Does awareness exist?

Discussion in 'Eastern Philosophy' started by Bowser, Dec 31, 2005.

  1. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    And how do you know that those things are "external" of the self?

    Baron Max
     
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  3. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    Sheesh
     
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  5. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    As with a dream, the mind creates it's own environment. It can even create its own company: lastnight I was working in a warehouse and talking with people I never before knew. The night before I was sharing an apartment with my cousins.
     
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  7. Gustav Banned Banned

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    quite simple
    you are communicating your thoughts by way of a question to another. your private sphere of existence reaches out to the public one. by doing so you have implicitly accepted the notion that the other exists independent of yourself. if all that exists are your thoughts, why then even bother to think? or place yourself in a 9-5 routine rather than a ruler of a kingdom? with harem?

    wait! you are a baron!

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  8. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    Again, we are talking concepts, not any proven reality other than the fact that an individual's experience of life is dependent on that individual's mind. Why did I dream myself working in a warehouse lastnight? I dunno. It was better than others I have had, but not as pleasant as still others.

    Life would be pretty lonely if we didn't accept the concept that others exist. Nonetheless, the experience of others is also mind. There can be no seperation.
     
  9. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    One does that in dreams, too, so what's the difference? And how can you tell the difference?

    And really, it would seem that you've never, ever had a vivid dream? Is that true? Because many people dream quite realistically, life-like dreams that can be actually frighteningly real.

    Why not? Perhaps for "adventure", like reading a novel. Perhaps just to keep your mind occupied. Perhaps just for fun. But most importantly, ...why not?

    Yeah? ...and? What does that have to do with anything?

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    Baron Max
     
  10. Gustav Banned Banned

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    bowser

    ahh
    experience is dependant on the mind. have you have postulated the independant existence of something that your reality requires to come into being?

    explain the mind. is it the brain which resides in a human? or is it a thought conjured up by the "i"? if so, why is the experiencer dependant on it? if you make your reality, what makes you choose that particular one? a reality with loneliness, hunger...etc

    why, of all possible realities, do you choose one that i, gustav have also chosen?

    i rather be parsimonious in my speculation. performing mental gymnastics in order to deny the existence of other independant realities is an exercise in incoherence. unless of course, i am just stupid

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    Last edited: Jan 2, 2006
  11. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    Gustav, I have no idea what the hell your last post is all about???? Or is it just a bunch of words so as to confuse me so I quit posting on this topic?

    As I see it, ye're asking me "why" when no one else on Earth knows ...yet you seem to think that you know. How is that? Philosophers have been discussing this topic since the beginning of time and have reached no consensus, ...yet you seem to know it all. How? Have you explained it all to the other philosophers yet?

    Baron Max
     
  12. Gustav Banned Banned

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    nope
    i plan to kill em all and rule unchallenged
    how do you not know this?
     
  13. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    Better get to killing then, 'cause there's a helluva lot of "philosophers" out there and I'd guess that ye're gonna' be damned busy killin' 'em all .....perhaps so busy killing that you won't even have time to rule anything.

    Baron Max
     
  14. water the sea Registered Senior Member

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    If we wouldn't be aware, we'd be long dead. A tentative definition of awareness would be "Awareness is the knowing that phenomena exist. Not how they exist or what they are, just that they are."


    The more problematic issue is concerning what is it that we are aware of. Sure, all of us are aware, but of what? We might so easily be aware of the things surrounding us, the table, the chair, the computer, etc. that we forget that we are aware of them. On the other hand, there are things present in our mind which we are hardly aware of -- like our intentions, habits, responses, reactions.

    One can't just sit there and "be aware", in and of itself. One is always aware *of something*. What that is -- this is what I think is worth exploring.
     
  15. Gustav Banned Banned

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    i am aware of water

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    lets explore
    stats please
     
  16. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    Gustav
    I can conclude that the exerience of life is not possible without such a concept.

    Externalism or internalism? I haven't that answer for you. However, as for the later, The mind seems to require dualism as content for experience.

    I have denied nothing. I wanted to show that the mind has the ability to create--even other individuals if it so chooses. If we were to render these ideas into a shared reality, then we are nothing more than a thought in the others mind. What you do while there is your choice.

    Water
    Hmm, that would be mind. The bigger question is awareness, the focus that moves from one experience to another.
     
  17. ellion Magician & Exorcist (93) Registered Senior Member

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    whether intrenal or external, subjective or objective, Awareness is the Identification of Experience.
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2006
  18. duendy Registered Senior Member

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    let theeee artist in the housespeaaak...hehe

    when yu gaze at an object, be it a curtain, stone, bit of patterned wallpaper, material, Tree...etcetc, and give space for your observation, you awareness opens up

    ...you begin to relax and see pattern where yo hadn't seen it before, line, tone, light, dark, etc

    when you listen and give space, your awarenessopens up, and you begin hearing things you had't been aware of previus....

    same wit touch, feelings etc

    IF you take a pinch ofpsychedelic all of this becomes even MOREintense and opened up, going into ecstatic realms~~~~~

    many many people--bless em--walk around in a dull dull haze. propabably mostly only beingaware of problems and time runnin out
     
  19. ellion Magician & Exorcist (93) Registered Senior Member

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  20. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    Sure, but how do you know that your mind didn't just dream her up? ...just like ye're doing with me typiing this message?

    One says, "I'm aware of ...", but what does that mean? And what makes one think that that something isn't just part of your mind's imagination? Making the statement "I'm aware of..." isn't any kind of proof of anything ...it's just a statement. And to use THAT possibly erroneous statement on which to build any sort of theory is like building a home on quicksand.

    Gustav, you say ye're aware of Water ...but how can you be so sure that she's just not part of another dream ye're having?

    Baron Max
     
  21. water the sea Registered Senior Member

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    Because if Water were merely a figment of Gustav's imagination, then Water would be mightily upset, as she hasn't been granted independent existence!!


    Now here's a thought ...
     
  22. Gustav Banned Banned

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    how dare you post without your creator's permission
    woman! how dare you!

    ps: post bikini pic before i snuff you out of existence
     
  23. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    But, Gustav, you seem to have the mistake idea that you actually control the dreams that happen in your mind. You can't/don't ...your mind simply dreams up all of this so you can enjoy a diversionary "adventure".

    I don't know about yours, but I have a few nice visions of Water in a bikini. And she's lovely and with cute, small, firm breasts and a narrow waist with smoothly flaring hips. Ooooh, golly! ;=)

    But see, that's just the Baron Max that you've dreamed up all in your little mind ...none of it is "real" 'cause there ain't no such thing as "real".

    Baron Max
     

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