How can we be sure the world is real and everyone is concious?

[RumpleDumpleBum]

I am going to sound like i am completely insane but please be kind to me as I feel like I'm having some sort of existential crisis. Over the past few days I have been having really intrusive thoughts about how we can never prove anyone else's consciousness but our own and how do we actually know that what we perceive to be the world is real and not some sort of elaborate illusion or simulation. I'm worried thst everyone i know and love might just be projections of my mind. Has anyone else had thoughts like this? Please make me see reason.

If its a possibility that none of you are real then why i it a mental health problem to have these thoughts? The thought is terrifying and depressing

The thought that unsettles me is if I am the only concious person and the entire universe and everyone in it is an illusion/experiment for me

Realistically what are the chances of this being the case? Who would have set up this scenario and why? It’s quite main character to think this way tbh! Surely it is far more likely that if you are conscious so is everyone else.

We can't but the fact we're talking about it now means we all think we are. And we can see others and speak to them and if they weren't conscious they'd not be responsive.

Worst case scenario your fears are correct. Just imagine it’s like your favourite film but you don’t just watch it you get to take part, interact with characters. You state about positive relationships and love and wanting to know those you care about are real - to you they are even in your worst case situation. The unknown is scary but you need to think of what is not what if.

You are experiencing love.
You are experiencing family relationships and people who are trying to reassure you.
Even the fear of loss shows that you have things you don’t want to lose.

There is joy in the unknown.

You might all just be characters saying you're concious but not really being concious. It might all be part of the experiment

That's lovely. I have a painting of my great x5 grandmother on my wall. I look at it and wonder about her. I do know some things about her as my dad has done extensive research into our family tree. When I look at her I remember that she lives on in me and I hope one day there will a be a photo of me on my great, great, great, great, great grandchild's wall and they think the same!

I was kind of looking for reassurance about how this theory isn't true, not people telling me it could be true. Does it not worry anyone else?

It’s not a mental health problem to have these thoughts occasionally if they are just a hypothetical question, something interesting to ponder. A lot of philosophy is based round this sort of thing.

It’s a mental health problem if you are finding these thoughts repetitive, intrusive and they are affecting your mood.

My intention wasn’t to deepen your fear, I feel it would be unrealistic to tell you it definitely isn’t a possibility as you just can’t know for certain. You will find reassurance in accepting the unknown alongside grounding yourself with focusing on what is, not what if.

No one will care/remember you in less than 100 years never mind 200. Pop culture usually becomes irrelevant after 40 or 50 years. Who the hell really watches films or listens to music any older than this on a regular basis. I watched a 100 year old film the other day and felt quite depressed knowing every single person in that film would be dead and no one really cared either. Just enjoy the short years you have on earth. It will turn for billions of years after you've gone. We can never understand how anyone else perceives the world.

I don’t think people are saying it may be true. I think people are saying there is no way to prove it’s not true, so theoretically there’s a tiny tiny chance it might be true. But it’s very very very unlikely!

What's the point in worrying about it? It won't change anything. And even if the theory was true, its unlikely you'd ever know for certain.

I think the reason people are suggesting that there might be a mental health problem is that most of us find it philosophically interesting that there is a chance the world is a simulation. But you find the thought "terrifying and depressing". That makes it sound like this is a rather intrusive and distressing thought for you, which is much more unusual.

The theory is highly unlikely to be true. Why you? It would be a very elaborate lie to put on just for your benefit.

I used to get similar thoughts that everyone else could read my mind and were just pretending that they couldn't. I mean, it possible but again, centres me in a way that seems highly unlikely.

What helped me was acknowledging the thought, setting aside some space to thinking about the possibility and all of the reasons it was highly unlikely, and acknowledging that it should not change how I interact with the world. Then, when I caught myself thinking at other times, I would remind myself to stop. If that hadn't worked, then I would have sought out someone to speak to about it - counselor or therapist. Luckily, it turned out to be a short lived phase.

Hi, I can’t be on this thread too much as it is really triggering but want to reach out. It sounds like ‘derealisation’ or ‘depersonalisation’ that you are experiencing. It’s absolutely awful and terrifying, speak to your gp for help, it’s a form of OCD.

When I’m under stress, I get this types of intrusive feelings a lot. Not just in a philosophical way but in an intense and painful way. It’s not a matter of accepting it and enjoying life, it feels like your entire world has been stripped away and it’s bloody terrifying. And there’s nothing that anyone can do to help. I’ve spent hours over the years talking to my psychiatrist about whether he’s real or not. While the thoughts are distressing, I try to view them as an early warning sign that something’s not right. I might need to up my meds, take some time off work, manage the source of stress better or whatever.

Well no you’re not, because I am the only conscious person.

On the broad theme, look up global scepticism (disbelief of everything) there’s a big literature, because it’s a question many people have thought about, a lot. If you didn’t think up all their clever arguments - then who did?

In terms of your personal experience, go out for a walk, eat and sleep well, talk to people and maybe speak to your doctor. Could help. No harm chatting.

look up existential OCD. There is help for this- maybe go to your GP and speak to them. Hope you are okay. Remember thoughts are often random and meaningless.

As someone else quoted, ‘ I think therefore I am’ .

It’s mind blowing to think that we’re living on this sort of organic spaceship with a generator that is one day going to completely cool down and stop….the seas will evaporate, our atmosphere will be destroyed and earth will turn into a barren wasteland like Mars.

We are but ants so we might as well just enjoy it! If you believe everything we are told, we’ve won the cosmic lottery to have ended up on a Goldilocks planet!

I really don't know where it came from. I just started thinking about it out of nowhere. I went through a similar phase of solipsism about 20 years ago when I was 20 but it eventually went away.

When I have strange thoughts like yours, it’s a sign I’ve entered mania.

There is a philosopher who suggests this in the sense that there is only one consciousness and all living beings are parts of that consciousness.

there is no thought so out there that some philosopher hasn’t thought it first.

I’ve gone in loops with these type of thoughts before - in fact the other day I realised I hadnt thought about it in ages, and made a point of telling my husband if I do bring it up again, to get me to go to the dr as it is a red flag my meds (for depression, panic, ocd, anxiety) may not be working.

I wouldn’t be so quick to suggest your mentally unwell for pondering these subjects! If it’s affecting your daily life then yes but maybe you just have a curious mind. It always amazes me how many people aren’t even open to discussing this sort of thing when it’s so interesting!

In your case, it sounds like this isn’t a philosophical question but a mental health symptom, and a very distressing one. Disassociation/ derealisation as PP have said. You need to speak to your GP asap