Posted: Feb 12, 2020 1:32 pm
NoemaNovel wrote:Have you ever experienced something you couldn’t explain
No. I don't think it is possible even in principle to have an experience for which I could not make up some sort of explanation. The real question would be whether I can show the explanation to be true. Speculations and imagination can be fun, but that is what it is.
NoemaNovel wrote:or had a dream that disturbed you because it felt so real?
I have had dreams that felt incredibly real, though I wouldn't say that I was disturbed by it. I've been disappointed to wake up from certain dreams prematurely though. Mostly because I really just needed more sleep.
NoemaNovel wrote:Have you ever tried to explain this to anyone only to be told that you have “an over-active imagination”?
I can't say I've ever had that experience. On the contrary I find that most people are actually overly receptive to fantastical and magical thinking, not showing the proper level of skepticism towards it.
NoemaNovel wrote:Since everyone perceives everything in their mind, “reality” can only ever be what our minds make it
That doesn't follow. What you could say instead is that since each of us can't seem to move beyond our own subjective experience, then we can never really prove that our experiences are of an objective reality. That does not entail that an objective reality does not exist, or that we do not inhabit it.
NoemaNovel wrote:Do you agree that if more people accepted this, they might be kinder and more tolerant to one another?
No, not really. I've found people who obsess about the subjectivity of their experiences are no less likely to be assholes than anyone else.
NoemaNovel wrote:Are you willing to help make this happen by sharing your own experiences of your reality with others who will not judge or criticise it but will accept it on its own terms?
No. It sounds to me like a recipe for disaster if we give everyone total leeway to insist that their personal subjective view on matters hold equal validity to everyone else's. What is to stop someone from stealing all your possessions and then insisting that in his view, they all really belong to him? Do we now say we just have two competing but equally valid subjective views on who owns those stolen goods? No, there is an objective fact of the matter with respect to who owns your stuff, and we are not forced to just accept that some idiot can make up his own reality and insist he shares ownership of your stuff.
If you disagree, please kindly send me all your money. I feel like I know it's mine. Thank you.