The True Nature of Reality

My dear Roberto,

I suggest the following map of the terrain we are going to explore together. It is by no means terra incognita. It has been visited before. But a long time has passed and new features have emerged. In short: it should, definitely, be revisited. As for myself, I prefer to be a cartographer and a taxonomist rather than a philosopher.

I feel awed and midgeted by the giants in this territory, chilled to the bones by Kant's shadow and by strangled by Descartes' inescapable logic. No, I prefer to be the casual tourist. Humans get a handle on their world through words. It is therefore wondrous and wonderful that words like "real", "natural", "artificial", "reality", "nature" and "virtual" are so ill defined. To me this dialogue ought to be mainly lexical. The various philosophical possibilities (for instance, idealism versus realism) have been mapped long ago. Intellectual giants have fervently debated question like "is it all in our mind or is it really out there" without first bothering to define "mind", "really" and "there". The result is by far the biggest philosophical muddle.

The whole thing got more urgent with the digital revolution. The ability to convert one type of reality (say, music produced by real instruments and real players) to another (bits) strained the distinction between symbol and reality to its breaking point. Bits do have a "real" (read: physical) dimension - but this is not their "essence". In other words: bits without interpreting minds are meaningless and bits without meaning are not what we mean by saying "bits". Moreover, more and more physical phenomena are in the process of being converted to bits and bytes. Virtual reality - now only in games or clever simulations - will shortly encompass all known reality. Everything - including physical objects, including humans - will be translated and transmitted as bits. The first successful experiment in teleportation (albeit of a particle) has been carried out a few months ago. Quantum mechanics being what it is - particles are the physical representation of (probability) functions or (as the many worlds interpretation has it) the intersection between an infinite number of universes. But shortly, information will be carried through by particles (read: by mathematical ideas, functions). Moreover, the computers that will process this information will be the "artificial" equivalents of strands of DNA. Organic (carbon based) computers pose a big problem: are they life forms - or are they "machines"? This is another distinction which is blurring fast together with the dissolution of the oxymoron "artificial intelligence". Only the other day I read that computers beat most humans in generating creative advertising using a three step algorithm.

SOURCE



The more "I" look into the true nature of reality ~ the more confused I become.

Is it possible I have found my "self" in an experimental "game"?

The game of life?

If this is indeed a game.. What are the stakes that "I" play for?

I humbly pose these questions to my "self".

"I" am no different than "you". I AM looking for the truth too.

I feel like "I" am my learning about my "past" and my "future".

How can that be truth?

reply to post by MyParadoxicalSelf


Here is video reading post now

If this is indeed a game.. What are the stakes that "I" play for?

Your Life Force[soul] if you believe in that sort of thing
No Fate but that we Make

Cran

I am going to sit in a hot bath with eucalyptus epsom salts and a spiced rum and coke, it has been a very short week, meaning I just worked 3 or 4 16 hour days. I hope it is real. I am thinking I am ready for the 4th dimension.

reply to post by MyParadoxicalSelf


It's all great and a good read, but what is the purpose of science and technology, or what should it be ?
It is kind of disgusting for me to see that he takes the example of advertising like if advertising was a great and beneficial achievement for mankind, and you can replace "advertising" in his sentence by "bombs" or "weapons" and it would be the same. It is time we use science and technology to liberate mankind, instead of using it to create more prisons for the mind or more destructive power. It is time we use science for social concern. There is a dichotomy in the human mind between hard science and social science, and it comes from the dichotomy that we make between mind and body, and we shouldn't do that, but unfortunately those harmful ideas are still conveyed today by various religions.

Like Einstein said : “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” and also "It is harder to crack a prejudice than an atom."

The true nature of reality is going to be subjective to the observer (if that observer ever finds an acceptable answer).

IMO, the true nature of reality?

EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING

Yup, I'm you -- you're me. I'm this keyboard and also that window over there, so are you. At the highest level, everything comes from the same place and ends back up there.

At least that is how this observer sees it!

reply to post by ezekielken


I have always enjoyed baths. It's is like you are reading my mind.. heading into one now.

reply to post by gosseyn

It is kind of disgusting for me to see that he takes the example of advertising like if advertising was a great and beneficial achievement for mankind, and you can replace "advertising" in his sentence by "bombs" or "weapons" and it would be the same.

I AM really confused after reading this but I hope that disgusting "feeling" you feel goes away soon.

This is a really nice intro, thanks!

Originally posted by MyParadoxicalSelf
Virtual reality - now only in games or clever simulations - will shortly encompass all known reality. Everything - including physical objects, including humans - will be translated and transmitted as bits.

What I have trouble with here is that it only looks at one side of the duality of life.

Yes -- everything comes at us in the form of information.

But no -- we are not just information. Information can't feel the pain of a stubbed toe, or appreciate the beauty of a flower, or feel any pleasure or pain whatsoever.

And yet, the stubbed toe and light from a flower is just information being fed to our inner self. The nerves in our skin and our eyes are just sending info to us in a very mechanical way.

There is something more to reality than just information. That should be obvious. I think it is, anyway.

Originally posted by MyParadoxicalSelf
reply to post by gosseyn

 

It is kind of disgusting for me to see that he takes the example of advertising like if advertising was a great and beneficial achievement for mankind, and you can replace "advertising" in his sentence by "bombs" or "weapons" and it would be the same.

I AM really confused after reading this but I hope that disgusting "feeling" you feel goes away soon.

Well no, it's no going to go away any time soon. And if you are not disgusted by the advertising or the purpose for which we use our brain power in general, it is because you don't have the same information as I do.

Originally posted by gosseyn

Originally posted by MyParadoxicalSelf
reply to post by gosseyn

 

It is kind of disgusting for me to see that he takes the example of advertising like if advertising was a great and beneficial achievement for mankind, and you can replace "advertising" in his sentence by "bombs" or "weapons" and it would be the same.

I AM really confused after reading this but I hope that disgusting "feeling" you feel goes away soon.

Well no, it's no going to go away any time soon. And if you are not disgusted by the advertising or the purpose for which WE? use our brain power in general, it is because you don't have the same information as I do.

I AM sorry but I do not feel disgusted in the least. If if you do have information that could change my "mind" I'll "think" about it.

reply to post by MyParadoxicalSelf


sweeeet!!! cooooll!!!!
spooky too
given the universes tendency to agree with whatever our point of view is [and given this guy's use of adinkras, brilliant fellow by the way] it's as if the universe caught him looking at it

it's as if a person inside a YT video were to suddenly be able to see you watching it.

Originally posted by gosseyn
reply to post by MyParadoxicalSelf

 

It's all great and a good read, but what is the purpose of science and technology, or what should it be ?
It is kind of disgusting for me to see that he takes the example of advertising like if advertising was a great and beneficial achievement for mankind, and you can replace "advertising" in his sentence by "bombs" or "weapons" and it would be the same. It is time we use science and technology to liberate mankind, instead of using it to create more prisons for the mind or more destructive power. It is time we use science for social concern. There is a dichotomy in the human mind between hard science and social science, and it comes from the dichotomy that we make between mind and body, and we shouldn't do that, but unfortunately those harmful ideas are still conveyed today by various religions.

Like Einstein said : “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” and also "It is harder to crack a prejudice than an atom."

you are confusing nihilistic driven scientism or ahrimanic science, best exemplified by bacon's telling metaphor that Nature must be put to the rack and forced to give up her secrets, with proper science best exemplified by goethe's metaphor in which knowledge is gained by approaching nature reverently, like a lover and seduce her in to telling you and through meditating .
this guy's work seems of the latter sort and is more magical than strictly materialisticly scientific

scientific theories are already beginning to exhibit magical features in their new descriptions of reality. Both in particle physics and cosmogenesis a fundamental acausality, indeterminacy, and observer dependence is now ascribed to reality. These are, property speaking, magical theories, not material ones. It also appears that in biology. psychology and medicine, theories of strict causality must give ground to some form of emergent vitalism for organisms
which are evidently more than the sum of their parts. This co-emergent vital principle or morphic field is equivalent to the intrinsic power or mana of magical theory.

-excerpted from Peter Carroll's Liber Kaos chapter 2 Aeonics [The Psychohistorical Model of History]

reply to post by MyParadoxicalSelf


It only makes sense when viewed according to the plan and origin of information found at the root of understanding. Here is the root.

John 1

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

To know God, we must know ourselves in the other person. We are all part of the same word used to create reality. We are placed here in an image and this should tell you something about the nature of why it is perplexing to view something outside this image. Also, when you look in a mirror, do you see yourself or do you see your image? Is the image you? No, because the same applies in the image here of our own reality. God placed us inside the image of reality and this implies that we are somewhere else entirely. Genesis 1:27 is a verse to memorize.

1 Corinthians 13

12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Clarity in the image comes when we know God as he already knows us fully. We cannot see both sides of the reflection above and below, but God Can. Soon, we will have this ability.

I wonder...what would be the point of a lifeless universe?

How about instead:

The True Reality of Nature?

1. Go out into the wilderness.
2. Find a Grizzly Bear.
3. Hit the Grizzly Bear with a stick.
4. Run.

Whatever happens, Live or die, you'll have a substantial enough dose of reality from the experience to stay off of yourtube or contemplating metaphysical navel staring nonsense for awhile.

Whenever you get confused, go find that grizzly bear and thwack it with a stick.

reply to post by Druscilla

Whenever you get confused, go find that grizzly bear and thwack it with a stick.

I love it.

I am, and yet I can not be.

Looking at 3~5,000 years of recorded human history the answer seems to be quite likely that We still do not know the True Nature of Reality. The Scientists and The New-Agers, the philistines and the prophets, all have different ideas.

It's the only honest answer, isn't it?

But the only person who could really answer that question is : YOU. And the only person who can define YOU is YOU. It's a lot like defining a variable in a computer program.

reply to post by SayonaraJupiter


I agree. I had hoped to engage part of my "self" to further my.. shall we say "seeking"? I seem to get better results when done with a self questioning style.

Mission accomplished. Thank you ALL

The nature of reality hmm? I think....

You are what you want.

There is nothing in the universe that does not matter. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is cast aside. There is reality in every single thing in existence. What in this world do you see that isn't unique? Because I cannot find it. Everything I see has purpose, even life's riddles. Everything in not only this world, but the universe over. Intrinsic, beautiful evidence of determination.