Below is a quote from Paul Davies talking about the existence of a physical world.
"Our immediate experiences always refer to our mental world, a world of sensory impressions. We usually think of this as being a reasonably faithful map or model of a really exisiting physical world "out there" and distinguish between dream images and physical images.yet a map or model is just an a analogy, in this case it is one we are prepared to accept. An even greater leap of faith is required when we conclude that there exist other minds besides our own. Our experience of other human beings derives from interactions with their bodies: we cannot perceive their minds directly. Certainly other people behave as if they share our own mental experiences, but we can never know that.The conclusion that other minds exist is based entirely on analogy with our own behaviour and experiences".
Paul Davies " The Mind of God"1992 (bold italics are mine)
This passage explains exactly what was going through my mind in my last blog talking about the fact that there is no proof at all that the physical world exists, not that other people exist, nor even that that my individual self exists as the person known as Bert, the only solid thing is my consciousness. That exists, but that could be me, or everyone, or the entire physical universe, according to what can be proved!
Thursday, 9 August 2007
Tuesday, 7 August 2007
back again
Apologies for all the spellings in the last post. I will correct them but not now as I want to concentrate on getting something new down. Its been weeks since my last post. A number of reasons for this. Firstly, lost the glimpse or insight for a bit, felt very much trapped in the mundane again for a while and really couldn't get in touch with any of this stuff even when meditating, which I am still doing for 20 minutes every day. Secondly, I borrowed a couple of books off a friend with similar interests. The first one was Hofstadter's "Goedel, Escher and Bach, an Eternal Golden braid". Its fascinating, inspired, and actually the concepts he outlines are really quite beautiful, graceful and elegant.
but, I am afraid the mathematics and particularily the algebra, and the mathematical terminology, just lost me and I didn't get as much out of it as I was hoping.
Havent finished it anyway.
Now I'm reading Paul Davies " The Mind of God". 15 years old so probably out of date but brilliant. Clear, concise, excellent non-mathematical examples to illustrate mathematical concepts. But a bit scary actually. All this stuff about the universe being a giant computer, or a computer simulation, and us being like characters in the Sims. Thats as far as I've got anyway. And listened to Stanislaw Lem's "Solaris" on the radio last week. The production was too focused on the love story angle, a peripheral storyline in the original. But nevertheless a fantastic and revealing look at creation, simulated life, a "child god" throwing all his toys out of the pram, not malicious but totally undisciplined and unselfconsious. Blindly creating and destroying, just for the fun of it!
Its all a bit frightening.
I have a feeling somehwere inside that these postulates are wrong. That there is more to it and we are not as random and senseless or cold and meaningless as the 2 models outlined here seem to suggest.
But I cant explain now.
One thing before I forget.
Is it possible that nobody exists. Not any other person, nor me! Nor any animal or creature of material object. That it is all a dance, a dream.
I am still worried by the thought that there is only me! I know it sounds ludicrous, egocentric etc.
But what if the holocaust, the iraqi prisoner's torture, all those horrible things, are my creation?
I dont think I really mean me, bert, I mean me the consciousness beyond my individual identity, but if that is all there is then that is Bert, really. isn't it, or wohoever is the one thinking, writing, speaking, blogging.
A lot of clues seem to be hinting at this or something close which I cant quite grasp. Solaris, these photographs, Phillip K Dick .
I'll come back to this.
I know this all sounds a bit paranoid schizophrenic, but those are just labels really. I want to let my thoughts run relatively free here to see what they come up with, so am trying not to censor myself too much.
but, I am afraid the mathematics and particularily the algebra, and the mathematical terminology, just lost me and I didn't get as much out of it as I was hoping.
Havent finished it anyway.
Now I'm reading Paul Davies " The Mind of God". 15 years old so probably out of date but brilliant. Clear, concise, excellent non-mathematical examples to illustrate mathematical concepts. But a bit scary actually. All this stuff about the universe being a giant computer, or a computer simulation, and us being like characters in the Sims. Thats as far as I've got anyway. And listened to Stanislaw Lem's "Solaris" on the radio last week. The production was too focused on the love story angle, a peripheral storyline in the original. But nevertheless a fantastic and revealing look at creation, simulated life, a "child god" throwing all his toys out of the pram, not malicious but totally undisciplined and unselfconsious. Blindly creating and destroying, just for the fun of it!
Its all a bit frightening.
I have a feeling somehwere inside that these postulates are wrong. That there is more to it and we are not as random and senseless or cold and meaningless as the 2 models outlined here seem to suggest.
But I cant explain now.
One thing before I forget.
Is it possible that nobody exists. Not any other person, nor me! Nor any animal or creature of material object. That it is all a dance, a dream.
I am still worried by the thought that there is only me! I know it sounds ludicrous, egocentric etc.
But what if the holocaust, the iraqi prisoner's torture, all those horrible things, are my creation?
I dont think I really mean me, bert, I mean me the consciousness beyond my individual identity, but if that is all there is then that is Bert, really. isn't it, or wohoever is the one thinking, writing, speaking, blogging.
A lot of clues seem to be hinting at this or something close which I cant quite grasp. Solaris, these photographs, Phillip K Dick .
I'll come back to this.
I know this all sounds a bit paranoid schizophrenic, but those are just labels really. I want to let my thoughts run relatively free here to see what they come up with, so am trying not to censor myself too much.
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