent, pushes the fact we must be in exsistance.
We therefore exsist in our minds, but can never be sure whether there is a world or if it is all within our heads. To take for example the concept of a video game. When you walk around the corner the scenery suddenly appears. Our our minds doing the same to us!?. I think that we will always strive to know the truth, and rightly so, but we shall never come to a satisfying conclusion.
Thanks,
anon.
I find this topic extremely interseting. One particular issue that i find constanly arises when discussing is not that we ourselves are dreaming or don’t exist, but people are scared that their parents dont exist (when young) or their closest friends… the people that they hold dear and trust to be there at times of need.
If they were to be simply a creation of our imagination then what would that mean of us when they were removed from our lives. Also isnt it slightly twisted that we could possibly be fabricating this all in our heads???
Buddha said “The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.” and i believe that this sort of underlines everthing… If we fear existence then why exist?
thnx
To Put It Bluntly:
I’m a tad young to be involved in this discussion, but my opinion on this subject is that we can know we exist to some extent, because we are thinking and perceiving things. Whether or not the things we think exist are actually there is why we can’t be absolutely certain, because some things in life really are more immaterial than most of the rabble think they are; For example, if electricity was completely abolished most things we count on for survival wouldn’t be available, and our current reality would become distorted and we would begin thinking and feeling differently about certain things. But to be honest, I think the point of existing here is to comprehend not necessarily how but why things are occurring around you, and to not have things the way you see them adulterated by other peoples motives or justifications.
Or mebbe we’re all just nuts. For the Philistines reading this. Good Luck! (@v@)
If you consider the meaning of space and time (eternity), we don’t exist at all. But, if you consider that you are something different from what you perceive, then perhaps existence is possible. After all, if, after 1,000 years no being remembers you, did you ever exist? Obviously, it isn’t possible for me to transcend this state of being, without giving it up. Therefore, we must become “energy” to move into new states of being. We must be a kind of energy, only? We certainly aren’t these bodies we walk around in.
Hmm this is quiet a mind boggling question. I had a talk with my teacher today about this sort of thing but a bit different his question was…What is real? And is sort of the same thing. And it got me thinking me about a whole lot of stuff. This goes a bit into quantum mechanics, there is an observer or more like there are observers. Other life forms observe us and we do the same, we acknowledge each others existence everyday and that’s how we know we are real. If there was no one else but you alive. You might exist but, do you really exist. How would you know you exist if there is nothing to tell you. No one to acknowledge you’re existence is like being dead or even worse. No one knowing that you died. So what is life without life. An illusion. Of all life on earth was to suddenly vanish. Who would know that we were even alive at one point, or that we existed, no one can acknowledge us.
That’s my point of view or my perception of this question
12 comments
Comments feed for this article
December 18, 2007 at 3:47 pm
anonymous
How do we know we exist? It is a strong possibility that we might be dreaming, another possibility is that we are all dreaming at once and we are making things happen. But in a usual dream what you want to happen will happen but it does not happen all the time, but our minds might be fooling us to think that this may not be a dream, and they may not be letting us see if we really exist. In a dream we imagine pain and sometimes not but in the real world we always feel pain. If in a dream we usually don’t dream how come if we are already in a dream how can we dream? Well everything might be a trick of our head.
If you are bullied that is a factor of us existing because in dreams you are always happy and never sad but some people have nightmares is it possible that the dreams and nightmares are combining to make what we think is a reality
December 18, 2007 at 7:13 pm
grayms1
Hello,
Wow. I think we have wildly different views. However, especially since this is a blog, I would like to respond to your comment. Please, ask me to clarify if my writing doesn’t make sense. I am majoring in engineering not writing. First off, I don’t understand how being in a dream means that one doesn’t exist. My quote is not saying that reality is the same as the reality that we see. I am saying that people exist no matter what actual reality is. Do you mean that, if I was dreaming up the earth, family, cities, and reality as we know it, that that would mean I didn’t exist. Even if we were dreaming there is still a reality. Let’s take the Matrix movie as an example. The main character, Neo, lived in a dream. As long as he believed that he could fly then he could. He could also do many other things. This does not mean that he did not exist. Even in the dream, or matrix, he existed. He actually existed within that field of cocoons(I forget what they’re called). Therefore, if our senses fail us as they did in the Matrix, we still exist. We just exist in a reality unknown to us.
I don’t believe that we are in a dream, but if we were, it wouldn’t deny our existence
Michael Gray
November 18, 2008 at 8:35 am
Hrishikesh
Hi
Currently I am reding the concept of simulation arguement.It struck me hars. The thoughts laid by you are also strong and interesting. Our existance is really a mystery and I don’t think that humans are going to solve it!
November 22, 2008 at 4:21 am
Anonymous
What is being without opposites? The opposites are what create realities and boundaries, for which we must stand on. They are everything and nothing, complete opposites of good and evil, and all that is being without being. We must create these boundaries in order to exist on a plain of conscious, which allows us to perceive the world in sensible order. Without opposites, we would fail to see reality from imagination. Similarly to the matrix where neo must seek reality, in what he believes is unreal, to see “how deep the rabbit-hole goes”. To exist without reality is to exist in a world without bounds, to which there is no walls. This seemingly perfect world is only perfect until you reach the boundaries of your mind, and that is where all humankind sees the flaws of life. We must hold security in something, which does not change and cannot be moved no matter how hard it is pushed, and it must exist from birth. That something just happens to be our own existence, and this is where our first opposite begins “Do we really exist?” In order to solve the first question we must create a new one, “If we do exist why am I here?” Just like paying of debts with more debts continually asking questions does not bring about more answers, but rather more questions, the final question being from Wall-E “Directive?”
November 24, 2008 at 2:49 am
Anonymous
Hello,
I am a bit confused by the way that you’re using opposite. Do you agree that we know we exist? You have a point that people need to hold security in some way, but whatever we take security in can change. Some people think that nothing can be known for certain. Aren’t they uncertain in their existence? If they are uncertain in their existence can they rightfully take security in it?
To answer the question “If we do exist why am I here?” is a giant question. And what one believes is the answer to that question depends on what sort of religion one has.
I believe that we can figure out the answer to whether or not someone exists by whether or not they can sense. If they can sense then they exist and if they can’t sense then they may or may not exist. What specific parts of it do you disagree with?
Thanks,
Michael
December 11, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Anonymous
I think we are only beginning to really begin to see the depth of our true existance…….
February 16, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Anonymous
“I think – therefore I am”. To take this famous comment I think is to start to really understand the truth. I agree that no human can prove the exsistance of others and of any surrouding matter. But in my opinion the fact we have thought and are able to control how we feel, to a certain extent, pushes the fact we must be in exsistance.
We therefore exsist in our minds, but can never be sure whether there is a world or if it is all within our heads. To take for example the concept of a video game. When you walk around the corner the scenery suddenly appears. Our our minds doing the same to us!?. I think that we will always strive to know the truth, and rightly so, but we shall never come to a satisfying conclusion.
Thanks,
anon.
March 30, 2009 at 7:40 am
K.Wilding
I find this topic extremely interseting. One particular issue that i find constanly arises when discussing is not that we ourselves are dreaming or don’t exist, but people are scared that their parents dont exist (when young) or their closest friends… the people that they hold dear and trust to be there at times of need.
If they were to be simply a creation of our imagination then what would that mean of us when they were removed from our lives. Also isnt it slightly twisted that we could possibly be fabricating this all in our heads???
Buddha said “The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.” and i believe that this sort of underlines everthing… If we fear existence then why exist?
thnx
April 1, 2009 at 5:37 am
Jesse R
To Put It Bluntly:
I’m a tad young to be involved in this discussion, but my opinion on this subject is that we can know we exist to some extent, because we are thinking and perceiving things. Whether or not the things we think exist are actually there is why we can’t be absolutely certain, because some things in life really are more immaterial than most of the rabble think they are; For example, if electricity was completely abolished most things we count on for survival wouldn’t be available, and our current reality would become distorted and we would begin thinking and feeling differently about certain things. But to be honest, I think the point of existing here is to comprehend not necessarily how but why things are occurring around you, and to not have things the way you see them adulterated by other peoples motives or justifications.
Or mebbe we’re all just nuts. For the Philistines reading this. Good Luck! (@v@)
April 15, 2009 at 8:56 am
K.Wilding
Good point! Dont worry about the age thing. haha
Im only 15
thanks
September 8, 2009 at 12:45 am
JGH
If you consider the meaning of space and time (eternity), we don’t exist at all. But, if you consider that you are something different from what you perceive, then perhaps existence is possible. After all, if, after 1,000 years no being remembers you, did you ever exist? Obviously, it isn’t possible for me to transcend this state of being, without giving it up. Therefore, we must become “energy” to move into new states of being. We must be a kind of energy, only? We certainly aren’t these bodies we walk around in.
September 11, 2009 at 3:08 am
A.Dafku
Hmm this is quiet a mind boggling question. I had a talk with my teacher today about this sort of thing but a bit different his question was…What is real? And is sort of the same thing. And it got me thinking me about a whole lot of stuff. This goes a bit into quantum mechanics, there is an observer or more like there are observers. Other life forms observe us and we do the same, we acknowledge each others existence everyday and that’s how we know we are real. If there was no one else but you alive. You might exist but, do you really exist. How would you know you exist if there is nothing to tell you. No one to acknowledge you’re existence is like being dead or even worse. No one knowing that you died. So what is life without life. An illusion. Of all life on earth was to suddenly vanish. Who would know that we were even alive at one point, or that we existed, no one can acknowledge us.
That’s my point of view or my perception of this question