do we exist at all?

Question

my sister thinks we are lab rats in a box and some weird creepy guy is controlling us all, and that he is who so many people think of as God. it's an interesting prospect. i'm not sure what i think, so how about you?

Answer 1

Within this universe, we exist. However, modern cosmology does not believe this is the only universe. Unfortunately, there is no consensus whether the number of additional universes is finite or infinite.

Within this universe, the "laws of physics" (Newtonian gravity, for instance) are increasingly by science being shown to be nothing more than convenient ways of explaining comparatively local phenomena.

[Newton worked without "correction" for describing the motions of the planets, but is entirely inadequate to explain the motion of glactic stars. The "solution" is a "halo" of "dark matter" producing an inversely-acting gravitational effect (strength directly proportional to distance)].

When the natural laws break down, modern "scientists" casually invent whole categories of figmental substances (dark matter) and forces (dark energy) having exactly the distribution and identities of properties to "fix" the apparent deficiency in their deified formulae.

Once upon a time, science involved the study of observable phenomena and the application of reason and logic to arrive at insights into the mysteries of nature; today, "science" has become as much a religion supported entirely by articles of faith as the belief systems its adherents seek to demonize.

It is, I suppose, a precept in logic to assume the asking of your question would be impossible if you did not exist -- and our answers would be impossible if we did not perceive your question (hence, your reality), and we know that we are real because we are able to perceive (and to answer).

Is it plausible that we are all merely virtual elements in some sort of computer software? The only intellectually honest answer is "yes."

However, when we contemplate the consequences of our interactions with the other elements of that program (nature, other people, etc.), survival and other selfish interests indicate the wisdom of regarding those elements and our respective selves as "real."

Answer 2

As to your question, do we exist at all? Allow me ask you something in return:

Who may I ask, is asking?

If one does not exist, one cannot question his or her own (or anyone else’s) existence.

I personally cannot say for certain that we are not being deceived in some elaborate deception. However, that assumption is purely hypothetical. As far as we can tell, there are more factors supporting the idea that we are not “lab rats” that there are factors supporting that we are. But then again, one could also say that all these “factors” are just part of the deception. I for one will take the stance the British nineteenth-century poet Lord Tennyson stated in his poem The Ancient Sage:

For nothing worthy proving can be proven,
Nor yet disproven; wherefore thou be wise,
Cleave ever to the sunnier side of doubt.

If we were “lab rats”, and we are being deceived, we would have to exist in order to be deceived in the first place.

Answer 3

There may be some truth to that. Although her view of the man in the labcoat is a bit extreme.

Have ou ever thought that quite possibly, we are in "heaven," or the afterlife, right now? And that we will soon be born into the real world?

There is a man, named Deepak Chopra. He is a brilliant man, and a genius in many ways. Look him up and read his newest book; "Life After Death: The Burden of Proof."

He had an interview with Steven Colbert of The Colbert Report, in which he spoke on topics like this. If you can find the interview, I would greatly appreciate any info you have on it.

Answer 4

I doubt we're actually in a box, but i believe this could very possibly be true. I also doubt that the guy is what we would refer to as creepy, but throughout history man has spoken of an entity that shaped and created the world and everything here. Many names have been given to this entity, and he is a main controller guy... i don't really have the words to express my thoughts...

Answer 5

First we have to look at the words "to exist". What does it mean that "speaking purple banana's don't exist". Clearly it states that being part of the physical reality...interacting with it...subject to the general laws of reality (like no 2 particles can occupy the same space). Then look at the phrase "I exist".
So in a sense your asking...'am "I" part of the world i perceive?' Thus asking "am I part of my body?", since its obvious that your body is part of the surrounding matter.

Thus is 'consciousness' part of the body?

Religious ("idealism") people state its a soul riding on the body, without actually being part of reality.
According to the scientific "materialism" philosophy only stuff composed of matter exists per definition. Thus part of the perceived reality.

Like do colors or idea's exist? NO materially, but YES as they are a product of the brain too.

Therefore the eastern bunny does not exist, and neither does consciousness.

Especially true if the perceived reality is a phantom of the brain.
Then too is the consciousness not part of the perceived world. And thus does not "exist".

Answer 6

I don't believe we are being made and controlled by some weird creepy guy. If we are being created by this so-called God, women would never have to get pregnant or is that creepy guy secretly helping all the women in the world to conceive in the absence of their husbands?

The god-believers say everything good is done by god and everything bad is done by evil. Lets wake up and be realistic. There is no god and no evil. God is among us, evil is also among us.

Answer 7

When you sit and think about life, you gotta wonder. Maybe she's right. Or maybe we're just brains and nerves in a jar somewhere.
Maybe we're all dreaming. We'd be pretty naive to think that we're the most intelligent beings in the universe, and beyond. Existence is pretty mind-blowing, isn't it!

Answer 8

i don't see that it makes much difference we're here right now alive (or at least we think we are.... whatever) why worry about who's in charge we're mortals not him, if we just fuss over what he's up to where's the fun in that. As for whether or not we exist, look at it like this what must our real lives but like if this is our dream, drink up my dear

Answer 9

Well,

""Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum."
-------Translation: I think [that] I think, therefore, I think [that] I am. "
---------------Attributed to "The Devil's Dictionary" by Ambrose Bierce.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Dictionary#Attributed

Well, I know I exist...but I don't think the rest of you do!

or maybe...

"Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream. "
--- "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"
--------Eliphalet Oram Lyte "The Franklin Square Song Collection"(1881, New York)

...but who's? Yours? Mine? (Gee, I'd hope my imagination was better than this...) God's? Satan's? Peter Griffin? Harlan Ellison?

Hope that helps...
Or at least entertains...

Answer 10

Exsisting.... Do we exisist. Well of course we do, we are here, are we not, well, we exsist in our minds and in other, we create echos in the words like pebbels into a pond. We are all, and we are nothing, it all gets too complex and scientfic for me, ex: the atomic energy and such