Heres a thought I had earlier today: Ive read posts and threads where people try to find the meaning of life. Some people think live has great meaning for various reasons, others believe that life is completely meaningless. This is my take on the true meaning of life, and why it is so important. The Universe made it possible for Life to exist...we all agree on this. However, wouldnt you also have to agree that life made it possible for the Universe to exist? If you really think about it, one of these forces (Life or the Universe) cannot exist without the other, or on its own. In other words, could the Universe actually exist without anyone or anything being aware of it? The answer is no. Life cannot exist without the Universe, the Universe cannot exist without life. Existence, in and of itself, is a two part machine. Something must (for lack of a better word) provide it, while something else must be able to recognize it. So, in a sense, we are just as responsible for the existence of the Universe as the Universe is responsible for the existence of us. Maybe the real "big bang" was when the first living thing actually realized it was alive....maybe thats when the Universe was born. I dont know, just a random thought I wanted to share with my fellow city members. Smoke on
To me, it's pretty obvious that the Universe has been alive every step of the way. Too much beauty, too much change, too much order.
Yeah, I guess... all our scientific understanding points to the fact that it will die. That's why I think it's the duty of "lifeforms"/organisms to save it. We as in intelligent life (not necessarily human beings) must reverse engineer the Big Rip and become what we already know but might refuse to believe we are... Gods. Obviously we've got a long way to go... but we've got a long time to get there. Just an idea.
This is absolutely correct- we allow the universe to exist just the same as the universe allows us to exist. It is the observation. We are the observer. Without the other, there can be none of this. It is how I became friends with God- I found out how much I mean to Him through this. I am just as important to God as He is to me. So I decided He was more a brother than a master, and He agreed this is so. Great thoughts man- you are right on track. I really hope you get to 'see' it in your lifetime bro... You have the right type of mind I think! In a small way you are seeing it now with thoughts like these, I just hope it hits you really hard because you deserve to experience it.
Its amazing (in a good way) how two people can agree so much on a certian idea, yet have completely different interpretations of that very idea and what it means.
I say as far as the meaning of life: no fuckin idea. BUT, if it is possible for anything to exist, it must also be possible for nothing to exist, right? Be thankful, you and I exist. And as for whoever said that that life couldn't exist without the universe, that's true. But the universe could definitely exist without life, it's like the "if a tree fell in the woods and nobody was there to hear it, does it still make a sound?" of course it still makes a sound, we just don't perceive it. I say everything is a double-edged sword, if it's possible for said event to happen, it's certainly possible for it not to happen, ya dig?
Ya, I totally feel ya bro. I only wish we all could feel that way, instead of fighting over our differences. I think it's a beautiful thing that one thing could be viewed in an infinite amount of different ways- it keeps it interesting. You have a good take on it though, I like the way you see it.
Thats what I love about this place (the Universe), anything is possible. Ive learned that genuine apprecation leads to realization. In other words, you can learn as much as you want about the Universe...but its only when you give it your complete respect, attention, and appreciation does it slowly begin to reveal itself to you.
Wow... Totally felt that one! Keep posting man! I agree that appreciation leads to realization! Very well said!
Something that happend to me a few minutes ago: I sat here in my room trying to put into perspective all of these thoughts that had been running through my head. It was at this moment in time that I began to realize how everything was just one thing, cleverly divided and contructed into forms that have become so familiar that they had nearly lost all meaning. Suddenly everything became beautiful in a single instant. This feeling came and went pretty quick, but I felt as though I was on the verge of something great. For a split second everything looked and felt different, and there was a strange fuzziness in my head. Of course, I became distracted when my girl came into the room to talk about the pizza we were going to order....so I lost it. Hopefully I can find this feeling again and dive a little further.
How so? Why can the universe not exist without life? You say it couldn't exist if nothing were aware of it, but what proof can you offer to show that as truth? I would agree if you said that awareness of the universe couldn't exist without life, but what proof is there that things can't exist without awareness?
Awesome post, but I wouldn't quite say that the Universe 'made' it possible for life to exist, because it seems as though it just kind of 'happened'. There may be another Universe somewhere else with no life. But then again, as you said, does it even exist? I've thought about this question a lot, so I'll give you my answer. Feel more than free to disagree. No, the tree does not make a sound. Sounds does not exist objectively, it requires a perceiver to perceive it for it to exist. This is exactly what JesusC was talking about, a universe with no life wouldn't exist. Even if I was in the same room as you, speaking to you, there is no sound between my vocal cords and your ear. All that exists in the space between us is vibrating molecules of air - no sound. Sound is an interpretation of vibrations by your eardrum, brain, central nervous system, and the like. It needs to be observed to exist. So if a tree falls, hits the ground, and produces moving air, but there is no one around to hear it, there is no sound. What ya think? This is an amazing feeling, I can relate to this experience with many of my own. Through everything from mind altering substances to meditation I always try to explore further... so good luck on your journey as well.
Proof? What would exist to you if you were dead? What would exist to any of us if we were all dead? Existence relies on awareness. Without awareness, there can be no existence.
The universe does not require life for it to exist at all. The world has only been around for ~4 billion years and the universe, we believe is at least 13.7 billion years old.
What you are saying is that the material universe is only an illusion of perception.That the only reason the universe exists is because something percieved it into existence. (You can call it God ) , or maybe it could just be the collection of all self awareness existing in the universe, we don't know how much of the universe is self aware, He's saying that that the universe cannot exist without self awareness because self awareness is all that is real. But i think thats just silly man . In a universe, whose size is measured by billions of light-years, and whose age is measured in billions of years. there's tiny fly-speck young planet which we call earth- it hosts a particular species - of which, during the last couple of million years- has evolved language, reasoning, and the arrogant ability, to think of such stupid ideas. We are self aware atoms of organized energy. We have gone from atoms, to cells, to bodies, to species... But Our impact on the rest of the universe -is zero, zilch. except maybe for some insignificant radio waves that have traveled a maximum of barely a few hundred light years from us. Our importance to the universe is zero. Our feelings about the universe are equally unimportant. How many millions of years did the universe exist before life evolved, let alone the 'awareness' of it? How did it maintain its existance then? It is only our perceptions, and perceptions cannot create or influence reality. The universe was here before us- and it will still be here after. Regardless of how many play on words you use about it. But, if you say Awareness is existance itself, then you are saying that Nothing is real which cannot be percieved, or thought of. But if you say something cannot be real outside the perceptions and thoughts of something aware, then please - give me one example.