When we die, does the world continue to exist? How can we actually know?

[oncall-engineer]

This is something I have been thinking about.

The obvious answer is yes. People existed before we were born, and presumably they will continue existing after we die. The universe seems completely independent of any one person.

But there is one problem: everything we know about reality is experienced through consciousness.

We assume the world continues because other people tell us it does. But those people, their words, our memories, scientific instruments and even the idea of an external universe are ultimately things appearing within our conscious experience.

So how could we ever prove, from a first-person perspective, that anything exists independently of awareness?

Here’s an even stranger possibility.

Imagine spinning up a virtual machine.

Inside that VM, suppose there is a conscious character living an entire life. From the character’s perspective, there is a physical world, other people, history, laws of nature, memories and a sense of self.

The character assumes, “I am a person living inside this world.”

But what if that understanding is backwards?

What if we are simultaneously the game, the gamer and the character inside the game, except the character has forgotten that it is also the thing generating the experience?

Maybe being born is like starting an instance.

A universe appears. There is space, time, childhood, family, work, happiness, suffering, ageing and eventually death.

Then the instance shuts down.

From inside the instance, we imagine the universe continuing after us. But perhaps when the instance disappears, the entire experienced universe disappears with it.

Not because the universe was “fake”, but because consciousness was never inside the universe. Perhaps the universe was appearing inside consciousness.

Think about dreams.

While dreaming, you experience places, people and events. You don’t think, “I am generating this entire world.” You experience yourself as one character inside it.

Yet after waking up, you realise something strange.

The street was you.

The buildings were you.

The strangers were you.

The character you thought was “you” was also you.

The entire dream existed within the same consciousness, while the dream character experienced itself as merely one tiny object inside that world.

Could waking reality somehow work on a much deeper version of the same principle?

Maybe the biggest illusion isn’t that the world exists.

Maybe the illusion is that we are merely characters inside it.

Of course, this is philosophical speculation. An external physical universe continuing after our deaths is the normal assumption.

But here’s the question I can’t get around:

If every piece of evidence we could ever observe must ultimately appear within consciousness, how could we conclusively demonstrate that consciousness is produced by the universe, rather than the universe being something experienced within consciousness?

And when we die, does “nothing exist” from our perspective?

Or is the idea of “our perspective” itself the mistake, because the individual person was only the character all along?

Are we characters experiencing a universe, or are we somehow the thing generating the experience, while having completely forgotten that fact?

 

[fandango]

This is something I have been thinking about.

The obvious answer is yes. People existed before we were born, and presumably they will continue existing after we die. The universe seems completely independent of any one person.

But there is one problem: everything we know about reality is experienced through consciousness.

We assume the world continues because other people tell us it does. But those people, their words, our memories, scientific instruments and even the idea of an external universe are ultimately things appearing within our conscious experience.

So how could we ever prove, from a first-person perspective, that anything exists independently of awareness?

Here’s an even stranger possibility.

Imagine spinning up a virtual machine.

Inside that VM, suppose there is a conscious character living an entire life. From the character’s perspective, there is a physical world, other people, history, laws of nature, memories and a sense of self.

The character assumes, “I am a person living inside this world.”

But what if that understanding is backwards?

What if we are simultaneously the game, the gamer and the character inside the game, except the character has forgotten that it is also the thing generating the experience?

Maybe being born is like starting an instance.

A universe appears. There is space, time, childhood, family, work, happiness, suffering, ageing and eventually death.

Then the instance shuts down.

From inside the instance, we imagine the universe continuing after us. But perhaps when the instance disappears, the entire experienced universe disappears with it.

Not because the universe was “fake”, but because consciousness was never inside the universe. Perhaps the universe was appearing inside consciousness.

Think about dreams.

While dreaming, you experience places, people and events. You don’t think, “I am generating this entire world.” You experience yourself as one character inside it.

Yet after waking up, you realise something strange.

The street was you.

The buildings were you.

The strangers were you.

The character you thought was “you” was also you.

The entire dream existed within the same consciousness, while the dream character experienced itself as merely one tiny object inside that world.

Could waking reality somehow work on a much deeper version of the same principle?

Maybe the biggest illusion isn’t that the world exists.

Maybe the illusion is that we are merely characters inside it.

Of course, this is philosophical speculation. An external physical universe continuing after our deaths is the normal assumption.

But here’s the question I can’t get around:

If every piece of evidence we could ever observe must ultimately appear within consciousness, how could we conclusively demonstrate that consciousness is produced by the universe, rather than the universe being something experienced within consciousness?

And when we die, does “nothing exist” from our perspective?

Or is the idea of “our perspective” itself the mistake, because the individual person was only the character all along?

Are we characters experiencing a universe, or are we somehow the thing generating the experience, while having completely forgotten that fact?

Can summary?

 

[camoguysg]

 

[Laguna123]

Ts time to jiak medicine?

 

[HirotoXeno]

That means TS think we are AI and he is the creator??

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

This is something I have been thinking about.

The obvious answer is yes. People existed before we were born, and presumably they will continue existing after we die. The universe seems completely independent of any one person.

But there is one problem: everything we know about reality is experienced through consciousness.

We assume the world continues because other people tell us it does. But those people, their words, our memories, scientific instruments and even the idea of an external universe are ultimately things appearing within our conscious experience.

So how could we ever prove, from a first-person perspective, that anything exists independently of awareness?

Here’s an even stranger possibility.

Imagine spinning up a virtual machine.

Inside that VM, suppose there is a conscious character living an entire life. From the character’s perspective, there is a physical world, other people, history, laws of nature, memories and a sense of self.

The character assumes, “I am a person living inside this world.”

But what if that understanding is backwards?

What if we are simultaneously the game, the gamer and the character inside the game, except the character has forgotten that it is also the thing generating the experience?

Maybe being born is like starting an instance.

A universe appears. There is space, time, childhood, family, work, happiness, suffering, ageing and eventually death.

Then the instance shuts down.

From inside the instance, we imagine the universe continuing after us. But perhaps when the instance disappears, the entire experienced universe disappears with it.

Not because the universe was “fake”, but because consciousness was never inside the universe. Perhaps the universe was appearing inside consciousness.

Think about dreams.

While dreaming, you experience places, people and events. You don’t think, “I am generating this entire world.” You experience yourself as one character inside it.

Yet after waking up, you realise something strange.

The street was you.

The buildings were you.

The strangers were you.

The character you thought was “you” was also you.

The entire dream existed within the same consciousness, while the dream character experienced itself as merely one tiny object inside that world.

Could waking reality somehow work on a much deeper version of the same principle?

Maybe the biggest illusion isn’t that the world exists.

Maybe the illusion is that we are merely characters inside it.

Of course, this is philosophical speculation. An external physical universe continuing after our deaths is the normal assumption.

But here’s the question I can’t get around:

If every piece of evidence we could ever observe must ultimately appear within consciousness, how could we conclusively demonstrate that consciousness is produced by the universe, rather than the universe being something experienced within consciousness?

And when we die, does “nothing exist” from our perspective?

Or is the idea of “our perspective” itself the mistake, because the individual person was only the character all along?

Are we characters experiencing a universe, or are we somehow the thing generating the experience, while having completely forgotten that fact?

Very good question. At least you care to ask. Some people live without asking why we exist. I shall answer you when available.

 

[crawler]

If the world only exists in our mind, then when we die, the world no longer exists for us. If the world which we have considered to be permanent and we are a part of can cease to exist at some point, then do we even exist at all at any point?

 

[sbv7230]

This is something I have been thinking about.

The obvious answer is yes. People existed before we were born, and presumably they will continue existing after we die. The universe seems completely independent of any one person.

But there is one problem: everything we know about reality is experienced through consciousness.

We assume the world continues because other people tell us it does. But those people, their words, our memories, scientific instruments and even the idea of an external universe are ultimately things appearing within our conscious experience.

So how could we ever prove, from a first-person perspective, that anything exists independently of awareness?

Here’s an even stranger possibility.

Imagine spinning up a virtual machine.

Inside that VM, suppose there is a conscious character living an entire life. From the character’s perspective, there is a physical world, other people, history, laws of nature, memories and a sense of self.

The character assumes, “I am a person living inside this world.”

But what if that understanding is backwards?

What if we are simultaneously the game, the gamer and the character inside the game, except the character has forgotten that it is also the thing generating the experience?

Maybe being born is like starting an instance.

A universe appears. There is space, time, childhood, family, work, happiness, suffering, ageing and eventually death.

Then the instance shuts down.

From inside the instance, we imagine the universe continuing after us. But perhaps when the instance disappears, the entire experienced universe disappears with it.

Not because the universe was “fake”, but because consciousness was never inside the universe. Perhaps the universe was appearing inside consciousness.

Think about dreams.

While dreaming, you experience places, people and events. You don’t think, “I am generating this entire world.” You experience yourself as one character inside it.

Yet after waking up, you realise something strange.

The street was you.

The buildings were you.

The strangers were you.

The character you thought was “you” was also you.

The entire dream existed within the same consciousness, while the dream character experienced itself as merely one tiny object inside that world.

Could waking reality somehow work on a much deeper version of the same principle?

Maybe the biggest illusion isn’t that the world exists.

Maybe the illusion is that we are merely characters inside it.

Of course, this is philosophical speculation. An external physical universe continuing after our deaths is the normal assumption.

But here’s the question I can’t get around:

If every piece of evidence we could ever observe must ultimately appear within consciousness, how could we conclusively demonstrate that consciousness is produced by the universe, rather than the universe being something experienced within consciousness?

And when we die, does “nothing exist” from our perspective?

Or is the idea of “our perspective” itself the mistake, because the individual person was only the character all along?

Are we characters experiencing a universe, or are we somehow the thing generating the experience, while having completely forgotten that fact?

Bro, u DM David Neo ok?
He also in the same league as you.. but he more fixated with the SUN though..

 

[coolmyth]

When you sleep, the sun still rises.

 

[oncall-engineer]

Ts time to jiak medicine?

Haha no lah. Not saying this is true or that I discovered the meaning of life.

Just a thought experiment: everything we know about the external world ultimately reaches us through conscious experience. So can we ever prove that reality exists independently of consciousness, rather than simply assume it does?

Normal answer is obviously that the world continues after we die. I’m just questioning whether there is any way for the individual experiencing it to actually know that with absolute certainty.

 

[Laguna123]

Haha no lah. Not saying this is true or that I discovered the meaning of life.

Just a thought experiment: everything we know about the external world ultimately reaches us through conscious experience. So can we ever prove that reality exists independently of consciousness, rather than simply assume it does?

Normal answer is obviously that the world continues after we die. I’m just questioning whether there is any way for the individual experiencing it to actually know that with absolute certainty.

Does knowing the answer changes how you live your life?

 

[Ethan_]

Erm, the world don't exist for one person alone?

 

[oncall-engineer]

That means TS think we are AI and he is the creator??

Not that we are AI, and definitely not that I am the creator.

The question is more strange than that:

What if you are simultaneously the character AND whatever is generating the experience, but the character doesn’t know it?

Like dreaming. The dream character doesn’t know the entire dream is coming from the same mind experiencing it.

 

[addict951]

Sibei boh liao
You & that great bumpkin should befriend each other and be bffs.

 

[oncall-engineer]

Does knowing the answer changes how you live your life?

Yes, of course.

 

[oncall-engineer]

Very good question. At least you care to ask. Some people live without asking why we exist. I shall answer you when available.

Thanks. Actually I knew when I put up a post like this, I risk being called silly, stupid, or told to jiak medicine. And that’s perfectly fine.

But somehow you didn’t think the question was silly.

I also find it interesting that so many of us go through life experiencing this existence every single day, yet rarely stop to ask what exactly it is, why we are here, or even what “being here” actually means.

Would genuinely like to hear your answer when you’re free.

 

[PikaManiac]

This is something I have been thinking about.

The obvious answer is yes. People existed before we were born, and presumably they will continue existing after we die. The universe seems completely independent of any one person.

But there is one problem: everything we know about reality is experienced through consciousness.

We assume the world continues because other people tell us it does. But those people, their words, our memories, scientific instruments and even the idea of an external universe are ultimately things appearing within our conscious experience.

So how could we ever prove, from a first-person perspective, that anything exists independently of awareness?

Here’s an even stranger possibility.

Imagine spinning up a virtual machine.

Inside that VM, suppose there is a conscious character living an entire life. From the character’s perspective, there is a physical world, other people, history, laws of nature, memories and a sense of self.

The character assumes, “I am a person living inside this world.”

But what if that understanding is backwards?

What if we are simultaneously the game, the gamer and the character inside the game, except the character has forgotten that it is also the thing generating the experience?

Maybe being born is like starting an instance.

A universe appears. There is space, time, childhood, family, work, happiness, suffering, ageing and eventually death.

Then the instance shuts down.

From inside the instance, we imagine the universe continuing after us. But perhaps when the instance disappears, the entire experienced universe disappears with it.

Not because the universe was “fake”, but because consciousness was never inside the universe. Perhaps the universe was appearing inside consciousness.

Think about dreams.

While dreaming, you experience places, people and events. You don’t think, “I am generating this entire world.” You experience yourself as one character inside it.

Yet after waking up, you realise something strange.

The street was you.

The buildings were you.

The strangers were you.

The character you thought was “you” was also you.

The entire dream existed within the same consciousness, while the dream character experienced itself as merely one tiny object inside that world.

Could waking reality somehow work on a much deeper version of the same principle?

Maybe the biggest illusion isn’t that the world exists.

Maybe the illusion is that we are merely characters inside it.

Of course, this is philosophical speculation. An external physical universe continuing after our deaths is the normal assumption.

But here’s the question I can’t get around:

If every piece of evidence we could ever observe must ultimately appear within consciousness, how could we conclusively demonstrate that consciousness is produced by the universe, rather than the universe being something experienced within consciousness?

And when we die, does “nothing exist” from our perspective?

Or is the idea of “our perspective” itself the mistake, because the individual person was only the character all along?

Are we characters experiencing a universe, or are we somehow the thing generating the experience, while having completely forgotten that fact?

That means TS think we are AI and he is the creator??

Actually... there are some theories in witchcraft that practise this. In a sense, u create the things that happen to you aka Law of Attraction.

But if you believe is this theory, u must also believe that others have the right to change their own surroundings as well.

 

[socratesg]

This is something I have been thinking about.

The obvious answer is yes. People existed before we were born, and presumably they will continue existing after we die. The universe seems completely independent of any one person.

But there is one problem: everything we know about reality is experienced through consciousness.

We assume the world continues because other people tell us it does. But those people, their words, our memories, scientific instruments and even the idea of an external universe are ultimately things appearing within our conscious experience.

So how could we ever prove, from a first-person perspective, that anything exists independently of awareness?

Here’s an even stranger possibility.

Imagine spinning up a virtual machine.

Inside that VM, suppose there is a conscious character living an entire life. From the character’s perspective, there is a physical world, other people, history, laws of nature, memories and a sense of self.

The character assumes, “I am a person living inside this world.”

But what if that understanding is backwards?

What if we are simultaneously the game, the gamer and the character inside the game, except the character has forgotten that it is also the thing generating the experience?

Maybe being born is like starting an instance.

A universe appears. There is space, time, childhood, family, work, happiness, suffering, ageing and eventually death.

Then the instance shuts down.

From inside the instance, we imagine the universe continuing after us. But perhaps when the instance disappears, the entire experienced universe disappears with it.

Not because the universe was “fake”, but because consciousness was never inside the universe. Perhaps the universe was appearing inside consciousness.

Think about dreams.

While dreaming, you experience places, people and events. You don’t think, “I am generating this entire world.” You experience yourself as one character inside it.

Yet after waking up, you realise something strange.

The street was you.

The buildings were you.

The strangers were you.

The character you thought was “you” was also you.

The entire dream existed within the same consciousness, while the dream character experienced itself as merely one tiny object inside that world.

Could waking reality somehow work on a much deeper version of the same principle?

Maybe the biggest illusion isn’t that the world exists.

Maybe the illusion is that we are merely characters inside it.

Of course, this is philosophical speculation. An external physical universe continuing after our deaths is the normal assumption.

But here’s the question I can’t get around:

If every piece of evidence we could ever observe must ultimately appear within consciousness, how could we conclusively demonstrate that consciousness is produced by the universe, rather than the universe being something experienced within consciousness?

And when we die, does “nothing exist” from our perspective?

Or is the idea of “our perspective” itself the mistake, because the individual person was only the character all along?

Are we characters experiencing a universe, or are we somehow the thing generating the experience, while having completely forgotten that fact?

Hmm..is it becoz you're an oncall-engineer ? OnCall 24/7 until became kee-siao ?

Btw, consciousness lives on lor. Lots of NDE accounts have alredy proven that, so it's a given.

You will move on to the next level after death, dun worry. Better still if you're Faith follower. The next realm is full of wonders beyond our mortal comprehension..So while in this transient life, enjoyment every moment of it ya !

 

[coyote]

This is something I have been thinking about.

The obvious answer is yes. People existed before we were born, and presumably they will continue existing after we die. The universe seems completely independent of any one person.

But there is one problem: everything we know about reality is experienced through consciousness.

We assume the world continues because other people tell us it does. But those people, their words, our memories, scientific instruments and even the idea of an external universe are ultimately things appearing within our conscious experience.

So how could we ever prove, from a first-person perspective, that anything exists independently of awareness?

Here’s an even stranger possibility.

Imagine spinning up a virtual machine.

Inside that VM, suppose there is a conscious character living an entire life. From the character’s perspective, there is a physical world, other people, history, laws of nature, memories and a sense of self.

The character assumes, “I am a person living inside this world.”

But what if that understanding is backwards?

What if we are simultaneously the game, the gamer and the character inside the game, except the character has forgotten that it is also the thing generating the experience?

Maybe being born is like starting an instance.

A universe appears. There is space, time, childhood, family, work, happiness, suffering, ageing and eventually death.

Then the instance shuts down.

From inside the instance, we imagine the universe continuing after us. But perhaps when the instance disappears, the entire experienced universe disappears with it.

Not because the universe was “fake”, but because consciousness was never inside the universe. Perhaps the universe was appearing inside consciousness.

Think about dreams.

While dreaming, you experience places, people and events. You don’t think, “I am generating this entire world.” You experience yourself as one character inside it.

Yet after waking up, you realise something strange.

The street was you.

The buildings were you.

The strangers were you.

The character you thought was “you” was also you.

The entire dream existed within the same consciousness, while the dream character experienced itself as merely one tiny object inside that world.

Could waking reality somehow work on a much deeper version of the same principle?

Maybe the biggest illusion isn’t that the world exists.

Maybe the illusion is that we are merely characters inside it.

Of course, this is philosophical speculation. An external physical universe continuing after our deaths is the normal assumption.

But here’s the question I can’t get around:

If every piece of evidence we could ever observe must ultimately appear within consciousness, how could we conclusively demonstrate that consciousness is produced by the universe, rather than the universe being something experienced within consciousness?

And when we die, does “nothing exist” from our perspective?

Or is the idea of “our perspective” itself the mistake, because the individual person was only the character all along?

Are we characters experiencing a universe, or are we somehow the thing generating the experience, while having completely forgotten that fact?

I think you thunk too much. There are people whom you knew have passed away. And the world continue to exist for you and your siblings and friends even after those you knew passed away. So yes, the world continue to exist regardless of anyone passing away. It's not just a consciousness, it's real.

Just look for a girlfriend. You will not be troubled by this after. It will give you meaning and purpose in life.

 

[fortunehunter]

We are in a game play by Bbfa our creator.
Hawker, retailers, restaurant are the NPC.
Army are the barbarian.
Doc are the paladins.
Bankers are the traders.