What if you died and woke up as God and were all that was?

There is a philosophy called Wikipedia - Solipsism which promotes the idea that there is only one person and we are all their dream or imagination. There are others of many beliefs, who believe that when they die they return to being one with all, that we are all one being that will someday return to being one. There are others who believe that one day they attain "Godhood". I do not wish to disparage or discuss the reason people hold these beliefs, I have a different question.

What if they were right? What if you woke up tomorrow and understood that you were the only and complete sentience, consciousness and personality in the universe, what would you do? Whether we die and never experience it or not, eternity is real, there is no end to time nor space. There may be an end to matter; but, not to space.

At best you would be like Tom Hanks in the movie where is stranded alone on an island, he started talking to a coconut. For those who wish to say we die and our sentience dies with us, I will put it in another context. What if they developed a drug that if you took it, you would live to be 10,000 years old and you could not die until then. Unfortunately, you got shipwrecked and will spend those 10,000 years alone on an island. What would you do?

What is the solution to the possibility of living forever; but, being alone? For believers the question is very similar, what do you think heaven could be that would always be changing and challenging and how ever you imagine it?

I thought of an analogy once to explain that thought: God is a rain cloud and we are all individual raindrops. When we die, we evaporate back into the cloud.

Hope that isn't too corny.

reply to post by AwakeinNM


Dear AwakeinNM,

I assume your moniker refers to New Mexico, if so, it is one of favorite places. I love Santa Fe. I am asking more from you by the question. I understand the different processes that people believe life may take. I am interested in how people would handle long term or eternal singularity. How would you mentally choose to pass your time?

Originally posted by AQuestion
reply to post by AwakeinNM

 

Dear AwakeinNM,

I assume your moniker refers to New Mexico, if so, it is one of favorite places. I love Santa Fe. I am asking more from you by the question. I understand the different processes that people believe life may take. I am interested in how people would handle long term or eternal singularity. How would you mentally choose to pass your time?

Let's say that we are all facets of the same God like you might be suggesting. Wouldn't it make sense to divide yourself infinitely and experience life through the eyes of everyone?

I'm not sure if that's how things are, but I would get pretty bored being a singular omnipotent entity. I might actually enjoy something as boring and escapist as fishing or hiking.

And yes, it does refer to New Mexico. I have been here for over 10 years - from the east coast. I haven't been past St. Louis since then. I take that back. I was in Orlando for a weekend a few years ago.

Well, who's dream is this, mine or yours? Are we all active parts in a dream of a very intelligent being? Anything could happen, whomever god likes the best, their dream will become reality. It is not hard for me to comprehend that there exists beings that are so far advanced than us that we could be compared to a very unintelligent monkey in comparison to them. Mankinds ego is unfounded.

reply to post by AwakeinNM


Dear AwakeinNM,

In fact I am a Christian. I am not really promoting any spiritual beliefs in this thread as much as I am asking what the solution to the question of eternity is and you answered that well. Thank you.

Let's say that we are all facets of the same God like you might be suggesting. Wouldn't it make sense to divide yourself infinitely and experience life through the eyes of everyone? I'm not sure if that's how things are, but I would get pretty bored being a singular omnipotent entity. I might actually enjoy something as boring and escapist as fishing or hiking.

I do not anticipate that many will answer this thread regardless of their beliefs. I truly appreciate that you did. It was something my mother said to me many decades ago. She said that she feared eternity because she didn't how it would not become the torture of boredom (she was a Catholic and even believed that she would be with others and God, never stopped her from thinking the deeper thoughts). I was about ten when she said this to me and I have thought about it ever since. It is a good question and she was a smart lady (she passed away about 12 years ago).

Now, in response to your answer. If we were all parts of the one, would we have our own sentience. I understand the whole would understand the parts; but, the parts would never understand the whole fully. What would be eternity like for the parts?

reply to post by AQuestion


I have always equated myself to an Autistic Child; holding a snow-globe dreaming into being its contents; and existing Inside? was the Universe I created.

reply to post by AQuestion

Originally posted by AQuestion

What if they developed a drug that if you took it, you would live to be 10,000 years old and you could not die until then. Unfortunately, you got shipwrecked and will spend those 10,000 years alone on an island. What would you do?

That sounds ideal to me, since I don't like people, but if the island did eventually become too boring, I would swim. If I cannot die, then I cannot drown.







[color=9C9C9C]P.S. In the movie 'Castaway', Wilson was a volleyball with a bloody hand print for a face.

Originally posted by AQuestion

What if they were right? What if you woke up tomorrow and understood that you were the only and complete sentience, consciousness and personality in the universe, what would you do?

Nothing. And Everything. Everything would still exist, and I would continue to experience it. In all it's wazname.

Originally posted by AQuestion

Whether we die and never experience it or not, eternity is real, there is no end to time nor space. There may be an end to matter; but, not to space.

Not true. The universe, they tell us, has a beginning. They say it may well have an end. How is that possibly infinite?

If the big bang was 6 billion years ago (I forget the real figure, it's something like that I think, but who's counting. But for sake of argument.....) 6 billions years of expansion close to light speed? It can be no bigger than 12 billion light years across assuming it expanded equally in all directions from a single point.

Originally posted by AQuestion

At best you would be like Tom Hanks in the movie where is stranded alone on an island, he started talking to a coconut. For those who wish to say we die and our sentience dies with us, I will put it in another context. What if they developed a drug that if you took it, you would live to be 10,000 years old and you could not die until then. Unfortunately, you got shipwrecked and will spend those 10,000 years alone on an island. What would you do?

Why plug the loneliness angle? I am all that is. I know and experience everything in the universe. I am you. What you experience I experience. That is why I made you. As "All that Is" I know everything but have experienced nothing. That is where you come in

Originally posted by AQuestion

What is the solution to the possibility of living forever; but, being alone? For believers the question is very similar, what do you think heaven could be that would always be changing and challenging and how ever you imagine it?

What I did was create an infinite number of parts of me. And each part has it's experience and then returns to me with it. Thus I experience. We experience.

We already know everything. It is about gaining experience of everything.

I think I started to change my thinking in terms of god while watching star trek tng with Q. if something had so much power that it could do anything, that is what a god would be.

then I thought, well that means I don't have to not believe in a faery tale about sky wizards, there might just be some wanker out there popping life into existence as he potters about in his quantum basement before heading off to work at the video ezy.

I'm not worshipping that guy...

So if you mean if we had super powers and all, but this is all they were capable of, us in our mundane life, then I'd sigh a good old sigh of relief that mr bubmles in the basement might have a sense of humour after all.

Personally I think it would be terrible. Imagine coming to the harrowing realization that everybody you ever knew and loved was just a figment of your imagination and you were just some bored omnipotent kid having a daydream in his bedroom. What a disturbingly lonesome thought. Can you imagine what it would be like to be the only person on earth? It would be awful, wouldn't it? Well imagine how much worse it would be being the only consciousness in the entire universe.

I'd rather there be absolutely nothing after death than that.

Originally posted by Xaphan
Personally I think it would be terrible. Imagine coming to the harrowing realization that everybody you ever knew and loved was just a figment of your imagination and you were just some bored omnipotent kid having a daydream in his bedroom. What a disturbingly lonesome thought. Can you imagine what it would be like to be the only person on earth? It would be awful, wouldn't it? Well imagine how much worse it would be being the only consciousness in the entire universe.

I'd rather there be absolutely nothing after death than that.

I think you are missing the point. You would not be the only thing around, and never could be by the nature of your very own being. You are the all that is, all that has been all matter, all thought, all imagination, all experience. Sounds pretty un-lonely to me! Sounds amazing.

Originally posted by Xaphan
Personally I think it would be terrible. Imagine coming to the harrowing realization that everybody you ever knew and loved was just a figment of your imagination and you were just some bored omnipotent kid having a daydream in his bedroom. What a disturbingly lonesome thought. Can you imagine what it would be like to be the only person on earth? It would be awful, wouldn't it? Well imagine how much worse it would be being the only consciousness in the entire universe.

I'd rather there be absolutely nothing after death than that.

God felt differently. It did not want to be alone and so expanded a thoughtform to include the ablility to introspect; that being itself, the ways and means by which it accomplished this, all you have to do is ask. Believe me this dire measure was taken in the realisation it WOULD forever never understand itself and so be alone (no soccer ball face paint available as matter had not yet come into being).

Originally posted by AQuestion
...What if you woke up tomorrow and understood that you were the only and complete sentience, consciousness and personality in the universe, what would you do?...

It is not a fun thought! Been there. Done that. It is not fun!

Seems you may have gone too far with this postulation by allowing for "a universe".
If "This" was all your imagination...once you "awoke" everything outside you (?) would fall apart (disappear).

If it's all "imagination/thought"...WHO & WHERE IS THE THINKER?

Or - maybe we (all the various component differentiations of "God") are just waiting for someone (a hero/savior/?) to come up with an ultimate climax or resolution.

...What is the solution to the possibility of living forever; but, being alone?...

...as you said - gotta take better care of Wilson.

Originally posted by WanDash

Originally posted by AQuestion
...What if you woke up tomorrow and understood that you were the only and complete sentience, consciousness and personality in the universe, what would you do?...

It is not a fun thought! Been there. Done that. It is not fun!

Seems you may have gone too far with this postulation by allowing for "a universe".
If "This" was all your imagination...once you "awoke" everything outside you (?) would fall apart (disappear).

If it's all "imagination/thought"...WHO & WHERE IS THE THINKER?

Or - maybe we (all the various component differentiations of "God") are just waiting for someone (a hero/savior/?) to come up with an ultimate climax or resolution.

...What is the solution to the possibility of living forever; but, being alone?...

...as you said - gotta take better care of Wilson.

This is where it gets very interesting. You are the who and where, the thinker. You are waiting for yourself to show up to save the day. Wilson is the you, that 'one you' that you would not like to lose among the waveforms; I can hear it now "GOODBYE ME!!!!!!!!!! how to retreive myself, can I see me NOW WHAT do I do or Wilson (me) to save me.

Originally posted by vethumanbeing
...This is where it gets very interesting. You are the who and where, the thinker. You are waiting for yourself to show up to save the day. Wilson is the you, that 'one you' that you would not like to lose among the waveforms; I can hear it now "GOODBYE ME!!!!!!!!!! how to retreive myself, can I see me NOW WHAT).

Just made it a LOT worse.
I was hoping to alleviate the possibility...and now, you've turned it into a mirror.
...all I can say... a LOT worse.

Originally posted by WanDash

Originally posted by vethumanbeing
...This is where it gets very interesting. You are the who and where, the thinker. You are waiting for yourself to show up to save the day. Wilson is the you, that 'one you' that you would not like to lose among the waveforms; I can hear it now "GOODBYE ME!!!!!!!!!! how to retreive myself, can I see me NOW WHAT).

Just made it a LOT worse.
I was hoping to alleviate the possibility...and now, you've turned it into a mirror.
...all I can say... a LOT worse.

You have a boat/raft and a makeshift sail that says something for ingenuity hope springs eternal.

reply to post by AQuestion


I'd feel really guilty as soon as I woke up. Like one of those weird dreams where you kill someone.

After I got over the guilt, I'd probably create a woman for companionship, regret it, go back to sleep, and dream up another universe or two that I'd later regret.

ETA:

Rinse and repeat

Ask yourself, more than man, more than anything else, what is the thing you fear?


Ask yourself what is it...

reply to post by Komonazmuk


What do people fear more than men? Satan.

What if we died and woke up as Satan? I wonder how people would have responded to that question...