Conclusions
After years of searching for a Universal Philosophy and taking into account the beliefs of just about everyone, I have come to one conclusion: The Truth is what you believe it to be. That every truth is the truth; no matter what it is you believe.
I started out asking why do people believe all the different things they do. I have spoken with uncounted many, on everything from ESP, Reincarnation, Spirits, God, The Devil, UFO's, and just about every other mystery of the universe.
I examined many religions and read dozens of philosophies. Investigated Hypnosis and the Placebo Effect, Super String and M-Brane Theories, The Many Worlds theory, Voodoo and Witch Craft. All in a search for The Truth. What I have finally concluded is what I believe to be a new concept. I call it Poly-Solipsism.
Poly-Solipsism allows us the opportunity to step outside our closed minded perceptions and beliefs and examine the beliefs and perceptions of all others. But before any of us can do that, we must first be willing to open our own minds. We must risk contamination by concepts we previously denied entry to our own systems. We must first admit to ourselves that what we believe to be true may not be true for someone else.
Nearly everyone who has ever lived has held a belief in the spirit or soul of man that survives the grave. Even today, in spite of the best attempts of scientific rationality, the majority of the worlds population maintains a steadfast belief in the eternal spirit/soul. You can find many names for this 'essence' in many languages, and in any land you wish to look. There is some knowledge that is inherent to our species, as if it were instinctive, and a part of our birthright.
If the eternal essence of man exists after the grave, it must also exist before our birth. "I think; therefore, I am." defines our existence, as an existence of Thought. The spirit/soul of man, is his mind. The mind is our essence.
Soul and spirit are simply terms used to describe the metaphysical existence of a consciousness that is independent of the body. There isn't anything supernatural or paranormal about it. The soul/spirit/Id is just another 'element' of our universe and exists in one of the unseen dimensions that entwine to create our reality.
We know energy, space, time, and gravity exist as elements of our Universe, but we seem to forget mind/consciousness is also a part of our universe.
We cannot begin to comprehend how our reality is created and maintained without first recognizing a psyche that exists independent of our bodies and only shares in a common reality. We need all five elements, or there would not be a "Reality" to be perceived.
The Many Worlds theory contends there exists an alternate universe for every choice anyone makes. In that alternate universe you exist just as you are in this universe, except sometime during your life you made a different choice and took a different road. Maybe you have made many different choices and traveled many different roads, but they all exist in parallel to each other and you exist in everyone of them, just slightly different in each. In the philosophy of Solipsism there is only one universe, and it only exists in your mind. Your existence is the only thing you can be certain of. Everything else is only supposition and an illusion created by your own mind. You exist, but nothing else, and no one else really does.
Quantum Physics, Superstring and M-Theory have a multi-dimensional quintessence of unseen energy warping our universe into existence and manipulating the sub-atomic particles to create what we see today.
With many of our worlds religious philosophies a God or Gods created everything, and granted humans a Free Will to chose for themselves.
So who is right? Which truth is The Truth? They all are. They all contain elements of the truth, and depending on what everyone believes, can be The Truth.
All philosophies have their attractions, but of all of them Solipsism is the hardest to resist, and the most difficult to dispute. After all it is the essence of "I Think; therefore I am,"and anything after that is almost impossible to differentiate from pure illusion.
I have no doubt we do have a free will and can choose for ourselves what it is we wish to be the truth.. If you believe in a Heaven and a Hell, than the heaven and hell you believe in will be your final destination. If you do not believe, than your final destination will be one of your own choosing. I believe your final outcome will be exactly what you believe it will be, and what your mind believes to be true in this reality is what you will perceive to be true.
That is the essence of what I have concluded to be The Truth.
In the explanation that is to follow I use the term universe and mind/universe frequently. When Universe is spelled with a small 'u' it is to denote a subset of what is our total UNIverse. A universe and mind/universe is what each of our minds constructs from the superstructure of our knowledge and our beliefs.
I do this out of difference, as the understanding I have of UNIverse is the sum total of everything seen and unseen. So in this sense 'universe' only denotes a finite perception that exists within, and is part of, the total sum of everything. I use the conventional spelling of Universe to denote only our perception of the finite physical part of reality; the conventional physical Universe we all share. Finally I use UNIverse with the upper case UNI to denote the infinite sum total of everything seen and unseen. The UNIverse in which all others exist.
Keeping these things in mind I will endeavor to explain Poly-Solipsism.
As with the Many Worlds theory there are an untold number of other universes. And as with Solipsism every mind is a universe complete in itself. Whatever that mind believes to be the truth, is the truth for that universe. That is the Free Will of religious doctrine, to choose the truth you believe, to be the truth for your universe.
Contrary to Solipsism which admits the existence of only one mind. Poly-Solipsism admits the existence of untold numbers of other minds all entangled together to create what we perceive to be Reality.
With our ever increasing thirst for knowledge of the system we exist in, science is pushing the limits in examining the physical Universe, and is just about to venture into the metaphysical. Quantum physics is the study of the metaphysical. With Quantum Physics we venture into what lies behind the curtain of our reality, we enter into a world of quantum existence in 16 dimensions and where unseen forces shape our Universe and our reality. Everything that exists in our Universe is entangled with, and radiates from, the quantum UNIverse.
Quite recently the improvements in MRI imaging have tentatively detected quantum effects in the human brain.
Quantum effects in the brain would mean our Id does not exist solely in the brain. Consciousness and self-awareness may exist in the quantum part of our Universe. Science may now be discovering the spirit and soul of man. If everything in our Universe is entangled with and radiates from the quantum UNIverse, it stands to reason our brain must also be entangled with and emanate from the quantum UNIverse. It could be our interesting inclination to view ourselves as observers rather than participants in the Universe that surprises us so when we find we are connected to, and part of everything.
I do find it of interest, and consider it illuminating, how we view ourselves in relation to the rest of the Universe. We do consider ourselves as observers in the Universe rather than participating in the Universe. We are here. The Universe is-out there!
Poly-Solipsism tells us why we view ourselves as separate from the rest of the Universe. We do so because we are separate. Each of our mind/universes exist independent of each other, and when we view the shared Universe, we do so through our own universe.
Can you ever find a better example of the power of the mind then the Placebo Effect!? Self-healing through belief alone. Cures brought about, not by the mind or hands of a Psychic Healer, but by the mind of the patient. We call them miraculous, and contribute them to a greater power, when all the time it is our own minds that contain the power. Our minds not only have the power to heal our own bodies, but can manifest sunburn and blister through the power of suggestion alone.
Through hypnosis we hand over the controls of our universe to another mind. We allow that mind to manipulate our reality, and what we believe to be true, becomes true. If we are told we are being burned, we develop blisters on our skin. What better proof do you need to affirm our minds control our reality.
We create and reinforce our reality every second by self-hypnosis. Our 'self-talk' continually tells us what is possible and what is not. We place limits on our own abilities with our self-talk, and influence the reality of others with negative conditioning; not only through our words and actions, but through our thoughts and beliefs. What we share and communicate with others becomes a part of their universe also. Not only can we limit our own abilities, but we can limit the abilities of everyone else with negative beliefs. Every thing we are exposed to from the moment we become aware is added to, and builds our universe. What we see and believe of our Universe is what we have been told to believe.
The reason we are having so much trouble agreeing on much of anything is because we all do exist in a different universe. Every time we compare perceptions between ourselves and any other person we get a glimpse into another universe.
Every philosophy ever written is just one persons description of what exists in their own universe, and may or may not have any relevance to what exists in another persons universe. It is different because what we perceive is different.
- "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
- "Art is a matter of personal taste."
- "Music is a matter of personal choice."
All these things are different for everyone because they all appear differently in our different universes.
The color green has an electromagnetic wavelength as do all the colors, and everyone looking at the color green receives that same wavelength. The photons striking the retina are the same for everyone, yet everyone sees that color differently. The way our minds process the incoming information is different for everyone, and the green I see is not the same green you see. None of the colors I see are the same you or anyone else sees. Have you ever wondered why some people find certain combinations of colors pleasing while to you they are garish? The reason is those colors look different in the other persons universe.
We each have our own taste, and what taste or smells good to one person can be odious to another. Why is that? The taste and the smell of anything is based on the same chemical reactions. If something taste or smells good, it should taste and smell good to everyone. The reason it doesn't is because everything has a different taste and a different smell in a different universe.
What makes up our universe? Each of our universes are composed by all the things we perceive, and if we all perceive everything differently we all exist in a different universe.
Not only are colors, sounds, smells and taste different for each of us, everything else is also. Truth in one universe is different than the truth in another universe, even though we can be standing right next to another person, the universe we each exist in, is a different universe.
In one universe ghost not only are possible, they appear frequently. In another universe they do not exist at all, and the person existing in that universe will not see one, even if they were standing right next to a person existing in the other universe. In one universe ESP works, in another it does not. UFO's visit in one universe, but not in another. One universe was created by a god. In another universe there are no gods. We argue and call each other "Nuts"or insane because what we know is true, is not the same as what they believe and know is true. We refuse to except the possibility there can be any other truth than the one we believe.
When we do agree, it is because we have shared perceptions and combined our different universes together. When a person who never believed in ghost suddenly sees one, it is because they have been influenced by the perceptions and the mind/universe of someone else. Their mind/universe in which ghost did not exist was altered allowing spirits into their perceptions and into their mind/universe. You can try and deny it if you wish, but once exposed to the perception it is added to your total store of knowledge and become part of your universe.
Every mind exists in its own universe, but what is part of one universe can become part of another universe. When we entangle in this reality we share our perceptions and describe what exists in our universe. When we do, we invite others to join their universe with ours so we all can see the same things.
The difference between Poly-Solipsism and Solipsism is the recognition of the existence of other egos. Other than that small difference the tenets are pretty much the same, but that small difference makes all the difference in the Universe.
It changes the Universe from one of pure illusion existing only in one mind, to a Universe of a collective reality where what is perceived is manifested by the shared perceptions of the uncounted many.
With Poly-Solipsism we get a Universe of divergent realities amalgamating to produce an ever changing macrocosm of possible realities. It allows for conflicting and contradictory 'truths' to exist in the same apparition of reality, leaving the 'Ultimate Truth' as yet to be decided; if ever.
Every mind is its own universe, and exists completely independent from all other minds. What exists as truth in anyone of these mind/universes is what that particular mind believes to be true, and what is true in one mind/universe may or may not be true in any other. But any truth can be altered or changed at any time by changing the perception of the mind. Everyone continuously changes their perceptions of reality, and their universe changes accordingly. Changes are introduced both internally by formulating new concepts and externally by entangling with other minds with different perceptions. It is this exchange of perceived truths between entangled minds that creates our reality.
What we see as reality are the perceptions we share in common with other entangled minds. Those things we perceive as true take shape in every universe with the same perception. Our minds still exist independently of each other, but the entangled minds who share the same belief all perceive the same reality.
Since every mind contains a multitude of different perceptions and can be entangled simultaneously with many other minds each containing a non-shared perception. It is the perceptions we share in common that entangles, and one mind may be entangled with another mind with very little in common. In our contact with these different perceptions we have the opportunity to alter our own perceptions and entangle further, or reject them and restrict further entanglement. Either way what was learned from the other mind, even the rejected perceptions, are added to our total accumulation of knowledge and becomes part of our universe.
Our senses are our main avenues of communication with other minds in this reality, and everything we read, see, hear, smell, and touch is a perception and becomes a part of our mind/universe. Any addition, no matter how small, changes our universe. The change can have either a positive or negative influence, but with every change what we perceive as reality will also changes.
A rejected perception, if repeated often enough can grow to become accepted through its accumulating influence on the mind. A perception introduced when a mind is still in its infancy and has not accumulated a large store of perceptions will have a greater influence and be more acceptable.
A perception introduced to a mind with limited contact with other minds will have a greater influence. A perception introduced with the stimulation of multiple senses will have a greater impact and be more readily accepted.
When an idea or perception is introduced accompanied by a combination of colors, soothing sounds and pleasant smells they will be more readily accepted.
Any idea or perception, once it is introduced, is added to the mind/universe and will change that universe. It does not matter if the perception is accepted or rejected, it is still added to the mind/universe. Anything that is added to the mind will have an influence on that mind. Any influence changes the perceptions, and therefore changes the mind/universe.
How a quantum of energy is transferred from the Quantum UNIverse to take shape and form in our physical Universe is up to each of us to decide. Why we are here, why there is a Universe, and what The Ultimate Truth will be is what we are all still working on. Everyone of us will have a different answer to how and a different reason for why.
I could fill page after page with my own, but that is not the purpose of this essay. I set out to find how our reality is created and why everyone firmly believes so many and sometimes contradictory things. I set out to find the basic truth behind all truths. I have found that answer. There are no answers. There are only choices.
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