The meaning of life.

Sounds like the utterings of a schizophrenic to me. How is one to apply this compelling theory to their plight as a human being on planet earth?

 

In a spiritual sense she's right.

I dont believe in religion, mainly the mainstream ones, those are just a means of control.

What i do believe is that we were all created in somewhat of a reflection of a core (God if thats what you want to call it), in which everything is created, the only frequency that ever exists is love, you the product (lets call it soul) is something that lives on forever, the body (instrument) is an illusion which you live out your experiences.

In a spiritual sense we decide to reincarnate on this planet to live out experiences, because how would someone know the importance of love if they keep experiencing it, you dont have anything to compare it to, and that's why you have all the bad things in life, the main element being fear, then you decide that you dont like fear and that love is better.

you must understand also that love is not just the romantic feeling you have towards another, its the feeling of happiness you get that's contagious and is willingly spread for the sake of making another happy also. (hopefully a never ending cycle to those that arent selfish)

 

I respect your sense of spirituality but I am too much of a skeptic to buy into such things. You mention religion is just a form of control, theories such as this are really no different in application.

 

I like the "life sucks and then you die" theory .

Life is just an extended chemical reaction, remember...

 

There is/was a comic strip called PAWS that was produced fairly locally, up here in Canada's North, that revolved around a trapper, Marten Fisher, and his dog (that regularly ignored the fourth wall), and later on in the strip's run, the trappers son asks him, "What is the meaning of life dad?" To which, the trapper merely says, "Come."

The dog, Skookum, wryly notes to the audience that 'This should be good', and the next few panels are of the trio hiking, canoeing, and otherwise exploring the North. At the last panel, They are standing atop a mountain, and the son says, "Thanx Dad! I see now!" And Skookum, again to the audience, "The lesson that can't be told!"

I tend to agree with this -- and I feel the same thing when I go out into the wilderness.

If you can find the comic, it is very much worth the read - I have both the collections, but both are currently out of print. The comic is PAWS, by Doug Urquhart, publised by Lost Moose Publishing. (Im not kidding on that last part.)

 

The idea is to live a happy, joyful life the way you want. Summed up in a sentence

 

I'm with this... life, ***as far as humans are capable of perceiving it, is nothing but a predetermined set of chemical reactions that dictate our perceptions (yes, they interact with and change structure in accordance to reaction to our environment, but how you will react is already predetermined in chemical and genetic makeup).

But, since we have no way of mapping out or predicting anyone's set of life-long chemical reactions (as that would be an extremely complex task)...we may as well live as if we have free will - what happens will happen. Just move along and enjoy the ride


***This is where I get all hippie-ish in my personal theories ... Our perceptions are merely human perceptions - it could very easily be (in my opinion) that there are other, perhaps more complex lifeforms out there, whose perceptions are a lot more revealing than ours. After all, we may as well be gods to a fly or a cockroach - their world also seems absolute, but we can perceive more levels...And I"m rambling like crazy now, anyone understand what I'm trying to say?

 

Well, since nobody has done it yet It'll have to be me.

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Well, sure - that's the answer to life, but we can't know the meaning unless you can figure out the question .

 

My dad has talked to me about his theories too, and they're not unlike sanguine and hulu's...

I like to keep things simple and believe that the meaning of life is different for everybody, and in their own way, they're completely right... For me that would just be spending time with people I care about and having lots of great experiences.

I don't think there's just one meaning, and that it's the same for everyone

And I also believe you can change the meaning of (your) life whenever and however you want... Who's to say otherwise? :3 So in that sense, I believe that the meaning of life isn't necessarily intrinsic, and that it's more of a perspective or outlook on life itself...

 

Yes: you're insane :lol:

 

Point well taken. One of the most insightful posts I have read on here actually. My only criticism is that things are not as static as some would like you to believe. The mind is very powerful.

 

Meaning of life? Meaning? Life has no meaning...we're here because of the infinite chances that this infinite universe has to offer. So basically "freak" chance of chemical reactions. I'd say "freak" because it wouldn't really be a "freak" chance as the universe provides infinite possibilities...

Personal level of meaning of life: It is what you make of it.

 

hulu735, you posted about your friend's theory: "everybody else is real, but in an unrealistic way. Everybody else is real in the place of eternal bliss, but is in their own world that their subconscious imagined, or they are in eternal bliss. She theorizes that the only way we can get back into the place of Eternal bliss is if your person in your new world dies."

"Everybody ... is real but in an unrealistic way" must be the defining central idea here. That is a profound and wonderful statement. We must look at ourselves and how we are unrealistic.

The rest makes me very, very wary. It sounds like the usual "this-place-sucks-and-we-have-to-die" sort of idea. In truth it is very childish and not very profound. You see, this is a common error in logical thinking which we call "explaining the unknown with the unknowable" - in other words pure silliness. This person, in trying to find a purpose or a vocation, has simply concluded that this place is not real and people must "die in the new place" before they return to a blissful state.

While that sounds like Christianity or Judaism, it is NOT. It is a superficial and empty way of grasping life's problems in a straightforward fashion. It can also be the sign of a mentally disturbed person (with NO offense to your friend).

When people have asked me the meaning of life, I say the answer is "Be more specific."

 

I get that a lot . You really can't avoid it if you're a chronic insomniac :lol:

 

OMG, somebody call a qualified neurologist here!!

 

I'm beginning to think there's no meaning to life. It just exists, and came about through a process we don't quite understand fully yet (and may never fully understand at all).

We are born, we experience what we experience, and we die. Ultimately, everything we've done, seen, experienced--every lifetime in the entire population of human beings that have ever lived on this planet--will be lost once all life on Earth is baked to a crisp as the Sun slowly dies, and once any colonies we happen to have in outer space suffer similar fates.

I believe that free will is just an illusion. The moment this universe came into being, every single event that would ever occur in the future was predetermined. In essence, our belief in our own free will was predetermined. My nihilistic point of view was also predetermined.

I'll eat my words if scientists can prove that alternative universes exist in which things happened differently than they did in this one.

 

This would not have tempted me to post again, except for one really silly thing: I want someone to define "free will" here for me. Too many people say there is no such thing ... how do you know? If it's a mere belief, then say so. If you have an argument why free will is impossible, let's hear it. I say free will is what you make of it, no more, no less.

Let me give you a 'personal' example: we are genetically and biologically programmed to age. We get old. Some of us as old as the hills. Now what does that have to do with free will when I say, "I don't wanna get old?!"-nothing. So I'm saying let's define our terms better.

 

First off the beauty of spirituality is that you dont have to believe in it, just by living you have a purpose, whether or not you believe is ok, there is no stigma like religion where if you dont worship you go to hell, there is no such thing as hell, if anything this is hell and you create that version of hell yourself.

Secondly you couldnt be more wrong about spirituality being a means of control, first off it doesnt expect you to believe, it respects everyone for their decision as an individual, secondly it doesnt discriminate, i remember going into a spiritual forum last year, saying im gay and looking for a place in this world and most of the members being fairly old didnt care what so ever, they told me its my own path to follow and let me be on my way, everyone has a place on this earth with their own path.

it takes a leap of faith to be an atheist just as much as it does to believe in someone higher than ourselves, the practice of spirituality is love love each other, and work with nature