The Void of Somethingness

I think I would be Calm -at least in part. Sure, I lack sight, hearing, and touch but having been born that way I would not know I'm missing them. I ponder on how my emotions would change in such a situation, but being that I would be alone (or at least unable to observe otherwise) I don't think I'd have a use for broad range. I'm certain I cannot make myself jealous, or spiteful, or even angry as much as frustrated perhaps. So, in short. Calm, and any number of other emotions that range on thoughtful and introspective.

However, I cannot help but seriously wonder how my ability to think and have emotions might evolve from the norm (Or not at all) in a state where the is no other input. Reminds me of the millions of stories of people having an extraordinary sensitivity in one sense due to the lack of another or others.

I'll be rattling the thought in my head for some time past this posting. Thanks OP

reply to post by deanGI5


Thoguh I agree with what you are saying you didn't answer my question. At that point my questions were gonig to loop into.

Either way it seems you alreayd get it.

I think the only problem with this concept is some people who already relize this and believe it (including me) ussually forget about until they are reminded of it again. I think it has mroe to do with 'letting go'. People are afraid to let go. Otherwise they feel they would know nothing, but they forget they can know themselves.

reply to post by Passafist


Interesting.

I feel as though you are getting to a sort of "ego-death" theme here maybe?

emotion is a direct effect of outside stimuli I believe. If we experienced nothing but our own awareness, we would have no need for emotion. We wouldn't feel the need to be loved because we wouldn't know of anyone out there and of kindess, and of love in the first place. We would not be angry, because there is nothing to be angry about. No sadness, because we wouldn't know it.

We wouldn't even have selfishness, because we would not feel the need to survive since we would know nothing of death.

So if the only thing we know and can be sure about is ourselves, then why do we base it on outside stimuli? Why do we strive so hard to "fit in/be cool" and all that jazz when in fact we can't even prove that who we are trying to impress is "real"

Interesting post. A a child this was one of my problems with the idea of hell. If you only know one thing you would forget that there was ever anything different, it would be come your only reality.

The mind is a powerful thing in the absence of stimuli it will make it's own internal movie. I have done some research with dissociatives and sensory deprivation and found this to be the case. The effect is wholly immersive and incorporates phantom stimuli like smell, taste and feel. The internal movie is even capable of evoking strong emotional responses to things that have only happened in the internal movie being played out. The strange thing is when brought out of this state those that were involved will have very detailed stories of events that they feel they have experienced. This effect diminished after a while. Wow I think I may have gone of track a little. Point: The mind will just make things up if it deprived of stimuli this includes feelings and memories it has produced to pass the time. These experiences can feel very real when removed from the environment will pass in time.

Sometimes I wonder if this is what we are all experiencing now. A dream within a dream so to say.

Nice post. I love anything that makes me think.

reply to post by deanGI5


Not completely. I personaly don't believe in completely eradicating ego. To me ego is willpower, but that's more of a deffinitional thing. Though I do believe in limiting it and silencing the mind. Silencing the mind the more important one, and is really hard to do for long periods of time.

reply to post by deanGI5


Because that silent voice in our head tells us to, but we replace the words in its mouth.

Originally posted by deanGI5
reply to post by Passafist

 

We wouldn't feel the need to be loved because we wouldn't know of anyone out there and of kindess, and of love in the first place.

I'm going to respectfully disagree, but only because I believe love would still exist in this situation. It would just be towards ones self. That's not to say that this would at all be an easy thing to achieve, even with no other sense but ones own existence.. Other than that, I agree

Ego death is a valid experience it doesn't mean that the ego dies and stays dead. It is a transitory state. A loss of self and connection with EVERYTHING. Not yelling caps lock for emphasis. It is one of those things that has to be experienced to even be remotely understood. Even then the words and concepts we have in our arsenal fail miserably to explain the experience to anyone else. The key idea is the total loss of the self.

reply to post by Inquisitive1


Translation: Unconditional love. That's what it is. Accepting things as they are.

Of course this doesn't mean you can't try to change it. Some people confused unconditional love with complete passivness. They are two completely diffrent tools.

reply to post by Passafist


reminds me of Rene Descartes' line of thought..... in the end... I THINK THEREFORE, I AM!

reply to post by Passafist


Yes, That's a more apt term. Thank you

In this "what if" I believe you would experience emotion. If you believe science emotion is a response to chemical reactions that occur in the brain. Even without stimuli those chemicals are still there. If you believe in metaphysics or religion we are endowed with these emotions and there are part of our being and can not be separated so in that case also emotion will still exist with or with out stimuli.

reply to post by Inquisitive1


No prob.

Then comes in as Ladysophiaofsandoz said. We may be a dream within a dream. But from my own thoughts the dreamers become the dreamee of antoher dreamer, in a infinite loop. Look into yourself to see regardless of which dreamer is dreaming you'll still be around. That is the concept of one I've been looking into after deep thought.

Then I eventually came to the thoguht that government doesn't accually exist, but that's for another thread.

There are some interesting scientific studies that seem to imply that "reality" is either a simulation or a hologram.

www.youtube.com...
www.globalone.tv...

These are excellent brain fodder. There are many world religions where the world is either the dream of god, or talk about the ultimate reality. It's not a new concept.

reply to post by Ladysophiaofsandoz


I'm aware its not new. It's just that not many people look into why or take it seriously. I also don't like the term hologram when concerned with infinity spiritually. Makes it sound like we don't exist. I just prefer infinity or one.

Sorry if this is a little off topic, but the direction this thread has gone got me thinking of this song -
Listen to the lyrics- I feel it parallels this conversation

reply to post by deanGI5


That pretty much does sum it up.

I love Trent.

I watched an interesting documentary looking for scientific proof that the soul exists. The best stuff came from a anesthesiologist who suggest that the soul and consciousness exists outside the mind and body. He went on to talk about consciousness/soul existing on a quantum level. That would explain how the soul exists after death. By means of quantum entanglement.

www.numenware.com...