The Myth of Reality

[Boss]

You could probably ask a hundred people to define 'reality' and come up with a wide range of answers. Merriam-Webster defines it as "the true situation that exists." I find their definition to be very vague and ambiguous. Who defines truth? Existence in what state?

There is no reality.

Yes, I know that is a bold statement, but hear me out. There are only individual perceptions of reality. Your reality and mine can be quite different, and almost always are. Even people who are experiencing supposedly the same reality, may have completely different perspectives of what they experience, making reality unique to them.

Our perceptions of reality are happening along a spacetime continuum of an ever-expanding universe. In fact, it is the expanding of our universe which creates what we perceive as time. Perception of reality breaks time down into past, future and present. We recognize the present as reality, but it is only our perception of reality. What we are actually experiencing is the expanding of our universe and the physical phenomenon happening as it expands.

Every thought that has been realized, every physical phenomenon that has transpired, from the start of the universe to now, is an anomaly of perception happening along a material expansion of our universe. All laws of physics, logic and reason, exist as a result of an ever-expanding universe. Atoms, subatomic particles, weak and strong nuclear forces, electromagnetism, gravity, as well as dark matter and dark energy, are all here and functioning with specific properties because of an ever-expanding universe.

They have to be because the ever-expanding universe is what give us "time" for these material and physical things to function in our perception of reality. For instance, what can "gravity" mean without time? Think about that before you laugh it off and make a stupid claim. Gravity requires time to "mean" anything. The same with electromagnetism and all other forces known to physical science. If Time = 0... nothing physical works or means anything.

So each of us are experiencing an individual perception of reality along this spacetime continuum, caused by an ever-expanding universe which creates the perception of time for us to realize our perception of material reality. There is no "universal" reality happening. For some strange reason, this concept is difficult for some humans to grasp. We tend to ignorantly live in the vacuum of our own perceived realities and never open our minds to something so challenging. We only have material physical existing, physics, science and observation because of a universe that is expanding, creating time for it to exist in.

Where did this come from? Well, we see the people with devout religious faith in their sciences, chortling about how 'Gawds' can't be real, etc. because they can't find the physical scientific evidence to support the concept... but they don't comprehend the entire possibility of realizing science or physical existence relies on a universe that is expanding, creating time (or spacetime). What does this experience we have as "time" really mean to the greater Cosmos? Our universe will one day end and "time" will be irrelevant, it can't exist without an ever-expanding universe. What happens next, time can't tell.

Some buy into the myth of reality. They come here daily to "wage war" for their ideological "side" and denigrate those who don't believe as they do, who don't have their same perceptions of reality. In their heart of hearts, they truly have convinced themselves there is only ONE reality, and it is THEIR experience alone. We should all just get on board with their perception of reality because, as Merriam-Webster says... it's the true situation that exists. For some, that "true situation" is what they've convinced themselves is ultimately the one true reality, and anyone who doesn't see it that way is obviously split from reality.

Reality exists in spacetime created by an ever-expanding universe. It is like a program running on a computer, it exists because the computer enables it to function. In this case, the "computer" is the universe, and the OS is Time.

 

[Boss]

Wow.. silence?

 

[Politico]

Reality is the hell I wake up to every day. There is no illusion. Don't like that one?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBDxnItsCoI]Clip from Mr. Deeds - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Dajjal]

I am of the view that reality is an illusion. Everything is just atomic particles held together by the nuclear forces, and gravity. I have argued that all matter can be turned back into energy, but I have been told by atheists on another forum that this is a simplistic view.
I argue that the universe is a God created realm of experience but it is impossible for me to argue sucessfully with people that understand the latest developments in physics, because I do not. Mind you even philosophers are getting left behind, and Wittgenstein has said that the only thing left for philosophers to do is an analysis of language because they cannot keep up with the implications of recent scientific discoveries, like the discovery of the Higgs Boson.

 

[dilloduck]

hold it-----rep is not real ???

 

[edthecynic]

 

[Dajjal]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeZcI4u0ZQg

I always thought the lyrics said, "Nothing to get hung up about". But there is no "up".

 

[Boss]

I am of the view that reality is an illusion. Everything is just atomic particles held together by the nuclear forces, and gravity. I have argued that all matter can be turned back into energy, but I have been told by atheists on another forum that this is a simplistic view.
I argue that the universe is a God created realm of experience but it is impossible for me to argue sucessfully with people that understand the latest developments in physics, because I do not. Mind you even philosophers are getting left behind, and Wittgenstein has said that the only thing left for philosophers to do is an analysis of language because they cannot keep up with the implications of recent scientific discoveries, like the discovery of the Higgs Boson.

Wasn't it Einstein who said "reality is an illusion, albeit a persistent one."?

Higgs boson was a HUGE scientific discovery in so many ways. It advances the thoughts surrounding quantum mechanics and string theory. It tells us how universes function. We exist in a 4-dimensional reality; the three dimensions we can comprehend materially, and the dimension of time. Higgs proved that dimensions work on a set of particles which enable atoms to do different things.

The Large Hadron Collider is also big, it allows physicists to 'play around' with atoms to discover new particles and create new molecules. For instance, did you know there is antihelium? Collide enough helium molecules and you get antihelium. In fact, for every element in the Periodic Table, it appears there is an "anti" element as well. Or at least the possibility to create one. This basically blows away everything we've known before.

But back on the topic... Everything we see, feel, smell, taste, hear... in fact, everything we experience, is happening in time created by an expanding universe, and the properties of the elements within. Time is a sensation. Reality is our experience in time and cannot exist without it.

Our imaginations and sciences can carry us in many different directions, but we simply can't imagine anything relatable to reality without time... a time space for it to happen.

 

[midcan5]

The idea that reality doesn't exist is simply a word game. Consider only the reality of this thread, now show me it doesn't really exist. Will the real reality please stand up.

"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced." Soren Kierkegaard

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." Dr. Seuss

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick

 

[editec]

If reality is an illusion what of it?

It's the only illusion we're going to get to play in.

Might as well be on with it.

 

[BlackSand]

Reality exists outsides the confines of perception ... It is what it is and as humans we attempt to realize it as to how it influences us individually.

Example:

Drinking large quanities of alcohol inhibits your internal functions.
The circumstance influences your abilities as far as simple motor control, space and time perception as well as judgement.
Driving a motor vehicle while under the influence will increase your chances of having a wreck.

That is a reality.

It doesn't mean that everyone who drinks a beer and gets behind the wheel of a vehicle will have a wreck.
It doesn't mean that every fool who drinks a bottle of whisky will drive off a cliff.

The only reality is that your chances of managing the proper operation of your vehicle is impared.
Reality doesn't give a shit what you think about it ... It was here when you arrived and will be here when you are gone.

I think reality becomes more vague as we attempt to access and interprit it to suit our questions and perceived actions.
What we do influences the outcome of our experiences ... We don't alter reality ... We alter our experiences.

.

 

[Boss]

Reality exists outsides the confines of perception ... It is what it is and as humans we attempt to realize it as to how it influences us individually.

Example:

Drinking large quanities of alcohol inhibits your internal functions.
The circumstance influences your abilities as far as simple motor control, space and time perception as well as judgement.
Driving a motor vehicle while under the influence will increase your chances of having a wreck.

That is a reality.

It doesn't mean that everyone who drinks a beer and gets behind the wheel of a vehicle will have a wreck.
It doesn't mean that every fool who drinks a bottle of whisky will drive off a cliff.

The only reality is that your chances of managing the proper operation of your vehicle is impared.
Reality doesn't give a shit what you think about it ... It was here when you arrived and will be here when you are gone.

I think reality becomes more vague as we attempt to access and interprit it to suit our questions and perceived actions.
What we do influences the outcome of our experiences ... We don't alter reality ... We alter our experiences.

You are confusing "a reality" with the concept of reality. In your example, we could just as easily say it's a reality that if you wake alive in the morning it increases your chance of dying. Or if you don't drink and drive it increases the chance you will die some other way... that's a reality as well. There are many things we can say are "a reality" but this isn't what I am talking about, the OP is dealing with the perception of what is real.

Our perceptions of reality are quite different. For instance, we come upon a wreck caused by someone driving drunk... our perspective of reality may be that he wouldn't have wrecked if he hadn't been drunk, but the drunk's perception may be very different. He may perceive reality as the wreck was inevitable, he just happened to be drunk.

So a "universal" reality does not exist. We have individual perceptions of reality. The larger point is, these perceptions of reality are happening in a thing called "time" which is actually created by the expanding of the universe. Without this, there is no perception of reality.

 

[BlackSand]

Reality doesn't care about you or your perceptions ... What you perceive doesn't change reality.
You are not that important ... and reality existed before you did.

.

 

[Boss]

Reality doesn't care about you or your perceptions ... What you perceive doesn't change reality.
You are not that important ... and reality existed before you did.

.

Well, there is not "THE REALITY" BlackSand. There is only perceptions of reality. We can witness and experience the exact same thing happening at the same time, side by side, and have a different perception of reality. Now I don't understand why the vitriolic tone where you think that you and reality are going to show me a thing or two, but I assure you, you don't speak for MY reality. What you perceive IS your reality, it doesn't change someone else's perception of reality.

 

[Boss]

The idea that reality doesn't exist is simply a word game. Consider only the reality of this thread, now show me it doesn't really exist. Will the real reality please stand up.

"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced." Soren Kierkegaard

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." Dr. Seuss

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick

Consider only the reality of this thread, now show me it doesn't really exist.

Can you show me that it DOES exist? I appears to exist to you, in your perception of reality. Countless other people will never have any awareness of it's existence in reality. For them, this thread is never going to be a part of their perception of reality.

This is not a word game. It's not a left-wing/right-wing issue that you have to pick your side and defend to the hilt. It's not really even about God or spirituality. It's simply a philosophical discussion and all are welcome to participate.

So far, this thread is disappointing. I expected much more activity, but I guess people are more drawn to bombastic arguments and rhetorical nonsense? If I were attacking some liberal viewpoint or criticizing Atheists, I bet this thread would be melting down with response.

 

[Boss]

Here is some more mind-blowing weird science pertaining to the OP:

How many of you have heard of the Double Slit Experiment or Double Slit Dichotomy? If you are unfamiliar, look it up, it is very fascinating indeed.

Here is a video to give you an introduction:


In synopsis, they did this experiment with electrons, tiny bits of matter. Firing these electrons through a tiny slit and recording where they hit on the background wall, they found the electrons formed a pattern which coincides with the shape and location of the slit. Introducing a second slit, they expected the electrons to behave like particles and form two patterns coinciding with the two slits. However, the results were an "interference pattern" as you would see with waves, not particles. This baffled physicists because it shouldn't have done this. So they decided to monitor the electrons as they entered the slits to see what was happening to cause the interference pattern. This is where it gets bizarre... when they OBSERVED the electrons, they formed a particle-like pattern as was originally predicted!

So when they didn't observe the electrons, they behaved like waves, and when they did observe them, they behaved like particles. It was as if the electrons were aware they were being observed. They even tried to "trick" the electrons into thinking they were being observed by monitoring them but simply not recording any data. The results were the interference pattern of waves again. It was only when they observed and recorded the data the electrons behaved like particles.

The only rational explanation anyone has come up with is the consciousness of observation affects matter and how it behaves. This is the nucleus of quantum physics. Strange indeed.

 

[ZenBubba]

If reality is an illusion then so is any explanation that you might offer to describe it.

 

[Boss]

If reality is an illusion then so is any explanation that you might offer to describe it.

And so is your point.

 

[ZenBubba]

If reality is an illusion then so is any explanation that you might offer to describe it.

And so is your point.

Exactly.