Anxious Philosophy

I just had a quick question regarding mental health in relation to philosophy.

I have had pretty anxiety for the past year, so bad that I am actually diagnosed with an "anxiety disorder". However, I have always felt fine in occupying my time with metaphysical theorizing and philosophy.

Just a few hours ago though, I read a paradox. After reading it, it changed my whole way of thinking and seemed to shatter many of my original thoughts. Now, I am kind of freaking out haha.

I am wondering if anyone has ever felt depressed, panicky, or anxious due to reading something in philosophy or is it I am just not mentally stable enough to handle these things?

I am curious as to what paradox you have entertained. Would you mind sharing?

I am curious, as well. Share?

My advice - drink a small glass of wine - and know in your heart that everything will be fine. Really. Everything is just as it's meant to be, and it simply won't be any other way.

No worries.

Originally posted by ronnabs
I am curious as to what paradox you have entertained. Would you mind sharing?

Ya what he said....

Meditation can "cure" anxiety.... Just thought i'd let you know

reply to post by ronnabs


No, I do not mind sharing. It was Zeno's dichotomy paradox which states:

Suppose Homer wants to catch a stationary bus. Before he can get there, he must get halfway there. Before he can get halfway there, he must get a quarter of the way there. Before traveling a quarter, he must travel one-eighth; before an eighth, one-sixteenth; and so on.


The resulting sequence can be represented as:

[..., 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1]

This description requires one to complete an infinite number of tasks, which Zeno maintains is an impossibility.
This sequence also presents a second problem in that it contains no first distance to run, for any possible (finite) first distance could be divided in half, and hence would not be first after all. Hence, the trip cannot even begin. The paradoxical conclusion then would be that travel over any finite distance can neither be completed nor begun, and so all motion must be an illusion.

This argument is called the Dichotomy because it involves repeatedly splitting a distance into two parts. It contains some of the same elements as the Achilles and the Tortoise paradox, but with a more apparent conclusion of motionlessness. It is also known as the Race Course paradox. Some, like Aristotle, regard the Dichotomy as really just another version of Achilles and the Tortoise.[10]

There are two versions of the dichotomy paradox. In the other version, before Homer could reach the stationary bus, he must reach half of the distance to it. Before reaching the last half, he must complete the next quarter of the distance. Reaching the next quarter, he must then cover the next eighth of the distance, then the next sixteenth, and so on. There are thus an infinite number of steps that must first be accomplished before he could reach the bus, with no way to establish the size of any "last" step. Expressed this way, the dichotomy paradox is very much analogous to that of Achilles and the tortoise.
[edit]

Now, this paradox isn't really what I would consider "shocking" but it definitely changed my way of thinking. I used to play video games and I found out through study that a character in a 3rd person or 1st person video game does not actually move but, in fact, stays still and has the animation of movement. What really happens is that the world or Universe moves itself around the character instead of the Universe being fixed and the character moving on it.

I correlated that to real life. I also use the theory that everything in the Universe is simply a manifestation of your own perception. So, when I read this, I started to walk around ponder. As I did this, I suddenly no longed felt my body but instead I felt what I could describe as the whole Universe. I did not feel me moving any more, I just felt the whole Universe moving around me. I felt also that the Universe wasn't doing this on its own but that I was controlling it through my own perception. I felt the experience of "moving forward" which triggered my subconscious into manifesting the Universe to appear as though I was moving when really it was moving "towards me".

Any way, I feel kind of like a looney.

reply to post by ErroneousDylan


interesting...

They do say life is but a dream...

That is very interesting! And it could be the way things really are.

However, I'm not so sure as to why it should cause you any anxiety. Is it going to change the way you live your life?

Anyway, I truly hope you are able to maintain your "centeredness" and stability in this truly fascinating world of infinite possibilities! Sending some positive energy your way.

reply to post by ErroneousDylan


what u dont seem to realize is that everything and anything objective is in multiple different dimension existing according to its reality level in truth superiority

reality is always still but the fact that it is not one, make the free move possible in absolute superior sense objectivity, that can b done subjectively as well

freedom is what exist bc it is the base of truth realizations

what is free by definition is not related to anything so always a plus, while never objective but always an add value to objective facts giving an objective reality sense to facts

when freedom is truth reason then freedom reason is truth too, so there is always a free objective perspective at different level, and only what looks freely superior could b used as an objective abstraction to move truly present forward within urself mind freedom

like i said there are many different realities still levels, while any object even the most appearant useless or wrong one could be seen how it belongs to highest true reality still freedom

i would reject totally the paradoxe u mentionned, from what even in inferior objective perspective, truth there is present one, so things can move according to same identification, no matter the distance
which is surely related to living sense and existence sense that everyone is familiar with and enjoy the free sense out of it

like in nature she is one by being the superior once she realize positive objective
in god he is one by being the positive once he realize superior objective

it is always about them only so a lot of humans and us all are forced to be also of that subjectively existing or living and out of gods existence and life we are free aware
that is why anyone can talk about gods bc they are out of them

while humans should break that oness since it is to gods and they are out of it aware

reply to post by angellicview


Yes, I agree that the paradox itself holds no alarming truths to me. However, I have read some philosophical theories that state that "we are God", "all is One", and "all is God", those kind of things. So, to me, it would prove more evidence to the fact that maybe I am God. There is no real God-like figure (and I don't mean as in Christianity, I just mean a Universal force that could perhaps listen and intervene) other than me. I have created this Universe for myself because I am God. I have manifested everything in this Universe and perceive it the way I do because I am God.

Of course, that is just a crazy sounding theory, but it is certainly expanding my consciousness.

reply to post by ErroneousDylan


Philosophy is mental/conceptual masturbation. Yeah, it does help you get your thinker together for some real application effort, but it doesn't really do anything but prepare you for actual intellectual achievement.

Problem solving, involving philosophical issues and matters of the nature of reality, is philosophy taken out of the solo preparation stages and applying that (hopefully, well exercised) critical analysis to the larger questions of determining what is real, what is plausible and most important, what is simply foolishness concerning what sits beneath the perceptions of humanity as a whole and provides a foundation for that perception.

Tossing about esoteric assertions that intermittently tumble out of your head as if they're true epiphanies is fun, but like masturbation, nothing's going to ever develop as a result. That said, what could possibly be scary about playing with existence-within-a-vacuum conceptual potentials? Just don't post any of it on YouTube, claiming that you've just solved an eternal riddle and you'll be fine.

No worries.

It happens to the best of us.

I remember contemplating Gods nature, or at least attempting to contemplate it, and the farther I tried t probe it, the more overwhelmed by the thought i became; the paradox, which the mind cannot fathom and hold, will do that to you.

Just relax and try not to think about it.

Distract yourself with something positive.

Originally posted by ErroneousDylan
reply to post by angellicview

 

I have created this Universe for myself because I am God. I have manifested everything in this Universe and perceive it the way I do because I am God.

Really? Did you know that I was here all along? And if not, then what kind of god are you that I can hide from you so successfully? And if you believe that I didn't exist until you read this post of mine, then what kind of pathetic god are you that I can suddenly appear and insult you like that? Not much of a god, as far as I can tell.



Just making a point here. Frankly, you can be your own god if you want. Who cares. As long as your kingdom stays the hell off my lawn I don't care what you conjure up.

reply to post by NorEaster


Well, I suppose it is different when you assume your masturbation result is reality as opposed to just a theory haha. I feel too that maybe one could find some bit of enlightenment through philosophy, but I agree that if you obsess over it, it will just be for the effort of intellect.

reply to post by NorEaster


Well, I never claimed that being "God" (or more or less, the creator of my reality) would entitle my consciousness to be all-knowing. Perhaps, I do know everything but I am just not aware of it. I mean, if I was God, you would think that I would know I was God as well. I feel like it is kind of a case of amnesia, if the theory were correct. Of course, how does a God go from being "God" to a naive individual, clueless to all in this Universe.

reply to post by NorEaster


what is weird is how everyone mean to care a lot about the whole existence with its tiniest details forms that confirm it and put so much effort on those guesses will to what is beyond the whole known coming from such tiny point, while clearly they never care the least about their existence facts, do that prove them liars? no i didnt say it

reply to post by ErroneousDylan


if u r god then u killed god, the problem is what u never mean what u say, that is how ur conclusions are always lies while truth is clearly of what u say too without u knowing it
when u r speaking freely you cant b but of truth use there u r manipulated by truth

Originally posted by ErroneousDylan
reply to post by ronnabs

 

No, I do not mind sharing. It was Zeno's dichotomy paradox which states:

Suppose Homer wants to catch a stationary bus. Before he can get there, he must get halfway there. Before he can get halfway there, he must get a quarter of the way there. Before traveling a quarter, he must travel one-eighth; before an eighth, one-sixteenth; and so on.

The resulting sequence can be represented as:

[..., 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1]

This description requires one to complete an infinite number of tasks, which Zeno maintains is an impossibility.
This sequence also presents a second problem in that it contains no first distance to run, for any possible (finite) first distance could be divided in half, and hence would not be first after all. Hence, the trip cannot even begin. The paradoxical conclusion then would be that travel over any finite distance can neither be completed nor begun, and so all motion must be an illusion.

This argument is called the Dichotomy because it involves repeatedly splitting a distance into two parts. It contains some of the same elements as the Achilles and the Tortoise paradox, but with a more apparent conclusion of motionlessness. It is also known as the Race Course paradox. Some, like Aristotle, regard the Dichotomy as really just another version of Achilles and the Tortoise.[10]

There are two versions of the dichotomy paradox. In the other version, before Homer could reach the stationary bus, he must reach half of the distance to it. Before reaching the last half, he must complete the next quarter of the distance. Reaching the next quarter, he must then cover the next eighth of the distance, then the next sixteenth, and so on. There are thus an infinite number of steps that must first be accomplished before he could reach the bus, with no way to establish the size of any "last" step. Expressed this way, the dichotomy paradox is very much analogous to that of Achilles and the tortoise.
[edit]

This paradox is nothing more than a perception error concerning the true nature of corporeal reality. In fact, it's a really good example of why space, distance, material, and the staples of traditional physics are impossible to fully defend. Time exists, but it exists as a result of indivisible units of change arranged in logically/historically associated event trajectories, with each single unit of "now" gathering as lengths of time in the form of linear trajectories. Being sophisticated and extremely complex "matrixed" event trajectories (featuring both linear and redundant event trajectories in survival-imperative associations that prolong the existence of each unit within each trajectory via logical identity proxy) we humans have decided that we are actually material, and that everything that we perceive as resembling us in any manner is also material.

The tiniest manifestations of this perception imposition is the hyper-analyzed sub-atomic particle. We've declared it to be the literal brick that bases our material world, and we're spending billions to try to prove this by smashing these isolated matrixed event trajectories together - trying to find the smallest and most primordial particle of all - and have come up empty every time. That's because the particle, and the notion of distances and such, are not based on material existence. They're based on event units - each uniform and indivisible - and the nature of progressive development in service of the imperative survival. There are no 1/2, 1/4 distances. Think event units.

I more-or-less agree with the belief that time does not, in fact, exist, at least outside of the perception of our minds. So, as motion being defined by the change of an object's position in respect to time, I would have to conclude that motion does not exist either, at least out side the perception of our minds.

However, I only believe time does not exist in this three dimensional reality that we currently live in. Time could possibly exist in the 4th Dimension and if so, I believe a being able to view the fourth dimensional reality would be able to view all positional points of an object at once.

I can't decide which belief I agree with more; presentism or eternalism.

reply to post by ErroneousDylan


u dont believe truth, believing is to truth as admitting that if time exist somwhere then it exist everywhere since only what is true exist and only truth is objective present always fact

like for instance i could say, that what u mean being in three dimension, u r not perceiving time existence through bc u r looking at as urself so u r not seeing its superior reality,
while time in that reality exist much more then in superior dimension, even if it is not an absolute one time present but it is all times according to individuals ones belonging, from the wide range of opposition between past forever and futur forever

u seem to perceive world reality exclusively of objective moves bc u certainly mean to make ur mind upon god powers u perceive

that is why ur perspective upon others individuals existence is all wrong

one is never what he looks like doing even if he means it, ones are their individual constant repetition to themselves
like even for animals i dont get how u perceive them only of what they go for, while animals are the most obvious example of existing realities being their lonely hours awareness doing nothing still

humans individually are divided at least i can see in three different time levels,

ones that are worse then gods time, which are the people that individually enjoy being from any they could get, never willing to realize any or to justify smthg existing
gods are opportunists in absolute terms but they mean it from their absolute freedom too as meaning to take advantage of free existence, which make them evil to all objective rights but who enjoy living from evil rules is as free sense worse

and ones that are better then gods as opportunists freedom, from what they must b real including themselves to get what they want while staying relative since individuals so having to deal positively with objective rights for the sake of constancy they need to what they realize, which also reveal some surprising reactions of humans that do get to enjoy the positive deal with objective rights while being opportunists ones still free stands, those are also of past that can never see what is in front of them existing but in direct relation to them as present only

and then ones free right that clearly mean what is objective more existing then themselves while active in considering objective values so proving being free present true existing
and levels differences in conscious there is clearly existing while progressing by joining one condition set from up nothing freedom for objective superiority realm perspective of truth knowledge, another kind of evil that is directly deforming truth while enslaving true rights for nothing deformed too as a lie

and then u have relative true free self conscious that clearly realize themselves objectivity alone and those are the most abused ones since they in truth are free really, while also they are abused from what is above nothing freedom enslaving them to realize some concepts that do not concern themselves, for testing future time like to knowledge gains from up