Does the world disappear when we close our eyes?

Question

A little quantum physics...gotta love it.

Answer 1

That depends on if it even exists when our eyes are open.

Answer 2

I don't think that's quite what quantum physics is saying. I figure that it's more of a philosophical question like you've posted it under.

As I understand it, quantum physics doesn't allow you to know where anything is - you can't know it's position and speed (or something like that) at the same time, and therefore can only have a probability for where everything is.

I may be wrong, I did do physics for my A levels and read up on it quite a bit out of my own interest, but by no means did I do it for a degree or anything...


And no, I don't think the world disappears when we close our eyes :P

Answer 3

According to Robert Pirzig's Phaedrus a blink of an eye doesn't mean the whole world stopped being there and reappeared. He follows Kants idea of a priori conditions. For example the continua of time and space, which are not empirically knowable, have to be taken for granted before you can know anything about the empirical world. (Note: this only makes sense for those who want to know anything, not for solipsists. They can keep on dreaming for all i care.) According to Kant there are more of those so called a priori conditions: causality, relation,...
But i my opinion Kant goes a bit too far in his analytical approach. Analytical as he is, he cuts everything up in a way (conceptually speaking) that not even the best super glue will be able to reattach those cut away parts. Nonetheless i take it for granted this world is the same as the one i saw the last time i opened my eyes... *blink* and now it's the same too... and *blink* ... and *blink*... lol

Answer 4

Its not even there when they are open.

This is all easily understandable if one considers the actual scale of the components of an atom. If one takes into account the fact that the neutrons, protons and electrons of an atom actually have huge spaces between them it becomes clear that the atoms that make up seemingly solid objects are made up of 99+ percent empty space.

This alone does not seem too important till you add the idea that the atoms that make up seemingly solid objects are more of a loose conglomeration that share a similar attraction but never really touch each other.

At first glance this does not really seem relevant, but closer analysis reveals that this adds a tremendous amount of empty space to solid objects that are already made up of atoms that are 99 percent space. When so-called solid objects are seen in this light it becomes apparent that they can in no way be the seemingly solid objects they appear to be.

We ourselves are not exceptions to this phenomenon.

These seemingly solid objects are more like ghostly images that we interpret as solid objects based on our perceptual conclusions.

From this we must conclude that Perception is some sort of a trick that helps us to take these ghostly images and turn them into a world we can associate and interact with. This clever device seems to be a creation of our intellect that enables us to interact with each other in what appears to be a three dimensional reality.

I hope that answered your question.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 5

The VISUAL aspect of MY world, in an empirical sense, does indeed disappear.

In the 'real' sense, who knows - maybe it neither exists nor doesn't exists or does and doesn't exist waiting to see if I'm going to open my eyes again.

You can't answer for me either because you would be telling me about the condition of YOUR visual world rather than mine. YOUR visual world is not the same as MY visual world nor does YOUR visual world determine MY visual world.

My perceptions make up MY world. Your perceptions make up YOUR world. THE world is the 'place' where our perceptions line up enough for us, as perceivers, to interact.

Cordove - in a word: quality.

Answer 6

No-the tensile elements-that which we can touch exist, so there is SOMETHING that we call the world present whether we have sight or not-but our Perception is always our own vision and interpretation of what that world really is-..of course, you don't have to take my word for it-try a game of hide and seek and close your eyes instead of hiding-if caught, then I'm right and you have your answer!
Hope this helps! (love reducing psycho-babble to childishly over-simplistic drivel!)
Shane

Answer 7

I'd just like to say that Cordova deserves the best answer because what he says really makes sense. Also, I believe the world is there mentally when we close our eyes, but I'm not sure if it's there when I'm sleeping.

Answer 8

Does it disappear when you turn the lights out? Essentially you're doing the same thing.

Answer 9

Indeed clearly not!

providing the eyes can be reopened.

if nought exists
then what is there to be reopened?
.. to open again and remember that they were closed.

interesting question.

Answer 10

Well, I can close my eyes and I can still feel my keyboard, so I say no.