Consciousness is the most fundamental aspect of our existence as humans, yet the least understood. Scientists know more about the ocean, galaxy, insects and animals then they do about consciousness. A scientists could give you all your heart desires about the deepest levels of mathematics or chemistry yet be completely lost on where the consciousness appears from. He could tell you all about the seen galaxy, planets and light-speed but nothing about where a thought actually comes from. Consider that Neuroscientists will go through ten years of schooling to achieve a PHD, only to be just as lost about the consciousness as before they even started. You could know every detail and scientific term regarding the brain yet know nothing about the consciousness. This is easily the greatest mystery of our existence simply because it is who we are. All our subjective experiences are bound within an abstract “ghost”, “spirit”, or whatever you want to call it. It’s the source of every good memory, relationship and high. All the embarrassing moments, anxiety and fears all produce from this mystery.
How did “You” become, “You”?
The passions, attractions, taste, fetishes, favorite music etc… are all from the consciousness and you have no control over why that is. A big part of your consciousness was formed by either
A. Someone else, as in a creator or external being outside this reality.
B. You discovered these things (attractions, taste, passions etc…) from a different world or place before you were born. As in you lived before you existed in this world and developed everything previously in a different place, dimension or realm.
C. It spontaneously happened at the moment of conception
The Issue With C
Ultimately, there really are no other possibilities. It must fall into one of these three ways. The reality is, out of these three possibilities, letter C above seems the most out of place. It seems this way, though I’m not saying it’s not a possibility. To have our consciousness, everything we are, just oddly pop together at the moment of conception is downright weird. In this scenario, it almost feels like we would be all dice; at the moment of conception someone tosses all the dice on the floor and whatever numbers that are facing up are our subjective consciousness. As in, when the sperm hits the egg and initiates the process of forming a new “consciousness”, everything we know, what makes us unique, is nothing but a randomized situation and nothing more. If one accepts this scenario as being true, they must also accept that there is no meaning behind this, therefore, nothing in nature or the world has any meaning. How could someone possibly believe that our own consciousness is randomized while simultaneously thinking there is meaning in any other part of this existence? This one belief would forfeit all meaning in life, alone. One can’t pick and choose logic. I’m not saying that letter C can’t be true, but I do realize the consequences of accepting it. All one needs to do is accept this one idea to believe everything is a coincidence in this existence and nothing more.
The only way to make sense of C, to fit it in a world where there is meaning in reality, would be to at the very least also accept A. If A and C were combined, this would mean the creator (or external being) has a way to form us in this reality only and chooses to randomize our consciousness. If this were the case, then at the very least one could accept meaning elsewhere in this existence. Obviously, B and C would be a direct contradiction, so that wouldn’t work.
A or B?
A is of course the side billions lean on as they open their bibles or religious books. This is the letter that would be chosen for all theists. The idea of a creator, a God, who formed us before we were born. One big concept that is used against theists is that the whole idea of a “God” or “creator” is sourced in nothing more than their fear of death. That someone believing in a God is only trying to fill the void of “ceasing to exist”. I easily combat this (having been a strong atheist in the past) with two things
- The idea of a Creator of some sort is consistent with logic and science. Tell me, when’s the last time you saw something pop up from nothing? Do horses pop up in your room? Do watches appear from the air? Do cars suddenly fall from the sky, from nothing? Many atheists will accept science and logic everywhere, yet conveniently ignore it in only this one instance.
- Theists do, in fact fear “ceasing to exist”. If Theists would be honest, they can admit that. I can. The reality is our Innate consciousness craves “meaning” to itself from the moment of awareness. I feel that having such deep innate craving is natural and has meaning it itself. I repeat, there is meaning in wanting meaning.
Most of these two points are self-explanatory but the last of point 2 above is vital. Why does our abstract consciousness deeply crave meaning to itself? Why are we all born needing this, innately? A skeptic immediately has answers to this, yet I have deep argumentation here. I feel strongly our abstract consciousness could be self-aware and the same as it is now, yet not have innate craving for meaning. There is meaning in wanting meaning, for our existence. I feel there is a reason why we have this innate desire, it isn’t just by accident. The fact that billions of people can be born into the world and crave something so deeply, is more than an accident. Most of us would agree that innate cravings, that are universal, have a purpose. For instance, we all innately want to be loved. We all innately want to be accepted. We all innately need our mothers love. These all serve important purpose and there are deep reasons why we all have these innate desires. Reasons that actually make a big difference in our existence. So why is the idea of innately craving “meaning” seen as a cop-out for God? Could it not be that there is a reason for this? That maybe a creator put that in us purposely to search for him? let that sink in.
Letter B is also, technically, just as logical. We’ve all heard of reincarnation. That we are in a constant cycle of living various lives. From bugs to people, all of us will one day live as something else over and over again. Of course, this is an abstract belief but is not impossible. There are countless stories of young children knowing about certain times in history such as events or places without ever opening a history book. We have the really weird conscious glitch of Deja vu, where we feel oddly reminiscent of something we’ve never experienced, or have we? Apart from reincarnation we could also just explore the idea of simply living in another dimension outside this time and space, or our consciousness has its own abstract world it’s a part of and attaches itself to a physical brain for this experience here. It could use the physical “brain” as nothing more than the tool it uses to exist in this dimension. Regardless, to say there is nothing outside this reality, where we could have come from, is a huge act of blind faith.
Conclusion
All the abstract thoughts and feeling that make you who you are, is such a deep mystery. Of course, you could be religious, certain that your worldview is correct, yet one must always realize that their worldview is one in tens of thousands. Everyone has their own unique belief about the world and look at this existence through a certain lens. The interesting thing is it is logically impossible for any two worldviews to both be right, meaning either all the worldviews are wrong or only one is right. Technically, every worldview in existence could all be wrong…but that’s just technically, right?
-Jarom
NO ATTACHMENT IS FREEDOM 