Is anyone else in complete disbelief that this is real life?

[interim]

I cite constantly this thought from the Matrix. It's a rare even to make people thinking though...

Morpheus: Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?

As a child, I had this strange feeling for a moment. That this whole thing is just a game, and I observe it from a distance. It's was a very fleeting sensation. But it made it just more real for me, since I've read a lot of stuff after that, and didn't feel like this again. I can mentally think in that way, but not really feel it.

Btw, I've had lucid dreams, and they can really fool you, and make you question what you think it's real. And there is a simple reason - everything is really just a function of your mind. Can this all be just some sort of simulation? I can't think of a reason it can't be...

 

[FTL.Wanderer]

Seeing the things people do to eachother, the random elements to life, etc.

Im in constant disbelief that this can be reality. I want to die so badly. Everything just keeps getting worse and there is nothing i can do about it. No God to help console me, no mercy, no explanation.

Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes!! The sheer savagery of life--and I mean the experience of most other species in the wild--is staggering. And that this is the best we thinking apes could come up with after millennia of biological and social evolution is depressing. At least to me.

 

[GeorgeJL]

Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes!! The sheer savagery of life--and I mean the experience of most other species in the wild--is staggering. And that this is the best we thinking apes could come up with after millennia of biological and social evolution is depressing. At least to me.

We are about to enter a new age, right now we are still in the birthing pains. Yes things will get worse with stuff like automation, but once we get through this the world will be much better.

 

[JWL]

If you look at the highly respected Steven Pinkers work he's shown that actually violence has gone way down generally speaking even if you include WWII, violence has still gone way down generally speaking. I research a lot of the new technologies coming out so I stay positive. Focusing on the negative too much is a HUGE rabbit hole you don't want to go down. Because there is an infinite amount of evil and an infinite amount of good in this universe. So you choose what you want to focus on. I am not trying to be a white knight here. I am very much pro-choice when it comes to suicide just take a look at some of my past posts. But until you choose to leave I would hope that everyone here would keep there mind as dignified as possible before exiting.

The Surprising Decline In Violence www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_on_the_myth_of_violence?language=en

I agree with you about focussing on the negative. Far too much gloom and doom. There are some amazing things in this world, and whilst circumstances dictate that we can't all share in them, they still exist. You can't paint it black, as the Rolling Stones once sang so brilliantly, just because of the black in your life.

We are about to enter a new age, right now we are still in the birthing pains. Yes things will get worse with stuff like automation, but once we get through this the world will be much better.

Agreed. We're heading to rock bottom, but it's often only from rock bottom that the fight back to better things begins.

 

[FTL.Wanderer]

We are about to enter a new age, right now we are still in the birthing pains. Yes things will get worse with stuff like automation, but once we get through this the world will be much better.

What new age? And why the certainty that humanity (I gather not the many other species humanity is pushing to extinction every day) is entering this new age?

 

[JWL]

What new age?

We've had new ages for ages...

 

[GeorgeJL]

What new age? And why the certainty that humanity (I gather not the many other species humanity is pushing to extinction every day) is entering this new age?

Look up the technological singularity, automation, UBI, strong AI, seasteading, and maybe even cold fusion (LENR). Even just one of these things would be profound but all of these are going to be perfected soon in the coming decades which will lead to the liberation of mankind. Because instead of working 9-5 the world will be freed to work on stuff like personal growth, family, friends, community, etc.

Edit: Check out futurist Raymond Kurzweil and his books. Perhaps not all of his predictions are spot on but regardless many of these things are coming. It's not a question of if it will happen but when it will happen.

 

[letmeseethedeath]

Seeing the things people do to eachother, the random elements to life, etc.

Im in constant disbelief that this can be reality. I want to die so badly. Everything just keeps getting worse and there is nothing i can do about it. No God to help console me, no mercy, no explanation.

i feel the same. when i have some times for me i start thinking about all these things, like people loving each other on this planet, and other stupid things. life is shit, i wanna die

 

[FTL.Wanderer]

We've had new ages for ages...

I asked you what new age you were referring to specifically.

which will lead to the liberation of mankind.

I respect your right to draw the inferences you do, but whether technology has liberated or can liberate humankind, putting aside the figurative language, is questionable.

 

[GeorgeJL]

I asked you what new age you were referring to specifically.

Technological age I would say.

 

[FTL.Wanderer]

Technological age I would say.

Have we not been living in a technological age for at least a few generations?

 

[GeorgeJL]

Have we not been living in a technological age for at least a few generations?

It's probably more so the information age. The thing is that there are many ages that we are about to enter. Such as the age of automation, artificial intelligence, LENR etc. But I suppose all those ages could be summarized into one main age. I thought that would be technological but I don't see that in the google search. And yes we have been in the information age for a while now. But in all honesty we have just scratched the surface of all these ages.

 

[Glim]

Life has been a mix of self devouring and mating ever since the DNA molecule emerged and began replicating 3.6 billion years ago. It's bizarre to witness what is essentially cannibalism - life throwing copies of itself against to fight each other for resources, shelter and mates that entails carnage of animals devouring each other, only to begin the cycle anew once the winners mate and produce offspring. Extreme amount of bloodshed for humans to eventually arise and play the same game in a more systemized, but also complex, and controlled manner.
It is far, far, far from being smoothed out and still results in violence, suffering, poverty, starvation, oppression, exploitation, slavery, accidents, disasters, carnage of an even higher capacity of destructive output due to our intelligence and technology, and we still have to deal with the insatiable desires and needs that burden us while knowing we will inevitably decay and die in a manner that we cannot anticipate - with no secure back door option out of a system that we were forcibly imposed into through a genetic dice roll, at the whim of parents of any environmental and socio-economic background. From our days as hunter-gatherers to today, the average standard of living has risen greatly, but the net suffering has also drastically increased. Est. 3 million people in 10,000 BC vs 7.6 billion. Est 700 million live in extreme poverty and famishment. Not really sure if animal suffering has gotten worse or ?better? We've reduced animal populations, limiting the number of animals being spawned to suffer in the brutality of nature, but we have ramped up factory farm animal populations.
Knowing the trillions of sentient lifeforms that have suffered in countless ways, in a hypothetical scenario would one really want to press "the green button" to unleash the DNA molecule replication process on another planet?

Seeing the things people do to each other, the random elements to life, etc.

It's really strange. Life as a whole both loves and hates itself to an extreme degree. "We are all one and connected" as the cliche goes. Just at this point, extremely distant relatives descended from the DNA molecule

 

[Rollo]

Yeah I know what you mean - I used to get such a feeling as well. Still yeah this is real life. This is how it's always been. Everything else you expect from life is based on cartoons and other forms of persuasion where everybody is nice to each other and those who are not they look bad and loose in the end. Still it's fairy tales, cartoons and movies which are fantasy. And the way this fantasy was and is being used to condition people is actually quite consistent with the general fanged character of real life.

 

[JWL]

Life has been one self-shredding bloodbath of an incestual orgy ever since 3.6 billion years ago when the DNA molecule emerged and began replicating. It's bizarre to witness what is essentially cannibalism - life throwing copies of itself against each other for resources, shelter and mates that entails carnage of animals devouring each other, only to begin the cycle anew once the winners mate and produce offspring. That is our history. That was the price paid for humans to eventually arise and play the same game, only in a more systemized, but also complex, and controlled manner with more rules.
It is far, far, far from being smoothed out and still results in violence, suffering, poverty, starvation, oppression, exploitation, slavery, accidents, disasters, carnage of an even higher capacity of destructive output due to our intelligence and technology, and we still have to deal with the insatiable desires and needs that burden us while knowing we will inevitably decay and die in a manner that we cannot anticipate - with no secure back door option out of a system that we were forcibly imposed into through a genetic dice roll, at the whim of parents of any environmental and socio-economic background. From our days as hunterer gatherers to today, the average standard of living has risen, but the net suffering overall has drastically increased. Est 3 million people in 10,000 BC vs 7.6 billion. Est 700 million live in extreme poverty and famishment. Not really sure if animal suffering has gotten worse or ?better? We've reduced animal populations, limiting the number of animals being spawned to suffer in the brutality of nature, but we have ramped up factory farm animal populations.
Knowing the trillions of sentient lifeforms that have suffered in countless ways, in a hypothetical scenario would one really want to press "the green button" to unleash the DNA molecule replication process on another planet?

Sorry, but this is just such a ridiculous and self-serving oversimplification of the complexity AND wonder of life. Just because it isn't going too hunky dorey for you, you can't paint the whole of existence with such misery. Life's not about Disney at every twist and turn. But for fuck's sake just put some different specs on and take a REAL long good look back at our history and long, slow, but inevitable development. I think it's bloody magnificent.

I don't deny some of the huge problems you mention, and there's no doubt we are in big trouble. But once we hit bottom we, or whoever becomes 'we', will move forward, will try again. And perspective...however shitty you see things now, the average (1st world) person has a far better shot at a decent life than they did 1000, 500, 100, or even 60 years ago. So it's not ALL doom doom, gloom gloom.

 

[Roberto]

I came to the understanding that the universe is a horrible place very early on in life.
It's absolutely terrifying. Not a second goes by that I'm unaware of the horrors in this world.
Part of my reason for wanting out. I couldn't go to just ignoring it, or trying to forget about it, but I can't live with it either.
Wish we had something different

I think given the peace around us, it seems false the news.
This is so weird. Life. But you are part of this life, and you are true, so, everything must be true.
The image you are using I like it. It is used in one song that I like much. Is 'take me to somewhere nice'.

 

[JWL]

. "We are all one and connected" as the cliche goes. Just at this point, extremely distant relatives descended from the DNA molecule

It's not a cliche.

Is it possible that existence is our exile and nothingness is our home?
Emil Cioran

Existence is experience gathering. We're not here to 'suffer' (the doom and gloom brigade...) or to have fun (specifically), but to experience EVERYthing possible, and from that, learn, grow, develop, move forward if possible (in other lives).

Just my take on it all.

 

[Glim]

Sorry, but this is just such a ridiculous and self-serving oversimplification of the complexity AND wonder of life. Just because it isn't going too hunky dorey for you, you can't paint the whole of existence with such misery. Life's not about Disney at every twist and turn. But for fuck's sake just put some different specs on and take a REAL long good look back at our history and long, slow, but inevitable development. I think it's bloody magnificent.

I don't deny some of the huge problems you mention, and there's no doubt we are in big trouble. But once we hit bottom we, or whoever becomes 'we', will move forward, will try again. And perspective...however shitty you see things now, the average (1st world) person has a far better shot at a decent life than they did 1000, 500, 100, or even 60 years ago. So it's not ALL doom doom, gloom gloom.

The focus of the post was to highlight the contradiction of life loving yet hating itself -- of life mating with and destroying itself. "Standard of living has risen" was an understatement, I changed it to "greatly risen" now.

take a REAL long good look back at our history and long, slow, but inevitable development. I think it's bloody magnificent.

As you said "bloody". Our achievements, wonders, and joy come at the cost of unfathomable amounts of suffering and bloodshed (3.6 billion years of primitive life evolving in nature's barbarism). Human civilization (12000 years, and was again, forged through blood, sweat and tears ) is a blip in comparison. I acknowledge that life's standard of living will continue to increase, I do not deny that.


Thought experiment: Would you press the "green button" to unleash the DNA replication process on another planet? "Earth 2.0" You'd get your modern civilization with all the joys and wonders; the internet, romantic love, music, movies, scientific wonders, literature, familial and friendship bonds - but the unfathomable amounts of self-cannibalization, rape, infanticide, disease, mental illnesses, massacres, warfare, slavery, violence, oppression and exploitation as well.

 

[JWL]

Thought experiment: Would you press the "green button" to unleash the DNA replication process on another planet? "Earth 2.0" You'd get your modern civilization with all the joys and wonders; the internet, romantic love, music, movies, scientific wonders, literature, familial and friendship bonds - but the unfathomable amounts of self-cannibalization, rape, infanticide, disease, mental illnesses, massacres, warfare, slavery, violence, oppression and exploitation as well.

Very guardedly, yes, I would. It's evolution and that's how it all works. You can't just skip to the Disney parts. The Disney parts come from the very long struggle to get there.

 

[Ch92921]

there is no reason why you live.

Life is not a test. We exist because of random biochemical evolution.

Because single cell organism are also life creatures and they just exist for no deeper reason. The same with plants. Plants are also living creatures which consits of many plant-cells.

 

[Glim]

The focus of the post was to highlight the contradiction of life loving yet hating itself -- of life mating with and destroying itself. "Standard of living has risen" was an understatement, I changed it to "greatly risen" now.


As you said "bloody". Our achievements, wonders, and joy come at the cost of unfathomable amounts of suffering and bloodshed (3.6 billion years of primitive life evolving in nature's barbarism). Human civilization (12000 years, and was again, forged through blood, sweat and tears ) is a blip in comparison. I acknowledge that life's standard of living will continue to increase, I do not deny that.


Thought experiment: Would you press the "green button" to unleash the DNA replication process on another planet? "Earth 2.0" You'd get your modern civilization with all the joys and wonders; the internet, romantic love, music, movies, scientific wonders, literature, familial and friendship bonds - but the unfathomable amounts of self-cannibalization, rape, infanticide, disease, mental illnesses, massacres, warfare, slavery, violence, oppression and exploitation as well.

*600 million years - life did not develop a nervous system until then. Can't edit post

 

[ithappens]

Does anyone else get this feeling where you'll be sitting around or looking in a mirror and suddenly you don't recognize your own face, it seems false or like a stranger's, or you feel like this isn't real, isn't your body, isn't your life? And then you "leave your body" and see things from outside yourself, like from above, or even from a perspective above Earth. And then there's this whiplash and you go back into your body, and your heart is racing like you're panicking. WTF is that??

To answer OP, yes I have this feeling, sometimes more strongly than others. I can't pin when it started, but I do recall as a child feeling like an outside observer and as if all of this reality was somewhat inconsequential or in some other way a game or temporary experience.

 

[littlepillbox]

Sometimes I wake up and think "No, please, I don't want it to be reality, it shouldn't have happen to me"

i want to make this my signature. may i?

 

[bigj75]

Does anyone else get this feeling where you'll be sitting around or looking in a mirror and suddenly you don't recognize your own face, it seems false or like a stranger's, or you feel like this isn't real, isn't your body, isn't your life? And then you "leave your body" and see things from outside yourself, like from above, or even from a perspective above Earth. And then there's this whiplash and you go back into your body, and your heart is racing like you're panicking. WTF is that??

To answer OP, yes I have this feeling, sometimes more strongly than others. I can't pin when it started, but I do recall as a child feeling like an outside observer and as if all of this reality was somewhat inconsequential or in some other way a game or temporary experience.

i agree. Out of body experiences are profound but i feel them like you describe.

 

[ZixivaldYrxes]

There's that conspiracy theory about how the world already ended in 2012 and this is just an illusion because we don't believe we died.

I don't believe in it myself but I can't knock it down.

Cotard's syndrome - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

One of those things that seems nonsensical until it happens to you
But people have been thinking things like this since forever

Does anyone else get this feeling where you'll be sitting around or looking in a mirror and suddenly you don't recognize your own face, it seems false or like a stranger's, or you feel like this isn't real, isn't your body, isn't your life? And then you "leave your body" and see things from outside yourself, like from above, or even from a perspective above Earth. And then there's this whiplash and you go back into your body, and your heart is racing like you're panicking. WTF is that??

To answer OP, yes I have this feeling, sometimes more strongly than others. I can't pin when it started, but I do recall as a child feeling like an outside observer and as if all of this reality was somewhat inconsequential or in some other way a game or temporary experience.

Almost happened to me once. The heart racing happened before the pop, like my body was either fighting whatever was happening or was working overtime to supply blood to my brain that was doing whatever it was doing. I was posing questions to myself. "Is this you?", "Can you let go of this?", "Can you let go of that?". Each time I answered, the feeling got more intense like I was disintegrating. It felt like dying sort of but also like I was going somewhere. Then I answered one question and it all stopped.

 

[Carma]

I'm quite sure we were kidnapped into this weird, crazy, stupid, simple, algorithmic 'world' (matrix).
I can't wait to get out.. very soon, this week : - )

 

[Broken]

im in complete disbelief that my life has turned out this way. This time last year I'd never heard of SS finally thought my life was coming together and was planning for my future. even though I made some mistakes I'm sick of feeling not good enough and abandoned. People make out like that's life and it's my job to just accept that people don't want to to stay in my life but maybe the next one will. Well I don't have the confidence/belief/hope to pick myself up this time and keep going

Yes, but maybe for different reasons. The worldis fucked up- but I always had my place in it. Then my brain shattered and I lost all control, all happiness, and most functionality. The realization that this is my new reality hits me sometimes, and my head spins fronit. The change happened over less than one month and really plunged in a couple days.

Sound exactly like me. I've faced challenges before but I've always known my place/who I am. My life changed overnight and it was like somone turned the lights out 8 months ago and I don't think it's coming back on. I lost my mind and I'd rather not exist than live in this torture until I die naturally.

 

[TheFinalCountdown]

There's that conspiracy theory about how the world already ended in 2012 and this is just an illusion because we don't believe we died.

I don't believe in it myself but I can't knock it down.

I know that I haven't felt alive since 2012