What makes things real

[shaggy]

With perception blurred by the fallacies of memory... can we ever accept something is real? Besides the instant, that precious instant we experience it? 5 of us could go somewhere, have a different perspective of, but enjoy the same, show.....a day later, that experience is distorted....so how do we really know the absolute truth of the experience, besides the moment it is experienced??

[BradH]

did you just watch this in a movie

[shaggy]

Originally Posted by BradH

did you just watch this in a movie

No, just random thoughts in my head.....

[-m-]

I love that there's a thread titled "Urinating in Public" just under this when you do a search for new topics.

[Daryl]

When I wake up all you mofos are GONE and only my perception of reality will exist.

Better hope that the sleeper never awakens.

- Paul Atreides

[johnny861]

There's a cool set of optical illusions that shows how the brain "fills in the gaps" in terms of missing data.

There are certain areas in a human's peripheral field where the eye is unable to receive optical data... scientists haven't quite determined if the brain simply ignores these areas, or attempts to fill in the gap where possible...


There's also supposed to be similar audible illusions, where the brain tries to complete a pattern, resulting in what sounds like whispers or wind...


Illusions are interesting to ponder in terms of contemplating what is real or not...

[shaggy]

Originally Posted by johnny861

There's a cool set of optical illusions that shows how the brain "fills in the gaps" in terms of missing data.

There are certain areas in a human's peripheral field where the eye is unable to receive optical data... scientists haven't quite determined if the brain simply ignores these areas, or attempts to fill in the gap where possible...


There's also supposed to be similar audible illusions, where the brain tries to complete a pattern, resulting in what sounds like whispers or wind...


Illusions are interesting to ponder in terms of contemplating what is real or not...

My pops has a friend who swears he went to a Hendrix concert with him, and there is no way that he did.....

We all see what we see, then place it into memory, and that memory is distorted...we we recollect that memory, it is a different version of the truth.... so what part of that is reality and what part is distortion??

[Ih8FishrPryce]

The internet and the Matrix make things real

[johnny861]

Originally Posted by shaggy

My pops has a friend who swears he went to a Hendrix concert with him, and there is no way that he did.....

We all see what we see, then place it into memory, and that memory is distorted...we we recollect that memory, it is a different version of the truth.... so what part of that is reality and what part is distortion??

There's actually a big delimma with the whole trans/post humaninst movement.

The situation is: let's say we are able to copy your brain down right to the last synapse and upload that to an android replica of yourself, but your originaly self still exists. Who is the real you?

The android has every experience and psychological development as you, but your organic form still exists.

It poses a lot of ethical dilemmas... and of course a lot of questions about consciousness, the concept of a soul, etc...

I think humans will inevitably intertwine themselves with technology, but where is the point where the person we are now disappears into a technological duplicate? or is that transistion truly us, or some spin off... could we truly achieve immortality, or does the cycle of life continue to cycle, despite our technological achievements?

smoke a bowl and ponder that for awhile my friend...


*edit* and about your pops and his experience... I like to ponder all of humanity's myths... embellishments obviously rooted in truth... who is to say that are not true, or in fact, absolutely true...


... I'm thinking of half a dozen Ludwig witgenstein quotes right about now

good post man!

[fish]

This is a good post. Even during the time we are "experiencing" things, we don't really every experience anything directly. All of our senses go through a feedback loop before we consciously experience anything. For example, when you see an object, your mind has already seen it and sent a signal back to your eyes to make minute adjustments before you actually experience seeing it. So your mind is telling your eyes what to look for and already trying to fit the object into a schema that it recognizes.

[paigesauce]

read the book blink

[matias]

I farted and it smelled bad, but only for a moment, when the moment was gone and the smell left with it... then did I ever really fart?

[paigesauce]

Originally Posted by matias

I farted and it smelled bad, but only for a moment, when the moment was gone and the smell left with it... then did I ever really fart?

thats gross matias. this is a grown up thread. go play somewhere else.

[matias]

no this thread is, with the exception of johnny's input, an epic fail so I was deliberately mocking it

[paigesauce]

you're mean - not really....