Deep Thoughts, by Michael Suede

November 24, 2011
By

Another episode of Deep Thoughts, by Michael Suede

 

If you truly believe some thing to be real, does that make it real?

By believe, I mean if you are fully convinced that something is real, then doesn’t that mean that thing must be a part of your reality?  Wouldn’t you perceive that thing to be interacting in a wholly realistic way with the rest of your reality?

Consider a paranoid schizophrenic person who has fully convinced themselves that the CIA is out to get them.  For that person, doesn’t their reality consist of being hunted by the CIA?  As far as they are concerned, aren’t they truly being hunted by the CIA?

Let’s assume, based on our schizophrenic example, that what we believe to be real is real as far as we are concerned; does that make it impossible for us to imagine an object into reality?

Consider that if we know we are imagining something, it would be impossible to convince ourselves that what we are imagining is actually real.  Therefore, what we believe to be real must exist outside of our imagination.  But how do we know we aren’t imagining our reality right now?

If you agree that what we believe to be real is real to us, then by default, doesn’t that make your reality a projection of your own consciousness?  And if that is the case, then isn’t it impossible to know if what we believe to be real simply isn’t any more real than a dream?

What if death is simply waking up to a more real reality?

If you think about what I just wrote hard enough your brain will implode.  Don’t hurt yourself.

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This entry was posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:33 pm and is filed under Anti-Fascist Agitprop. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

  • Carl Pfenig

    I once talked to a man’s invisible friend.

    The man was a schizophrenic and he would walk around town talking to his invisible pal. One day I decided to talk to the both of them and decided to treat the non-existent man as if he were real, just to see what would happen. It cost me five smokes, which he had while we spoke.

    It started when I saw him at the bus stop where he was talking with ‘Jim’ and I asked, “what’s with your friend?” – that started the conversation wich lasted for about 10-15 minutes. I would ask him to tell me what his friend said – and he did. Once I had the fellow telling me what the invisible guy was saying, he didn’t seem so nuts. But then again, we only ever have the one side of the conversation with these people and no one ever asks what the invisible guy says.

    It was quite strange and left me with some things to think about. Even property rights came up when I was thinking about it.

    Like, who owns the body? If there are two consciousnesses inhabiting it, then who gets to be the owner?  This invisible man was quite well versed in modern events and was capable of directing his words to me through his ‘host’ – that is to say, once he knew I was talking to/about him, the invisible man began addressing me. His name was ‘Jim’.

    Modern medicine would see this ‘Jim’ subdued or drugged out of existence. They would use medicine that would deblitate the host so much that he would be unable to support himself, and his best pal wouldn’t be able to be there for him either.

    One day we will have the technology to give these things form, be it in audio or video. Eventually technology will advance to the point where ‘Jim’ cannot only be heard’ but even give himself form, like through an avatar or augmented reality.  It will help doctors better treat their patients and understand them.

    Anyhow, I don’t recommend that anyone else talks to nutcases, so don’t.

  • Jameswyss

    I’m way too hung over from Thanksgiving dinner, well, post-dinner drinking, to think about that today.

  • Christian

    It sounds like you watched Conspiracy theroy with Mel Gibson. A funny movie by the way.

    I would say yes. If you truly believe something to be real it makes it real, to you. Others would also have to believe it’s real for it to be real to them.

    A good example is the economic meltdown. Some people that are near broke or homeless see it as very real. Others with jobs and plenty of extra currency don’t think it’s that bad, until they get laid off, then it’s very real to them also.

  • Uilliamnebel

    I’m not sure, what is the bar for believing something real? Is it holding a belief to the point that you find it to be true in some sort of personal ontology? (If that makes any sense) I’d suppose that given the ability of human imagination then yes, you could very well end at any number of points for what is real. Especially on things leading you to arrive at a teleological explanation.

    But then again, I’d say no if it is a matter of something becoming objectively true because one’s mind believes it so because it would lose the ‘mind independence’ criteria.

    I haven’t really worked on thinking that philosophically, so I wouldn’t be surprised to be way off base.

  • RP

    Perception of reality is reality

  • Christian

    Perfect paranoia is perfect awareness