Expert: Justin Choo - 8/18/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have read article from some website...and I have some issue concerning the existence of science and human, which is more toward philosophy, and some more toward quantun physic but I want to get some scientific view from you....as simple as possible...thanks

I just watch this video on youtube, and I feel very similar to my question.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqnEGu8VF8Y&feature=related

"Another point to be considered is the sense of distance. Distance, which is to say the distance between you and this book, is only a feeling of emptiness formed in your brain. Objects that seem to be distant in that person’s view also exist in the brain. For instance, someone who watches the stars in the sky assumes that they are millions of light-years away from him. Yet what he "sees" are really the stars inside himself, in his centre of vision. While you read these lines, you are, in truth, not inside the room you assume you are in; on the contrary, the room is inside you. Your seeing your body makes you think that you are inside it. However, you must remember that your body, too, is an image formed inside your brain.

The "external world" presented to us by our perceptions is merely a collection of the electrical signals reaching our brain. Throughout our lives, these signals are processed by our brain and we live without recognising that we are mistaken in assuming that these are the original versions of matter existing in the "external world". We are misled because we can never reach the matter itself by means of our senses.

Moreover it is again our brain that interprets and attributes meaning to the signals that we assume to be the "external world". For example, let us consider the sense of hearing. It is in fact our brain that transforms the sound waves in the "external world" into a symphony. That is to say, music is also a perception created by our brain. In the same manner, when we see colours, what reaches our eyes are merely electrical signals of different wavelengths. It is again our brain that transforms these signals into colours. There are no colours in the "external world". Neither is the apple red nor is the sky blue nor the trees green. They are as they are just because we perceive them to be so. The "external world" depends entirely on the perceiver."
http://www.islamicity.com/Science/quranandscience/mystery/GeneratedFiles/quotThe
http://theunjustmedia.com/Darwinism%20Refuted/Matter/It%20is%20a%20Scientific%20
http://www.trans4mind.com/personal_development/Philos/MindMatter.htm


I feel very disturbing after reading the following article...and this part of it only.....I actually wish to brush it away as some religion theory....however...I am very upset to accept the truth that it indeed has some scienfic prove in it, which I can't deny. There is also other links, I don't know how much truth are they contain?


and I also find this video about matter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eDqDcZm9EA&NR=1

Please help answer some of the question about my life?
-Is our perception of our life and world is a lies? How do we know this not a illusion from our mind?
-If we encounter barrier like wall when we walk, and I can feel it hit it with my hand, do the wall "exist" outside of my body?
-Do human have body of their own in the external world? Hands, legs? arm? eyes? nose? Do our body system exist?organ like brain, lung, heart....I can see the body of others and others could see my body...do it exist?
-Is the world "outside our body" exist? Are there really a world outside my mind?
-our senses, touch,sight,hearing,smell and taste, do they actually exist in the external world?
-Do we really fall sick? Do we really need treatment? am I alive? Do we get injuired? do people really "die"?
-The information, we get through our senses about this world, do it really exist?
-How can we prove the existence of our world?
-we perceive the world through the electrical signal to our brain...but where do the signal come from?
- How about pain and sensation? do they also exist?
-Do the "Thing" really "there"? Do we really "see" them? is it how "the thing" look like?
-If I point to the red apple to another person, he will also "see" the red apple? do we perceive the same signal? most importantly...is "there a red apple"?
-Are we living in the reality? do the reality exist? do our world exist?
-How can we prove the existence of another human being? I just feel very vex and trouble without the knowing the existence of "other mind"
-Do the law of science really exist and applied in the reality? law of physic..law of chemistry...
-How we sure that the passing of time? Is perspective of time also a perception of mind? Do we really grow up and grow old? Are we still the same person as who we are when we are small? how about space? do space exist?
-Is it true that 2 matter will never touch each other?  Atoms are never in physical contact with one another? no atoms of any one object can ever touch the atoms of another!?
-Is that true everything is make up of energy? if it is true do the material world still exist? Is there a material world for us to live?
-Do the world still exist when we sleep? When when we sleep..does the world and surrounding still exist? Is there still reality?
-Can tell me what true or false about physic? and the material world? because I really very confused with it....


Please help me...I don't know what is the reality anymore? am I experience the reality now?


ANSWER: Hi Rambo,

You have written the longest posting so far.  I don't think there will be a longer posting that yours, ever.  Mind you, this is a Buddhist site; and I shall try my best to answer all your questions based on what I know about Buddhism.  Since you have posted so many questions, I shall only anwer them very briefly so I can send this to you fastest.  I am sure you would want further clarifications on some of my answers.  Please then, come back with one question at a time.  You have all the time in the world to ask all your questions; but please one question at a time so that I can answer in more detail and send to you soonest possible.

<<-Is our perception of our life and world is a lies? How do we know this not a illusion from our mind?>>
Our lives and the world are real.  It is our understanding of this world and this life, that is flawed.

<< -If we encounter barrier like wall when we walk, and I can feel it hit it with my hand, do the wall "exist" outside of my body?>>
You are you; and the wall is the wall.  You don't want to knock your head against the wall, do you?

<<Do human have body of their own in the external world? Hands, legs? arm? eyes? nose? Do our body system exist?organ like brain, lung, heart....I can see the body of others and others could see my body...do it exist?>>
You have to believe what you are seeing.  They are all real.

<<Is the world "outside our body" exist? Are there really a world outside my mind?>>
Why do you say that?  You exist, the external world exists.


<<our senses, touch,sight,hearing,smell and taste, do they actually exist in the external world?>>
<<Do we really fall sick? Do we really need treatment? am I alive? Do we get injuired? do people really "die"?>>
Same comment as above.

<<-The information, we get through our senses about this world, do it really exist?>>
The world we see is real.  But we tend to misinterprete them at times.

<<-How can we prove the existence of our world?>>
Why do you want to prove?  The world is there.

<<we perceive the world through the electrical signal to our brain...but where do the signal come from?
I am not a scientist, I don't know.  But just a guess, we use our sense organs to detect external objects.

<< How about pain and sensation? do they also exist?
-Do the "Thing" really "there"? Do we really "see" them? is it how "the thing" look like?
-If I point to the red apple to another person, he will also "see" the red apple? do we perceive the same signal? most importantly...is "there a red apple"?
-Are we living in the reality? do the reality exist? do our world exist?>>
You keep asking the same questions.  You really exist.  The external world really exists.  Because you exist, you will feel pain and other sensation.

<<Are we living in the reality? do the reality exist? do our world exist?
-How can we prove the existence of another human being? I just feel very vex and trouble without the knowing the existence of "other mind"
-Do the law of science really exist and applied in the reality? law of physic..law of chemistry...>>

Please just relax yourself.  You are asking the same questions.

<<-How we sure that the passing of time? Is perspective of time also a perception of mind? Do we really grow up and grow old? Are we still the same person as who we are when we are small? how about space? do space exist?>>
We do grow old.  Yes we are the same person.  Space exists.


<<-Is it true that 2 matter will never touch each other?  Atoms are never in physical contact with one another? no atoms of any one object can ever touch the atoms of another!?
-Is that true everything is make up of energy? if it is true do the material world still exist? Is there a material world for us to live?>>
I don't know, I am not a scientist. We are living in this material world.

<<-Do the world still exist when we sleep? When when we sleep..does the world and surrounding still exist? Is there still reality?>>
Yes the world still exists when we sleep.

<<-Can tell me what true or false about physic? and the material world? because I really very confused with it....>>
Yes, they are all real.

Rambo, may I suggest that you take a break and stop dwelling on your doubts, and stop reading about all the stuff that you have been reading.  Please take a holiday, and relax your mind.  Whenever disturbing thoughts come around, just ignore them and don't dwell in them for another second.  Keep yourself busy with your hobby(ies), do some exercises, visit your friends and relatives and please relax yourself.  I assure you if you just relax and don't dwell on all those doubts that trouble you, given time, you will realize that all are real, and you are a normal human being.

Regards and take care.

Justin Choo.











---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: 1.Does buddlism believe in afterlife? Does everyone has a different afterlife of their own?
"
the world is actually made up of one being. that is you but presented in numerous ways....as you you and me....so after ur life end, u would be reincarnated as him, me or her.... from the past to the present to the future.... so u end up fighting with, befriending, ignoring, mating with other beings filled by ur own soul....
same souls in different bodies in past present and future...
one world, one realm, one soul, many bodies and many existence."
- Do you think each of us have a soul of our own? everyone has a unqiue soul of our own?
-I am worried if the idea above is true, then I am actually talking to myself all along..and one day I am even marry myself...oh no..I am going crazy....

2.Does buddlism believe in the existence of other mind? and other soul?
-How can show the existence of other mind? why do you believe there are other mind exist?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_other_minds
-How can I show that the existence the of "other mind"?
-How do I know that your soul and mind really does exist? since there is no way to prove it?
-How can I prove the existence of other people?

3.How do I know my perception of the world is real? Do I really perceive the same thing as the world really am?
-How can I prove that our conscious and perception is not illusion of our mind?Do our conscious exist?
-I think therefore I am, how I know my thought and concious isn't a simulation or illusion of god?
-are you and I real human being with mind of our own? Does the our concious really come from us? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axw8AeNVS1c&eurl
-How can human tell dream from reality? what is the difference?
-Do think our life and conscious is the reality, how do I prove that it wasn't a simulation or illusion?
-Do you think we are all real human being that exist with a mind?

4.Has you watch Matrix the movie? Does buddlism idea similar to THE MATRIX?
-So buddlism believe our life is just a illiusion like Matrix?
-Does it mean Matrix is true?
-Do you believe that the world does exist?


Answer
Hi Rambo,

As I have suggested you better take a holiday and free your mind from analyzing too many hypothetical assumptions.  The more you ask the more you are going to get confused.  And if you ask from so many of us in this site, you will add to your problems, for all our answers will not be the same.

I am sorry I do not wish to hurt you further by making you more confused if I answer your questions.

Rambo, please take a rest and go for a holiday.  And if you still wish to know Buddhism, please go to the right Buddhist sites which you can find in www.buddhanet.net

Please forgive me and have peace,

Justin Choo :-)