Biocentrism Says Time and Death Are Illusions You’ve Invented

Loved the book Biocentrism and now they're adding even more. First, before the skeptics call Robert Lanza a kook, here's more about him.

Robert Paul Lanza (born 11 February 1956) is a prominent American medical doctor and scientist. He is currently Head of Astellas Global Regenerative Medicine,[1] and is Chief Scientific Officer of Ocata Therapeutics, formerly named Advanced Cell Technology[2] and Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Lanza was part of the team that cloned the world's first early stage human embryos,[4][5] as well as the first to successfully generate stem cells from adults using somatic-cell nuclear transfer (therapeutic cloning).[6][7]

Lanza demonstrated that techniques used in preimplantation genetic diagnosis could be used to generate embryonic stem cells without embryonic destruction.[8]

In 2001, he was also the first to clone an endangered species (a Gaur),[9] and in 2003, he cloned an endangered wild ox (a Banteng)[10] from the frozen skin cells of an animal that had died at the San Diego Zoo nearly a quarter-of-a-century earlier.

en.wikipedia.org...

Everytime someone supports a theory they don't agree with, the first thing that usually occurs is an attack on their credibility. Here's more from the article:

Okay, I admit it. They had me at “You won’t actually die.” I want to believe. Dr. Robert Lanza MD and astronomer Bob Berman (no relation to me) have developed an explanation of the universe in which none of us dies. It’s called “biocentrism,” and states that life and consciousness create the reality we experience, and without those two elements, it’s just not there. They’ve written a book about it, Beyond Biocentrism.

In a column Lanza and Berman wrote for Aeon, they say “It turns out that everything we see and experience is a whirl of information occurring in our head… Rather, space and time are the tools our mind uses to put it all together.” Thus, time is just a narrative construct we employ to make sense of all this sensory input—this is the key to the not-dying part.

The authors cite a range of intellectual luminaries who themselves had doubts about times’ reality, including Albert Einstein, who wrote on the passing of his friend Michele Besso, “Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”

bigthink.com...

First, let's talk about that Einstein quote. To me, that quote blows my mind every time I read it. Einstein didn't say this in some abstract way in a lecture. This was sent to a Friends family at his death. He said,"THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE IS ONLY A STUBBORNLY PERSISTENT ILLUSION."

This is like Einstein sticking a fork into local realism before experiments showed it was dead.

Just think about what that says. Everything we do is based on the distinction between past, present and future being real. Time of birth, time of death, Christma, Easter and Tomorrow. We base all these things on a distinction between past, present and future. I went to a cousins Wedding yesterday and about 6 months ago(past) they planned(present) to get Married on May 7th 2016 at 4:00(future). Yet, Einstein tells us that the distinction between these events is just a persistent illusion. That's a wow moment but it gets even worse with quantum mechanics.

Quantum physics: Death by experiment for local realism

A fundamental scientific assumption called local realism conflicts with certain predictions of quantum mechanics. Those predictions have now been verified, with none of the loopholes that have compromised earlier tests.

www.nature.com...

So the world behaves like conscious thought. Think about the world we live in. Everything we think of as "reality" is just a construct of an intelligent mind. A game of Poker isn't an objective reality and neither is the gas station on the corner and everything in it. These aren't objective realities but constructs of an intelligent mind.

When you move into a new house or apt. and you arrange the living room with furniture and your TV, that's not an objective reality but a construct of an intelligent mind.

People thought there was no way that the universe could work this way. They thought for sure it was fixed and Newton would win the day. Things got worse with Einstin and then a tsunami of things like entanglement, superpostion and non-locality rained down on those who longed for a Newtonian world.

Here's some quotes:

"Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real."
―Niels Bohr

“The reality we can put into words is never reality itself.”
― Werner Heisenberg

“I think that modern physics has definitely decided in favor of Plato. In fact the smallest units of matter are not physical objects in the ordinary sense; they are forms, ideas which can be expressed unambiguously only in mathematical language.”
― Werner Heisenberg

This to me supports Cosmic consciousness. With the death of local realism there's nothing propping up the universe. Just like we construct the local gas station or arrange our living rooms and make them "real" the universe itself works in the same way. So there's a Cosmic consciousness that constructs the universe and a local consciousness that constructs a local "reality." These are one and the same. If you want to learn more about Biocentrism, here's a video:

After many years of trying to puzzle through this I believe pretty much what you have laid out here, including your signature. Yet the graveyards are full. Speculation notwithstanding, somehow we are made, i.e.: Forced, to go through this illusion. The more interesting question is not the non-reality of it all, but why? Many people think they have figured it out and are only too happy to give you the benefit of their non-experience. I see no particular reason to believe them.

a reply to: neoholographic

This is a very interesting post! In reading it I wondered: what is the "reality outside" of this world that we have created and where does it come from, if it does exist? I will most likely read all afternoon into the night because this has my mind wondering. Mission accomplished. Or at least an illusion in my reality accomplished. *wink*

Very good reads! S&F

a reply to: schuyler

Yet the graveyards are full.

Graveyards are full of shells that once housed a soul/energy. You'll find no souls nor energy at a graveyard. Just a rotting host. The energy that made the shell animated has went on elsewhere.

Why are there so many threads on ATS that keep trying to abstract into oblivion? How is any of this relevant to the human experience? So if we fully understand time, perhaps we can transcend, except not while we're limited to this dimension of spacetime in a physical body... so not happening anytime soon. So what's the point? I have experiences which are a hell of a lot more real than some scribbles on a piece of paper.

I don't get why people get turned sideways over abstractions that may or may not be proven useful in the future, but for right now are more assumption than hard-proven and relevant to our everyday lives. If we get some cool warp drives out of quantum physics and get to explore the galaxy, hey I'm all for it, but telling me everything I experience is an illusion doesn't do a damned thing for me.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
Why are there so many threads on ATS that keep trying to abstract into oblivion? How is any of this relevant to the human experience? So if we fully understand time, perhaps we can transcend, except not while we're limited to this dimension of spacetime in a physical body... so not happening anytime soon. So what's the point? I have experiences which are a hell of a lot more real than some scribbles on a piece of paper.

I don't get why people get turned sideways over abstractions that may or may not be proven useful in the future, but for right now are more assumption than hard-proven and relevant to our everyday lives. If we get some cool warp drives out of quantum physics and get to explore the galaxy, hey I'm all for it, but telling me everything I experience is an illusion doesn't do a damned thing for me.

This post is PURE NONSENSE!

Who cares if this doesn't do anything for you? If it doesn't, why are you here and why did you even comment? If you don't want to talk about these things then there's plenty of other threads you can participate in.

The fact is, there's many people like myself that do give a damn about the nature of time and the nature of reality. This is just not on ATS but you can find Scientist from Michio Kaku to Stephen Hawking talking about everything from the nature of time to whether or not parallel universes exist.

Secondly, this is based on current experiments and Scientific understanding. This isn't some abstract thought from out of the vacuum. This is why I listed sources on everything from Biocentrism to the death of local realism.

So if we fully understand time, it could not only tell us more about the world we experience but if there's other world's out there.

I have to end by just stressing how ridiculous your post is. If past generations thought these things were a waste of time because it doesn't do a damn thing for them, we wouldn't have the technology quantum mechanics have given us because they worked on these things even though they knew they wouldn't experience or even know what these things can accomplish.

So if you don't care about the nature of what we call reality, then that's your problem. You can keep living in Plato's Cave and stop bothering the rest of us who actually want to discuss things like the nature of time and the nature of the reality we experience.

originally posted by: Staroth
a reply to: neoholographic

This is a very interesting post! In reading it I wondered: what is the "reality outside" of this world that we have created and where does it come from, if it does exist? I will most likely read all afternoon into the night because this has my mind wondering. Mission accomplished. Or at least an illusion in my reality accomplished. *wink*

Very good reads! S&F

Thanks and those are very good questions. There's a lot of info out there and like you said, is there a "really outside" or is it something that's created by the mind.

originally posted by: Staroth
a reply to: schuyler

Yet the graveyards are full.

Graveyards are full of shells that once housed a soul/energy. You'll find no souls nor energy at a graveyard. Just a rotting host. The energy that made the shell animated has went on elsewhere.

Thank you so much for that obviousness. I'm glad to know that the energy "has went" elsewhere.

originally posted by: neoholographic

This post is PURE NONSENSE!

Or you know, you could just say I'm violating your belief and that upsets you.

Who cares if this doesn't do anything for you? If it doesn't, why are you here and why did you even comment? If you don't want to talk about these things then there's plenty of other threads you can participate in.

I made a post with relevant comments. If you don't value them, that's cool.

The fact is, there's many people like myself that do give a damn about the nature of time and the nature of reality. This is just not on ATS but you can find Scientist from Michio Kaku to Stephen Hawking talking about everything from the nature of time to whether or not parallel universes exist.

That's great. You can also find many scientists and great thinkers who just don't go there, and many who do to various extents, but tend to not lump it all into the woo-woo type threads you put here on ATS.

Secondly, this is based on current experiments and Scientific understanding. This isn't some abstract thought from out of the vacuum. This is why I listed sources on everything from Biocentrism to the death of local realism.

Sure it is. Just a quick glance at your quotes shows you are intellectually lazy and don't mind mixing things up quite a bit.

Hey, if you're cool mixing and matching things just to satisfy your beliefs, and then trying to toss it all of as science, then that's your deal.

Just don't expect everyone to follow along just cause. Some of us know better.

Okay, I admit it. They had me at “You won’t actually die.” I want to believe. Dr. Robert Lanza MD and astronomer Bob Berman (no relation to me) have developed an explanation of the universe in which none of us dies. It’s called “biocentrism,” and states that life and consciousness create the reality we experience, and without those two elements, it’s just not there. They’ve written a book about it, Beyond Biocentrism.

In a column Lanza and Berman wrote for Aeon, they say “It turns out that everything we see and experience is a whirl of information occurring in our head… Rather, space and time are the tools our mind uses to put it all together.” Thus, time is just a narrative construct we employ to make sense of all this sensory input—this is the key to the not-dying part.

So basically, they took a multi-millennia old philosophy, plopped a modern name on it, and are now taking credit for its "development".

They "discovered" something that has been known for thousands upon thousands of years. Only in the West did that knowledge really get lost though, first under the oppression of Abrahamic religions, then under the oppression of the materialist religion that has mostly supplanted them in modern thought.

In the East, this is a pretty common belief.

Glad to hear the modern West is, maybe, starting to come around to "reality", but lets be honest, this line of thought is not something new. Its old. Its ancient beyond our measure and should be recognized as such.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

Look, you haven't provided a shred of evidence to refute any evidence that has been presented. You just come on a thread and complain because people are talking about a subject you deem unworthy.

Who cares what you think? Again, if you want to remain in Plato's Cave then that's your choice. Don't you realize how ignorant you sound coming into a thread and telling people that they shouldn't even be discussing these things because you don't give a damn?

Who cares? So if you don't want to discuss these things please leave the thread because I don't want to clog up the thread with this nonsense. They're people who do give a damn about these things and it's their choice to add to the discussion.

a reply to: neoholographic

Hah! You a funny guy. I suppose you believe your "evidence" is in order all the same.

Well then lets just leave it as we'll have to agree to disagree, but I do think you should grow up a little and respect people who have different beliefs than you.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

I'm all for live and let live, or die and let die. Whatever.

But I only respect interesting beliefs. The notion that all beliefs and / or opinions are worthy of respect is relativist BS.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
a reply to: neoholographic

Hah! You a funny guy. I suppose you believe your "evidence" is in order all the same.

Well then lets just leave it as we'll have to agree to disagree, but I do think you should grow up a little and respect people who have different beliefs than you.

I do have respect for those who disagree. I don't have respect for those who say people shouldn't even discuss these things because they don't give a damn about the subject. Like I said, who cares?

a reply to: 0zzymand0s

Well there certainly not all equal, but I respect them all to a given degree (some not so much, to be honest)





Anyways, I upset this guy and will respectfully leave his thread. He's not doing anything wrong by having poorly constructed thoughts.

originally posted by: CaticusMaximus

Okay, I admit it. They had me at “You won’t actually die.” I want to believe. Dr. Robert Lanza MD and astronomer Bob Berman (no relation to me) have developed an explanation of the universe in which none of us dies. It’s called “biocentrism,” and states that life and consciousness create the reality we experience, and without those two elements, it’s just not there. They’ve written a book about it, Beyond Biocentrism.

In a column Lanza and Berman wrote for Aeon, they say “It turns out that everything we see and experience is a whirl of information occurring in our head… Rather, space and time are the tools our mind uses to put it all together.” Thus, time is just a narrative construct we employ to make sense of all this sensory input—this is the key to the not-dying part.

So basically, they took a multi-millennia old philosophy, plopped a modern name on it, and are now taking credit for its "development".

They "discovered" something that has been known for thousands upon thousands of years. Only in the West did that knowledge really get lost though, first under the oppression of Abrahamic religions, then under the oppression of the materialist religion that has mostly supplanted them in modern thought.

In the East, this is a pretty common belief.

Glad to hear the modern West is, maybe, starting to come around to "reality", but lets be honest, this line of thought is not something new. Its old. Its ancient beyond our measure and should be recognized as such.

That's the point. Yes, it's pretty common in Eastern thought but one of the reasons why it's not as popular in Western thought is because of Scientific materialism which is dead based on current experiments. What this is showing is that Science supports much of Eastern thought on these matters.

originally posted by: neoholographic

I do have respect for those who disagree. I don't have respect for those who say people shouldn't even discuss these things because they don't give a damn about the subject. Like I said, who cares?

So you ask me to leave, and them bait me by lying?

That's not too wise, but I see how you roll, so will go ahead and leave because this will obviously go nowhere good.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese

originally posted by: neoholographic

I do have respect for those who disagree. I don't have respect for those who say people shouldn't even discuss these things because they don't give a damn about the subject. Like I said, who cares?

So you ask me to leave, and them bait me by lying?

That's not too wise, but I see how you roll, so will go ahead and leave because this will obviously go nowhere good.

What?

I could care less if you stay or leave. I just said, it doesn't make sense to say people shouldn't be discussing these things. You haven't provided a shred of evidence about anything. This isn't a discussion about what you feel should or shouldn't be discussed. Like I said who cares? All I ask that the discussion is about the topic of the thread because nobody cares what you think as it pertains to whether or not people should discuss these things.

a reply to: Staroth

And how do you know that? We don't have any proof of that. It's just another "hypothesis" that has not been tested or so far has not tested in our living, existing world.

People have been convinced that the only certainties are death and taxes. Ironically, it's harder to convince people of the realities of life and liberty.

the human body has all the necessary mechanisms to perpetuate indefinitely

death is a disease


25)Peter said to him, Since you have explained everything to us, tell us this also: What is the sin of the world?

26) The Savior said There is no sin, but it is you who make sin when you do the things that are like the nature of adultery, which is called sin.

27) That is why the Good came into your midst, to the essence of every nature in order to restore it to its root.

28) Then He continued and said, That is why you become sick and die, for you are deprived of the one who can heal you.

29) He who has a mind to understand, let him understand.

30) Matter gave birth to a passion that has no equal, which proceeded from something contrary to nature. Then there arises a disturbance in its whole body.