To ask for your theory on how reality "works"?

[cosmicdoughnut]

Just that really. What do you think reality is and how does it work? There are so many different theories out there. I haven't got a clue but just been reading about the idea of the "Eternal return" and it is both terrifying and fascinating at the same time.

You are born,
You live,
You reproduce
You die
You fertilise the crematorium rose garden.

That's my reality - not sure of the question, tbh

it just is

It's Sunday, I am hungover, I do not want to discuss existential bollox - this is my current reality

I think your energy is infinite and immortal. Not in an "I was an Egyptian King in a former life, worship me, peasant" kind of way but in a way that means every cell of your being existed before you and will exist after you. Reality is simply the part of our energies existence that we're aware of.

However, I have no idea what percentage of what I've just typed is bullshit. Given that I had three large reds with lunch today I'd hazard at least 84% of it is total bollocks.

Your cells did not exist before you and won't exist very long after you! Your atoms will mostly though.

Reality is what it is and our perception of it is biased and extremely limited.

Reality for me is the endless string of tasks that have to be done so that I keep my head above water financially and a safe and prosperous household for my dcs.

To be contrasted with fantasy when I drift off into an imaginary existence in which I enjoy the career and life I always wanted.

I’m ok with the life I have btw, but can’t help my imagination

Reality is not an uncle. This is a quote from a book by Hegel I came across at university. I am not sure it is of much use as i can't imagine anyone ever thinking that reality is an uncle......

I'd say there is no such thing as reality.... We see the world based on out own subjective lens and form our own individual sense of reality based on this.

I live on the notion that everything is an illusion.

Saves me from a whole load of stress and drama. As it acts as a constant reminder that none of what we are experiancing is 'real' !

The present is reality and thus real
Past can be distorted
Future is unknown

Mokapot 2019

Topcat surely there's more living in between reproducing and dying, right?

I don't really that there's some sort of meaning behind life or that our souls and spirits live on forever or something. I think reality is we're born, we live whatever life we end up living then we die. It sounds depressing but I think my view helps me not worry so much about pleasing everyone around me with my own actions and living how I want to, to a certain extent obviously, because we probably won't be around forever

Reality is a human construct isn't it? Atoms just are. But we attach meaning to assemblies of atoms that connect to the assemblies of atoms that are us.

DS does philosophy. When he first started on the 'how do you know this world isn't just a dream and everything in it just dreamed by you?' I thought it was self indulgent twaddle. the more he explains and explores it and shows scientific evidence for doubts, the more I think it's possible that reality is 100% different from what I perceive it to be - bearing no resemblance in any way to what I think it is. Mind bending.

Bonnie I used to think people who thought life was an illusion were pretentious idiots. And now I have massive respect for that idea. It's really hard to unthink once you've truly considered it. How did you arrive at it?

No idea, but I had psychosis where I became utterly detached from reality and it was (looking back) a very interesting experience. Utterly terrifying at the time though.

It works on perception.

It’s just a bunch of electrical impulses converting to some imagery learned or imagined and we make some sense of it with our given intellect and capacity for creativity, and try to live an interesting life.

mawbroon can you explain further?

Not the cause of your episode but what you mean by being detached

We are each creating our reality as we go along with our thoughts and perceptions. Our body is a meat suit powered by our soul, a fragment of universal consciousness.

Reality is a fixed thing, not subject to perception. Perception is just the way we are aware of what is real and what is not. For instance, if there are five coins on a table, and I glance at them and see only four, my perception says 4 but the reality is 5. Even if I never realise my mistake, there are still 5.

Tonight, Professor Brian Cox taught me that we'll all end up being consumed by the violent and chaotic dying sun. It's utterly unavoidable.

Actually quite calming.

Tonight, Professor Brian Cox taught me that we'll all end up being consumed by the violent and chaotic dying sun. It's utterly unavoidable.

And all our atoms were created from dead stars. Everything repeats.

Reality is an unknowable thing that lies outside of human knowledge, what we believe is reality is a cultural construct. It is part of our culture to test reality (via scientific experiment) and modify out cultural construct to acommodate the test results.

99.9% of the time there's not much to be gained from distinguishing between reality as a "real thing out there" and reality as a cultural construct, but I feel we should always do so, if nothing else so that we are humble about what we think we know.

A person who says that (for example) Newton "discovered" gravity is failing to make the distinction, I would say he "invented" it.