Discussion Do you ever think that perhaps “reality” is a product of your consciousness?

[Lra888]

Sometimes I think it's possible that when I die everything else in my reality goes away with me. Maybe everyone & everything "outside" of me is a product of my mind. I'm currently so depressed that everything seems nightmarish, much of society irrational, struggling for success / decent tolerable existence absurd. I have no way of knowing if anyone out there really exists - all I know is my perception of them. Maybe they don't have self reflection and that's why they aren't depressed and seemingly not bothered by anything. Really no way of connecting with anyone - even with a "soulmate" you still have the internal thoughtlife which cannot be shared or acces by the other

Edited: added more.

 

[Wantingpeace]

Yes my reality turned on head with drug very confusing

 

[Red star]

In a way yes and no. It is a product of..I dont want to say consciousness cause it could also be subconsciousness and traumas. Everyone and everything outside of me has their own consciousness/sub etc. thats creating for them too.

 

[Schopenhauer]

That's called solipsism.

It's similar to the Cartesian demon concept.

I'm not afraid of extreme epistemological/ontological uncertainty, though. These concepts are a priori impossible to falsify.

 

[Lra888]

In a way yes and no. It is a product of..I dont want to say consciousness cause it could also be subconsciousness and traumas. Everyone and everything outside of me has their own consciousness/sub etc. thats creating for them too.

There's no way of knowing for certain that anyone else you interact with or see outside of yourself has a consciousness. I'll have very vivid dreams about people in my life and at the time I have no way of knowing it's a dream- my mind created that. Just as when I'm awake I project what these people outside may be thinking/ feeling/ experiencing emotionally.

 

[millefeui]

No, but my concepts of "reality" aren't really based on what is considered real, if that makes any sense.

 

[Lra888]

That's called solipsism.

It's similar to the Cartesian demon concept.

I'm not afraid of extreme epistemological/ontological uncertainty, though. These concepts are a priori impossible to falsify.

Fascinating. Not familiar with the Cartesian demon idea.

 

[Schopenhauer]

Fascinating. Not familiar with the Cartesian demon idea.

The Cartesian demon would explain the lives of many members....

 

[Justanotherconsumer]

I have thought of that before, all illusion disappears with pain though, if you have ever had a flat tire at night while freezing cold and raining while changing the tire, it's all to real, unfortunately.

 

[bigj75]

I have thought of that before, all illusion disappears with pain though, if you have ever had a flat tire at night while freezing cold and raining while changing the tire, it's all to real, unfortunately.

This!

Pain is the realest thing!

 

[bigj75]

 

[End.of.the.line]

I do think this sometimes but i don't know, your consciousness would have to be pretty damn powerful to create such a detailed reality with so many different things going on all at once. Sometimes I do consider the idea we or just me might be living in a computer simulation but even that seems a little far fetched. There has always been a small part of me that thinks I could be living a Truman show with people or different beings watching my every move, I don't really believe this either but anythings possible right.

 

[Circles]

In a way the universe wouldn't exist without conscience observers to create an image of what it's like.

 

[Essie]

I am not joking when I say that 11 years ago, this topic turned episodes of panic attacks I was getting from losing hair from a medication OD into a raging full-on 24/7 panic disorder that I could no longer function with. I am a spiritual person and was studying my beliefs when I ran across a fairly well-known person who blogs on things like this who postulated that you are the only one who exists and it's all your imagination. I don't know why but that thought scared the bejesus out of me, and I couldn't prove him wrong at the time. It took 2 years to crawl my way out of that hole, mainly using the logic that if that were true, I'd have a much, much better life than I had.

Since then, I have not only read every book on the subject of consciousness published but also participated in years of studies and am fairly straight I understand how it works. But that was a living nightmare for me then.

 

[Essie]

Yes, this was me then! Haha!

What is this thing? I am going to google it.

Edit: Oh, yeah. I do recall hearing this in passing over the years.