Reality???

Has it ever occured to anyone here, that our perception of reality might just be a hallucination, a drug induced "trip out", a mental derangement or a dream. The problem is, that I find it difficult to manage a succesful refutation that doesn't involve some sentimental attachment (i.e. I love my family... They can't be just a figment of my imagination). This also applies to God. If we can't be sure of our sensory perceptions how can we be absolutely certain that there exists a God? It could all just be an illusion. I suspect that most traditional and modern (Witgenstein?) attacks on solipsism have failed to rebuff the illusion concept.

Any thoughts?

Originally posted by Conrau K
Has it ever occured to anyone here, that our perception of reality might just be a hallucination, a drug induced "trip out", a mental derangement or a dream. The problem is, that I find it difficult to manage a succesful refutation that doesn't involve some sentimental attachment (i.e. I love my family... They can't be just a figment of my imagination). Thi ...[text shortened]... nstein?) attacks on solipsism have failed to rebuff the illusion concept.

Any thoughts?

Originally posted by Conrau K
Has it ever occured to anyone here, that our perception of reality might just be a hallucination, a drug induced "trip out", a mental derangement or a dream. The problem is, that I find it difficult to manage a succesful refutation that doesn't involve some sentimental attachment (i.e. I love my family... They can't be just a figment of my imagination). Thi ...[text shortened]... nstein?) attacks on solipsism have failed to rebuff the illusion concept.

Any thoughts?

.....

if this is all a dream, I think its sad that we are dreaming of being in the internet

Originally posted by Jonny d
if this is all a dream, I think its sad that we are dreaming of being in the internet

Originally posted by Conrau K
Has it ever occured to anyone here, that our perception of reality might just be a hallucination, a drug induced "trip out", a mental derangement or a dream. The problem is, that I find it difficult to manage a succesful refutation that doesn't involve some sentimental attachment (i.e. I love my family... They can't be just a figment of my imagination). Thi ...[text shortened]... nstein?) attacks on solipsism have failed to rebuff the illusion concept.

Any thoughts?

Originally posted by lucifershammer
Solipsism is irrefutable. And a complete waste of time.

Reminds me of Chesterton's madman who claims he's really the King of England and is the victim of a conspiracy.

Originally posted by Conrau K
Then why believe in God?
It seems a great stretch of faith to just even accept reality let alone God.

And anyway I vaguely recall that true solipsism can't exist anyway.

Now I'm an atheist, so I'd hate to be mistaken for a theistic apologist, but isn't that the whole point of faith - you can't prove God exists, you just have to take a leap into the unknown.

On the "whole world is a dream" idea - of course that's entirely possible. Given that our perceptions of reality are entirely local - that is, we percieve only what our own senses detect, and that these senses are some sort of electrical nerve signal tripping neurons in the brain, then the possibility exists that everything we experience is a dream, or a simulation of some sort.
Given that there's no way to refute this - or not that I can think of anyway - then we have to make a choice: go on and ignore this possibility, or accept it as realistic.
I can't imagine any sane person being able to cope with the world if they accept this position.

But maybe I just dreamt that I can't accept it ...

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
By we, you mean, you, right?

Originally posted by Jonny d
yes, i mean, you!

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
That's what you said.