Do you believe in free will?

[genkaus]

The mind creates our reality. In order to make sense of the objective world we conceive our existence as dependent upon the material (brain), but it is the mind which created this idea to begin with. When we are not conscious how do we know - in the truest sense of the word - that things continue to exist? When the mind ceases to exists nothing exists relative to itself; why then would it be different during the existence of the mind?

But let's suppose that things do exist outside of our mind, and continue to do so once our minds cease to exist. It still remains that the reality which was created by the deceased mind no longer exists.

Differentiate between the conceptual model of reality created within and by our mind as a reflection of actual reality and the actual reality itself. When we were unconscious, we didn't know anything. When we are conscious, we know that things continued to exist because we realize that their existence does not require our consciousness. Finally, it is the model of reality created by our brain that ceases to exist - not some alternate form of reality.

Once again, suppose that a conscious being never existed, what then becomes of the material world? It matters not if it exists, let alone the fact that it can't be proven to exist; it is nothing without the mind. In the case of the coma patient, what exists relative to themselves when their mind ceases? - nothing, therefore the mind is the cause of cessation of the brain. Nothing matters outside of ourselves, our reality is completely void until our minds create it.

You must stop being so confused between our reality and reality. "Our reality" is a model of reality created by our perception and its existence or non-existence has no bearing on reality itself.

Besides, proof? Matter? What are you talking about here? Both of these qualities assume existence of a conscicous being. Talking about them while presuming absence of consciousness is nonsensical. Equally nonsensical is the assumption that without proof or significance things are nothing. Reality is still itself, irrespective of whether someone is their to perceive it or attach significance to it.

Further, a great amount of things we attach significance to (things that matter) exist outside our brain. Their existence is unaffected by the fact that we attach significance to them and it remains unaffected once we cease to attach any.

Under what justification could anyone possibly state that the material world is independent of our perception of it? One must use their perception to even attempt to validate their own argument, which would be self falsified by their own accord. To show that the material world is independent of our minds one must not use their mind, which is nonsense.

A simple test for contradiction would suffice. While we can perceive a logical contradiction, such a contradiction cannot exist in reality by the very nature of reality. With this we can establish that the fault lies in the perception and reality is in fact independent of the perception.

And if everyone has it wrong? What then becomes of your assertion that we do in fact perceive the true material world? I'll say it again, as I have before, we are limited by our perceptions; we are confined within our minds.

If everyone has it wrong, then there is no right or wrong anymore. If reality depends upon our perception, then I can perceive something red and you can perceive the same as blue and we'd both be right at the same time. Then the concepts such as true or false, right or wrong, lose all their meaning. The you can say "Reality is subjective" and I can say "Wrong, it's objective." and we'd both be right and both be wrong. Is that the position you are hoping for?

We conceive that it exists the other 75 years, we also conceive that the other side of the moon exists, therefore they both exist within our minds. To exist is simply to be created by the mind, nothing can exist outside of it - or at least nothing which we could ever know to exist.

So, you're saying that the comet goes out of material existence for 75 years, exists only as an idea in our mind and then pops back into material existence 75 years later? Or that the other side of the moon exists only as an idea in our head and doesn't physically exist? And if I can conceive of it, then that thing can be said to exist and it can possibly come into material existence as well?

My god, we can all become gods then.