Think about it – nothing existing wouldn’t require ANY explanations…
SOMETHING actually existing would seem to require an infinity of explanations
Then, that I exist is especially magical
For one thing, if I can exist for only one finite time at most, the probability that I would CURRENTLY exist is virtually zero
Which means that it is very-very likely that I either exist many-many times, or ALWAYS –
And eventually humanity should recognize that “DEATH” (non-existence of the self) is only temporary or never
Apparently, the “lower” animals “TAKE EVERYTHING FOR GRANTED” – I.E. we humans assume that the lower animals never (or, hardly ever) wonder “how” or “why”
They appear to just REACT in whatever ways that they perceive to be in their own (or a loved one’s) best interests
Whereas, we humans DO wonder how and why about most everything
Yet, there is something INFINITELY IMPORTANT that most of us humans still take for granted -– OUR OWN EXISTENCES, our SELVES
I’m claiming that if we dive DEEPLY enough into our own consciousnesses, we will be ABSOLUTELY AMAZED at the magic lying there…
Unfortunately, I don’t have a better way of describing what I’m asking you to do – I assume that’s exactly why I’ve never met anybody who agrees with me…
WHERE (IN THE HELL!) DID I COME FROM?!!!
So far, I haven’t figured out a better way to express that amazement, but I’ll keep trying –
I think that Abraham Joshua Heschel called it “RADICAL amazement” (I’ve never met Abraham Joshua Heschel)
And then, once something existed, something must have ALWAYS existed?!
How could there be a FIRST cause — how could there be a cause that wasn’t, itself, caused?
But otherwise, how could there have ALWAYS been something either?
Einstein said that time is an illusion (maybe, that’s the key – maybe, “ALWAYS” is just part of the illusion)
Supposedly, homo-sapiens have existed for 200,000 years and have produced about 100,000,000,000 (ONE-HUNDRED BILLION) selves
Is there a LIMIT to the number of POTENTIAL human selves?
PROBABLY NOT — there must be a potential INFINITY of different human selves…
And, if each self can exist for only one finite time at most, the PROBABILITY of me (or you) CURRENTLY existing is virtually zero
In other words, it’s VERY, VERY UNLIKELY that I (or you) CAN exist for only one finite time!!!
In fact, you and I must be BASIC to reality
Following Quantum Mechanics, we must be specific divisions of an infinitely divisible UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS (look that one up!)
And, in the “BEGINNING,” (if there WAS a beginning) we must ALL have been just ONE…
Then, I’m suggesting that the reason we homo-sapiens seem able to PROVE DETERMINISM, and DISPROVE FREE WILL, is that we are only in our intellectual infancy evolutionarily speaking, and are missing, or misunderstanding, something, or somethings crucial, in regard to reality
I’m suggesting that we humans are not nearly as smart as we think we are
I’m suggesting that we humans actually have a long way to go on this evolutionary intellectual highway, and that’s why we’re able to “PROVE” determinism
We’re missing (at least SOME)thing crucial
Apparently, the “lower” animals “TAKE EVERYTHING FOR GRANTED” – I.E. we assume that they never (or, hardly ever) wonder “how” or “why”
They appear to just REACT in whatever ways that they perceive to be in their own (or a loved one’s) best interest
Whereas, we humans DO wonder how and why — and most of us think of ourselves as having “free will”
But then, there are some facts that we HUMANS do TEND to take for granted – and SOME of those we probably should NOT – they deserve to be wondered about
In fact, two FACTS seem “magical” (when analyzed – and consequently, SUPPORT RELIGION)
EXISTENCE in general,
OUR EXISTENCES in particular,
These apparently magical facts should be largely RESPONSIBLE for our religions – for our tendency towards BELIEVING in magic and meaning
So, one of those FACTS that we should probably NOT take for granted, but do, is our own SELVES
When analyzed, they don’t seem to fit with what we think we know about reality…
And again, they end up supporting Religion…
We take our selves for granted — when our selves are the very last “things” that SHOULD be taken for granted
Again, we humans have apparently been around for about two-hundred thousand years, and have produced about ONE-HUNDRED BILLION EXAMPLES
That SUGGESTS, at least, that the number of POTENTIAL human selves is INFINITE…
You and I happen to be two of the current model, and If each of us human selves can exist for only one finite time at most, we are also VERY “lucky” – i.e. we did happen to exist, and we do happen to exist RIGHT NOW
Consequently, the PROBABILITY of BOTH of us existing right now is ONE OVER TWO INFINITIES (just kidding…)
Am I just one of the infinity of potential selves?
NOTHING existing would make perfect sense, whereas the existence of MY PARTICULAR AWARENESS MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE
WHERE IN THE HELL DID I COME FROM, anyway?!
We’ve just taken existence and awareness for granted — but they’re nowhere near deserving of such an attitude
Here, I’m CLAIMING that reality is NOT deterministic — that it is SOMEHOW, somewhat, above and beyond cause and effect — somewhat “FREE”
I’m accepting that free will DOES NOT MAKE SENSE, but that CURRENT INTELLIGENSE is missing, or misunderstanding some thing, or things, crucial
And that, we humans ARE, somehow, at least somewhat, RESPONSIBLE for our own behavior
I’m suggesting that determinism seems so unavoidable to us homo-sapiens because “evolutionarily” speaking we are only infants and we’re missing or misunderstanding at least SOMETHING crucial
I tend to believe in free will for two reasons — one mostly emotional, but one very rational
If I’m not — to some extent — responsible for what I think are my own decisions, life has no meaning
I’ve recognized something that is surly magical — ME (and, I’ll spend the rest of this argument trying to explain)
To some extent, most of us well-educated homo-sapiens think that nothing is unexplainable
But wouldn’t that mean that nothing is ultimately “BASIC”?
Is that possible — can everything actually be explainable??
Was there, is there, a beginning?
I think I’m suggesting that there REALLY is a realm of the unexplainable — to which, religions attempt to link us
A realm of meaning, freedom and responsibility
Such things as: Universal Consciousness, free will, immortality, and US (you and me)
I might add to those as I go along
I’m claiming that Religions only APPEAR foolish to us well-educated homo-sapiens because
Modern thought/science must be missing a dimension (or something) or more — and religions happen to take that, or THOSE, into account…
We may be able to “FEEL” truths to which we cannot (yet?) REASON
We’re in our evolutionary infancy, and aren’t nearly as smart as we think we are
So, most of our public schools and universities in the West have been essentially DISCOUNTING religion — and in general, the more education we receive in the West, the LESS religious we become
I suggest that the reason this negation persists is that the serious evidence AGAINST belief is just much more OBVIOUS than is the serious evidence FOR belief (And once again, we humans are in our evolutionary infancy)
But then, the evidence FOR belief – once recognized – is almost impossible to discount or ignore
Most of us humans’ figure that we do have free will in that our behavior is the result of external realities but also OUR OWN TRAITS AND VALUES
The problem, however, is that our own ORIGINAL traits and values must have been determined by EXTERNAL REALITIES — we could hardly be responsible for our own traits and values BEFORE we even existed
Taking that into account, cause and effect SHOULD rule
In other words, our behavior would seem to be COMPLETELY determined by external realities — and free will is not possible
In more other words — I can “PROVE” that there is no such thing as free will and that NO ONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING…
However, I BELIEVE IN FREE WILL ANYWAY!
Most likely, you do also
Either, we are wrong, or the “experts” are missing something…
If free will is real, you and I ARE simply “magical” — WE ARE SOMEHOW ABOVE THE LAWS OF CAUSE AND EFFECT
We are little Gods — perhaps, we are parts of God
Perhaps, we are parts of a “universal consciousness”
If we have free will, we are at least, LIKE little Gods — and, cause and effect DOES NOT rule!
