When you fall asleep, your body enters a state of slumber, but it nonetheless keeps ticking, its life continues, ready to resume where it left off. Your consciousness, however, vanishes completely. In no sense does it keep ticking. You, as we say, pass out. And when you emerge again, either in a dream or when you finally resume waking life, you emerge from nothing – but the very same you that you were before. The fact of your self bootstrapping itself back into existence is such a familiar happening that you may not be as astonished by it as you should be. Nonetheless, you can scarcely fail to notice what goes on. And it could well provide an essential plank in your reasoning about immortality. Such a proven capacity for endless resurrection out of nothing is the one thing that proves everlasting existence.
– Nicholas Humphrey, Soul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness
Post title inspired by Albert Einstein’s quote: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Sources: Quote – Thank you Whiskey River. Photo: Juliet Alpha November – Anne
Each time we sleep…we leave and don’t know whether we will regain consciousness..but few of us die in our sleep..although we refer to death as a long…sleep 🙂
No kidding!
I always dream and dream. I never go unconscious. It’s like I have to pick up on everbody’s stress and their life, so I can tell them in them morning. ughh 🙂
Smiling. Unless you are dreaming of Fiji, in that case you are basking it in.
and somehow, no matter how deep and down under we are, we rise again. until that one time when we don’t anymore.
“We rise again.” Love that.
We take it for granted, like most miracles, until it evades us. Insomniacs know.
Oh, they (we) know. We know.
Such a proven capacity for endless resurrection out of nothing is the one thing that proves everlasting existence. – I love that line David! <3
Diana xo
That’s my favorite line as well, Diana. ☺
Yes. Deep!
Dave,
“God is that which can make something out of nothing.” – G.K. Chesterton
God is eternal and all that comes from Him is eternal.
How can the lives of men and women end in the grave, when their God knew His way out of it? (paraphrasing G.K.C.)
-Alan
Thank you Alan. Your comment triggered my recollection of this essay that I thought you would enjoy:
Why can’t the world’s greatest minds solve the mystery of consciousness?
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/21/-sp-why-cant-worlds-greatest-minds-solve-mystery-consciousness?
Thanks, Dave. I’ll check it out.
-Alan
Dave, I looked over the article and found it interesting. In particular Daniel Dennett’s taking a shot at common sense when he said; “but then common sense told us that the sun revolves around the earth and that the earth was flat.” He has proof of one but not the other. The foundation of his reasoning is not based upon a proven model of the cosmos, but soley upon the theoretical. I refer you to my essay post “Food For Thought.” It’s funny how theory left unquestioned and unproven for a long enough period of time suddenly becomes accepted as fact.
There are 26 known forces in the universe, very large and very small. Each has a proved set Planck value of measure. If any one were not set to that exact value in the beginning, or by some event, were to be altered in the slightest, then the universe would not be as we know it, or not exist at all. That setting of values could not happen by an evolutionary process over long periods of time. They had to be set at the start. And by using the Law of First Principles and Common Sense it would take conscious thought to accomplish that act. I now direct your attention back to my opening statement that reminded you of this article.
And sorry for the long reply. But it was necessary, I thought.
-Alan
Thank you Alan. Appreciate it.
Lovely, powerful, yet simple.