Venting Are we trapped in this horrible universe?

[Darkover]

Are we trapped in this horrible universe

We still don't know the limits of our universe, so we can't say whether we are trapped or not.
E.g We say that a rat is trapped in a cage because we know the limits/boundaries of the cage. By putting a rat in a cage we limit its freedom which is confined to area of the cage but in the case of universe and us we can't say this.

that's not the kind of trap i am taking about, it's the life and death trap i am referring too
The idea of "nothing forever" can feel like an escape from suffering, but it can also seem incomprehensibly vast and unsettling. On the other hand, the thought of rebirth—being caught in an endless cycle—can feel like a trap, especially since suffering is a guaranteed.

i think we are either nothing forever or rebirth in this universe essentially being trapped either to oblivion or rebirth forever

one way or another we are in a trap either to oblivion or rebirth forever
i know would prefer to be trapped in a state of oblivion than a cycle of life and death
and seeming how life already here i can't see us ever being able to escape

 

[Pluto]

 

[Forever Sleep]

From my limited knowledge and direct experience of things like memory and self awareness, I personally believe that the current configeration of you, me, us is a one time deal. From the billions of lives that have already played out, so few people remembering past lives etc. I think our unique way of thinking, being aware that we are us, storing our memories, lives and dies with our brains.

I could tell you for a fact you are the reincarnated 'father's nephew's former roomate' ('Spaceballs' film- always made me laugh) of: Alexandra the Great. What difference does that make to your life now? Are you even aware of having lived for 2,300 years?

So, while reincarnation does sort of disturb me, it's more like I feel sorry for 'them' in the future- whoever they are. Rather than 'me'. I don't believe enough of 'me' will remain in 'them' for 'them/me' to realise they are 'me'! As it were!

In fact, I don't really believe in it at all. I see no need for nature to recycle consciousness because I don't envisage consciousness to be a 'thing' like an ear or a heart. I think consciousness is more like an ability or a process of the brain. Like seeing and hearing are abilities of our eyes, ears and brains doing what they do.

I just think consciousness likely evolved and remained this way because it gave us the edge over other animals. Besides, If it were a fully formed 'thing' that has had the benefit of already living billions of lives, why are babies born so stupid?!! Why don't we already know the alphabet, how to speak, how to feed ourselves, how to go to the toilet (for God's sake.) Why is all that knowledge lost but people still seem to believe a large part of them will transfer on?

I'm not 100% convinced. The weirder shit in life like common dreams, intuition, possible foresight kind of freaks me out but, that's my general belief. Maybe some of us have just evolved to predict things really well which feels like intuition. Not sure but, reincarnation? Hopefully not... Not in a consciously aware way anyhow.

 

[Darkover]

From my limited knowledge and direct experience of things like memory and self awareness, I personally believe that the current configeration of you, me, us is a one time deal. From the billions of lives that have already played out, so few people remembering past lives etc. I think our unique way of thinking, being aware that we are us, storing our memories, lives and dies with our brains.

I could tell you for a fact you are the reincarnated 'father's nephew's former roomate' ('Spaceballs' film- always made me laugh) of: Alexandra the Great. What difference does that make to your life now? Are you even aware of having lived for 2,300 years?

So, while reincarnation does sort of disturb me, it's more like I feel sorry for 'them' in the future- whoever they are. Rather than 'me'. I don't believe enough of 'me' will remain in 'them' for 'them/me' to realise they are 'me'! As it were!

In fact, I don't really believe in it at all. I see no need for nature to recycle consciousness because I don't envisage consciousness to be a 'thing' like an ear or a heart. I think consciousness is more like an ability or a process of the brain. Like seeing and hearing are abilities of our eyes, ears and brains doing what they do.

I just think consciousness likely evolved and remained this way because it gave us the edge over other animals. Besides, If it were a fully formed 'thing' that has had the benefit of already living billions of lives, why are babies born so stupid?!! Why don't we already know the alphabet, how to speak, how to feed ourselves, how to go to the toilet (for God's sake.) Why is all that knowledge lost but people still seem to believe a large part of them will transfer on?

I'm not 100% convinced. The weirder shit in life like common dreams, intuition, possible foresight kind of freaks me out but, that's my general belief. Maybe some of us have just evolved to predict things really well which feels like intuition. Not sure but, reincarnation? Hopefully not... Not in a consciously aware way anyhow.

When you are dead, nothing functions. I think the fact that we're even here in the first place existing as something alongside everything around us is such an insane fact that we witness everyday but never truly comprehend it. There is something rather than nothing basically.

Also, the fact that laws (immaterial forces that predetermine how something will interact with the universe around it) exist is insane. The fact that there are, in lack of better terms since relatively is a thing, constants in the universe that we can observe is beyond wild.

From what I know of consciousness, We feel things rather than being perfect analytical machines.

If your brain doesn't have electrical and or biochemical activity, at all, you are very most likely not conscious, or in a state of non-consciousness-existance

Here is what I think: This doesn't seem to be a common view but if we know it for a fact that you started to exist for some reason at the point of your birth (your consciousness, your self did), before which you didn't exist, then would it not be logical to assume that after you cease to exist (after death), out of that non-existance you will emerge again in another body? I am not talking at all about reincarnation, consciousness probably dies after death, but if the only real thing we can know for sure about consciousness is that it (seemingly) randomly appears out of non-existance, why wouldn't the same happen after you die?

This seems a lot more likely to me than "nothingness forever". You started to exist once, without any reason, why not again? Obviously you would not have memories or anything, cause that dies with the previous brain, but the baby would be you.

And as a sidenote, cause this, I think, is actually possible: that would mean that each and every one of us is the same person, the same consciousness, only in a different sort of "dimension". Cause after we die, time ceases to have meaning, so you could be born into any conscious being that has ever existed or will exist in the universe, and following this theory, you will and then after death you will again an infinite number of times. And so could live the lives of every being ever, infinitely, and thus be immortal.

 

[Forever Sleep]

When you are dead, nothing functions. I think the fact that we're even here in the first place existing as something alongside everything around us is such an insane fact that we witness everyday but never truly comprehend it. There is something rather than nothing basically.

Also, the fact that laws (immaterial forces that predetermine how something will interact with the universe around it) exist is insane. The fact that there are, in lack of better terms since relatively is a thing, constants in the universe that we can observe is beyond wild.

From what I know of consciousness, We feel things rather than being perfect analytical machines.

If your brain doesn't have electrical and or biochemical activity, at all, you are very most likely not conscious, or in a state of non-consciousness-existance

Here is what I think: This doesn't seem to be a common view but if we know it for a fact that you started to exist for some reason at the point of your birth (your consciousness, your self did), before which you didn't exist, then would it not be logical to assume that after you cease to exist (after death), out of that non-existance you will emerge again in another body? I am not talking at all about reincarnation, consciousness probably dies after death, but if the only real thing we can know for sure about consciousness is that it (seemingly) randomly appears out of non-existance, why wouldn't the same happen after you die?

This seems a lot more likely to me than "nothingness forever". You started to exist once, without any reason, why not again? Obviously you would not have memories or anything, cause that dies with the previous brain, but the baby would be you.

And as a sidenote, cause this, I think, is actually possible: that would mean that each and every one of us is the same person, the same consciousness, only in a different sort of "dimension". Cause after we die, time ceases to have meaning, so you could be born into any conscious being that has ever existed or will exist in the universe, and following this theory, you will and then after death you will again an infinite number of times. And so could live the lives of every being ever, infinitely, and thus be immortal.

Oh definitely- it's crazy shit! I remember being maybe in my teens in a car with my God Parents and saying to them: 'Isn't is weird that we're conscious?' And, they just looked at me like I was nuts! That's one thing I would say sadly. The happier people I've known in life spend less time contemplating all this and more time enjoying whatever it is they're up to. But, that's something else. It's hard to change who we are.

But yeah, it's just insane that this world evolved like this. It definitely makes me think there must be similar worlds out there with beings wondering the same thing about us... maybe.

But sure, all the while there are sentient creatures on this planet, there will be beings here roaming around with brains and consciousness. Each only fully aware of itself. Until the sun implodes/ explodes/ whatever it's going to do and wipes out everything we know. Then- who knows about other planets? What if there is life on other planets but, only plant life? Where will consciousness 'go' then? Where was it when there was only vegetation, water and those wiggly amoeba things on this planet? I don't think it's necessarily a thing that always exists. It needs certain brains to function.