Does the physical world exist?

I think the answer is NO.

There's no evidence that an objective physical world exist. We don't touch anything or see anything. It's all based on a sensory input of information. So the holographic principle and black hole thermodynamics could really be key to what we call reality.

When you look at vision. We never see anything out there. Light hits are retina and information signals to our brain tells us the spatial dimension and color of what we should see. We then project a 3-dimensional image based on that information.

So light hits a 2 dimensional surface are and we project a 3-dimensional "reality." It's the only thing that makes sense. If a tree is out there, why don't I just see a tree? Why is the image formed in my brain?Why is the spatial information formed in my brain?

If the tree really has spatial dimension, then why do I need my brain to tell me this? Why can't I just see the object?

Why does this object have mass? Why can't I touch this object? I never touch matter. Electrons repel and we perceive the force as hard or soft.

The world seems to be a projection of information.

We don't taste anything. It's all based on information. Smell tells you how something should taste. This is why when your nose is stuffy everything taste the same. Taste buds send information to the brain. They detect five elements of taste perception. Salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and umami.

So when you have a cold, you might taste the sweetness of an orange or the bitterness of a lemon but without smell, you will not get the fullness of the food.

Again, it's all waves of information. I can see in the future virtual worlds being constructed based on the information we send to the brain. We might live in one now.

Great thread OP!
However, my head hurts a little :/
Anyways, SnF

We are in physical form, so it does exist.

reply to post by rabzdguy


You cannot verify that the physical form is not part of the mind. I think the whole universe exists in the mind...

reply to post by Matrix Rising

i find it funny that i am replying to this as i showed my girlfriend the matrix trilogy a couple weeks ago and since then shes been wrestling with her own mortality.

As I have to commend you for your reasons, i strongly disagree. I find that if this were a digital world,that would mean someone is controlling it...if someone is controlling it... there would not be as much freedom as we have in this world.... i guess what i am getting at is if this were a digital world we are inserted into or born into...would we really be allowed to have this conversation?

When you touch a wall you've not actually touching it at the sub-atomic level, sure, but there's got to be something there covered with electrons that repels your hand and simulates the sense of touch.

It makes sense to assume that something is... umm, a wall.

Just because all our perceptions are processed in the mind doesn't mean stuff doesn't exist out there in reality. on the contrary, the real world stuff must exist in reality to stimulate all the sensory perceptions you experience.

Nice post. I can feel the people coming to spit poison in this thread because of your user name and what you are saying...but you brought up something I haven't thought of before - the concept with vision. I knew how the eyes work with the light hitting the back of the eye and stimulating the rods and cones and how the image is actually upside down at first but it gets flipped somewhere in the process, and I am and always will be a fan of The Matrix Trilogy...but I never thought about the fact that the image is actually "rendered" the same way a video card in a computer renders images.

There is a film about an hour long called "The Philosophy of The Matrix" which has distinguished world-class Philosophers discussing how deep the concept of the idea is. I couldn't get my wife to sit down and watch any of the movies until she watched the Philosophy one; then she was interested.

I would love to hear others idea's on the subject. The only problem I have with the theory is that if you were blinded, had your eardrums blown out, etc...and lost all senses - You would still be here. It would be 20 times worse than Helen Keller had it, but you would still be in this "reality." Not for long because without a way to communicate or receive stimulation you would go insane and find a way to end your existence in this place, but others would still perceive you. I must think about this further. I usually stop myself from pondering the subject because I don't want to slip off the deep end and in addition, there is no one in the world that I know of that can provide FACTS saying the Matrix isn't real. It's impossible to prove as far as I know.

There wouldn't be a universe if there wasn't life to perceive it.

Originally posted by FonsoHarman
reply to post by Matrix Rising

 

i find it funny that i am replying to this as i showed my girlfriend the matrix trilogy a couple weeks ago and since then shes been wrestling with her own mortality.

As I have to commend you for your reasons, i strongly disagree. I find that if this were a digital world,that would mean someone is controlling it...if someone is controlling it... there would not be as much freedom as we have in this world.... i guess what i am getting at is if this were a digital world we are inserted into or born into...would we really be allowed to have this conversation?

Based on my experience in life thus far, the consensus among the most [gifted/intelligent/farther along the walk to enlightenment] people is that your childhood is over when you realize you are going to die. Completely over that is. There are "sleepwalkers" as I like to call them (you all know the type, the 75% of people that never stop to think about anything and have the same thought playing over and over in their head) that are well into their 20s but technically still a child mentally.

I hope your girlfriend isn't too bothered. Death is necessary.

reply to post by Matrix Rising


Watch the matrix much?

If the the physical world isnt real because we are receiving information through our senses then explain how a real physical world could exist and how anything could live in it in a different way that we do right now.

Either way we would never know.. Don't spend a lifetime pondering that.

reply to post by Matrix Rising


I'm pretty sure Quantum Physics tells us that the Physical World does not exist. For instance that chair you're sitting on is actually 99.99999999% empty space. The other 0.000000001% of it is just the electrons, etc, and they are constantly disappearing and reappearing in and out of space depending on the probability that they might hit something being too high and their wave form collapses back into particle form... or something like that.

And now don't think it's happening just to your chair, because it's happening to you and me, and everything else. Does the Physical world exist?

We're most likely the result of a simulation...

Coming up in part two: just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? Stay tuned to find out!

reply to post by RelentlessRage


its getting better, she still is a little bothered...its mostly the lack of control for her.. i was forced to come to terms with the concept of death at the age of 8 when my father passed away and the many friends and family that have passed throughout my life. i figure all i can do is guide her and pass on all the knowledge i have obtained over the topic. its been primarily getting her to focus on life as at some point it will end and to sit and ponder on death all the time wastes precious time.

Originally posted by FonsoHarman
reply to post by RelentlessRage

 

its getting better, she still is a little bothered...its mostly the lack of control for her.. i was forced to come to terms with the concept of death at the age of 8 when my father passed away and the many friends and family that have passed throughout my life. i figure all i can do is guide her and pass on all the knowledge i have obtained over the topic. its been primarily getting her to focus on life as at some point it will end and to sit and ponder on death all the time wastes precious time.

My father died when I was 16. Much easier to deal with than being 8. I'm sorry, brother. I don't know how old you are now, but I hope that you have memories of him. He lives through you. You are doing the right thing with your girlfriend, and I agree with you about the precious time. I wish you well brother.

Originally posted by Matrix Rising
I think the answer is NO.

There's no evidence that an objective physical world exist.

What do you mean by exist?

The problem here is that you think you're talking about physics, when in reality you're talking about LANGUAGE.

Think about it. Seriously.

The captivity within language is terrifying.
The only thing worse than that is the fact that people don't even understand they are captive, and to what point.

Originally posted by DaRAGE
reply to post by Matrix Rising

 

I'm pretty sure Quantum Physics tells us that the Physical World does not exist. For instance that chair you're sitting on is actually 99.99999999% empty space. The other 0.000000001% of it is just the electrons, etc, and they are constantly disappearing and reappearing in and out of space depending on the probability that they might hit something being too high and their wave form collapses back into particle form... or something like that.

And now don't think it's happening just to your chair, because it's happening to you and me, and everything else. Does the Physical world exist?

We're most likely the result of a simulation...

edit on 23-11-2011 by DaRAGE because: (no reason given)

Cool and mind altering was that vid! I thought I had heard all the hypothesis on Matrix/holographic world theories but that vid piqued my interest a bit more now... Good work

reply to post by RelentlessRage

i am sorry you lost your father as well as death is never easy at any age. thank you for the condolence..i`m in my twenties now and i was blessed with the most memories as i am the oldest of three children. i replied really to thank you for your kind words good sir.

i wish you well as your mood says sorrow....may you overcome whatever hardship has occurred for yourself

Originally posted by FonsoHarman
reply to post by RelentlessRage

 

i am sorry you lost your father as well as death is never easy at any age. thank you for the condolence..i`m in my twenties now and i was blessed with the most memories as i am the oldest of three children. i replied really to thank you for your kind words good sir.

I too am the oldest of three children, and am in my late 20s. Nice to meet you, and I appreciate the kind words.

reply to post by Matrix Rising


Okay I haven't read all of the replies......and I won't.
I wonder based on your theory why when I drink a beer it effects the way I think, or when I smoke a cigarette it effects my mood.