You are right.

I agree with you. Our suffering and enjoyment are certainly real. What I am not 100% certain about is the nature of reality. There are five possibilities: our perceived reality is real or simulation or hallucination or dream or illusion. They are not all equally likely to be true. I am almost certain that our perceived reality is real. I think this because of how complex our perceived reality is. However, there is still a one-in-infinite chance that our perceived reality is simulation or hallucination or dream or illusion.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.

You and I and other minds could be plugged into an illusion of being in human bodies on Earth. Solipsism is not the only possibility.

I am ok with accepting ambiguity.

I only know about my brain through my sensory perceptions which are part of my mind. My brain, my body, the Earth, the Universe - they all could be real or simulation or hallucination or dream or illusion.

Good idea!

if you're referring to something extra-self, then show us something
(existentially mind-independent, objective, applicable to us all) — jorndoe

How can we know anything that is mind-independent? I am looking at the computer screen and I can only do this because my brain generates a model of reality. Our perceived reality could be real or simulation or hallucination or dream or illusion. How can we know with 100% certainty which of the five options is the correct option?

if extra-self, then explain your interaction therewith
(that others may differentiate you and the claimed) — jorndoe

I don't understand what you mean by this. Please explain. Thank you.

I agree. Thank you.

I agree. Thank you.

I have changed a lot over the years as a result of my experiences and change hasn't stopped. I am always learning and growing. It's part of being human.

Yes, English is my second language. It took a lot of time and effort for me to learn it. I certainly found it satisfying. I agree that things that come easily to me are not as satisfying.

Scientists have uncovered evidence showing that some neurons in the hippocampus are renewed, but only at a rate of 1.75% annually, according to a 2013 study in Cell. And some types of neurons within the striatum also regenerate, according to a 2014 study in Cell. But other types of neurons stay with a person for their entire lifetime, Bergmann said. And even the distinct cell populations that can rejuvenate are not replaced entirely, but only partly over a lifetime, he said.

- https://www.livescience.com/33179-does-human-body-replace-cells-seven-years.html

After the early period of growth, suicide, and pruning comes to an end, adult neurons survive for a lifetime.

and

Plus, unlike those of fish, amphibians, and reptiles, human brains don’t regenerate much after injury because only a small number of neurons are born during adulthood.

- https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/05/a-tour-of-the-growing-brain-complete-with-upside-down-vision

You'll move on from that, too. You know the stages of mourning? It's like that: eventually, you reach acceptance, make peace with the way of things, and just do what good you can in your small sphere of influence. — Vera Mont

I hope you are right. I have been stuck in depression for a long time. I am not going to go into all the gory details of the last 42 years as I don't want to traumatise others.

I see your point. Games are certainly more enjoyable to watch if it's a close call. It keeps us on edge, trying to guess who will win.

I disagree. I do appreciate things I don't work for. I appreciate oxygen, sunlight and gravity even though I don't work for any of these things that are vital to our existence.

Thank you. I agree.

I see. I despair.

What about religious terrorists who kill people who don't share their beliefs? I agree that we do go to war over all the things you mentioned. I tried for many years to convert pre-vegans to veganism but I failed. Most people are selfish and don't care about the suffering and deaths they cause to sentient organisms. That's why 99.6% of humans currently alive are not vegan. I can't even blame the pre-vegans due to hard determinism. If I had the genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences of the pre-vagans I would remain a pre-vegan, too. Aren't you upset about all the suffering, inequality, injustice, and death in the world?

Even non-violent conflicts can be problematic. Violence is not the only way to cause harm. How can we prevent all harm?

Lots of things are outside our control. I tried to be stoical about it but I failed. Perhaps I failed because I am currently depressed. I scored 23/27 on https://patient.info/doctor/patient-health-questionnaire-phq-9 today.

Yes, it is tricky.

Thank you for your thoughtful post. I don't have a problem with having a diversity of opinions. What I have a problem with is how living things are treated. I would like all living things to be nonconsumers, but that is impossible. So, I am a vegan. I think everyone should be a vegan but everyone does not agree with this view. I think the Earth should be one egalitarian country where religions and government are separate. However, everyone does not share my view. While I don't murder people over having different views there are those who do. I am upset about all suffering, inequality, injustice, and death but no matter how helpful I am, I can't make all living things forever happy. I have saved and improved many lives but I can't save and improve all lives - I find this very distressing.

I agree. Thank you for explaining.

You may be right. Do you have inner peace?

I think so too. It is difficult not to agree with that. Interestingly, as I'm finding to be common, we may arrive at that belief following (at least slightly) divergent paths. — ENOAH

That's interesting. Which path led you to this conclusion?

Thank you for your apology - I was not blaming you. Could anyone really have made a different choice in the past than the choice they made? I don't think so. I think our choices arise out of the interactions of our genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences and we are not truly praiseworthy or blameworthy.

we cannot imagine that her life has value. — ENOAH

I have never said that. I have never even thought that. What I said is that it would be very difficult for them to live if they lacked the capacity to see, hear, taste, touch and smell from the womb to adulthood.

I think the life of all living things has value. I became a vegan 18 years ago because I didn't want to cause suffering and death to sentient organisms.

I agree.

I am glad no such person actually exists. It would be very hard for them to live.

I think there are unconscious dynamics involved in thought. — Nemo2124

Thoughts occur in the brain through a complex interaction of neurons and their networks, involving various brain regions, neurotransmitters, and biological processes. The exact mechanisms are still a subject of ongoing research and debate, but here’s a general overview of how thoughts are believed to be generated:

1. Neural Activity
Thought processes are primarily associated with the activity of neurons, the brain's nerve cells. Neurons communicate with each other through electrical impulses and chemical signals (neurotransmitters). Each neuron connects to thousands of other neurons, forming extensive networks that are the basis for all brain functions, including thinking.

2. Brain Regions Involved
Prefrontal Cortex: This front part of the brain is highly involved in complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behavior. It plays a critical role in planning complex cognitive behavior and in the expression of thoughts.
Temporal Lobes: These areas of the brain are involved in processing sensory input and are important for understanding language, forming memories, and connecting emotions and senses.
Parietal Lobes: These help in processing sensory information and are key to spatial orientation and navigation, which are important for abstract thinking and reasoning.
Occipital Lobes: Primarily associated with visual processing, these areas are also linked with visual aspects of thought, like imagining or recalling images.
Cerebellum and Basal Ganglia: These structures contribute to coordination and smoothing of thought processes, akin to their roles in smoothing and coordinating motor activity.
3. Role of Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that transmit signals from one neuron to another. Different neurotransmitters are associated with different aspects of thought:

Dopamine: Often linked with motivation and reward feelings, influencing focus and attention.
Serotonin: Plays roles in mood regulation, which can affect the overall tone and quality of thoughts.
Acetylcholine: Important for attention and arousal, influencing learning and short-term memory.
Glutamate and GABA: Primary excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain, crucial for balancing activation and relaxation necessary for smooth thought processes.
4. Cognitive Processes
Thinking involves several cognitive processes, including perception, memory, language understanding, and problem-solving. Thoughts can be triggered by external sensory stimuli or internal cues such as emotions or memories. The integration of information from these various sources allows for the formation of thoughts.

5. Formation and Flow of Thoughts
Thoughts can arise from conscious attention or unconscious processes. The brain continuously processes sensory information and internal states even without conscious focus, contributing to spontaneous or background thought generation.
Thoughts are not isolated but are part of a continuous stream of consciousness, influenced by past experiences, knowledge, current goals, and future anticipations.
6. Neuroplasticity
The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, known as neuroplasticity, allows for the continuous development and refinement of thought patterns. Learning and experience lead to changes in these connections, affecting how thoughts are generated and processed.

In summary, thoughts are the result of highly complex and dynamic interactions within the brain's neural networks. They are influenced by various factors, including biological, environmental, and experiential elements. The ongoing research in neuroscience continues to unravel the intricacies of how thoughts are formed and manifest in the brain. — ChatGPT 4

I agree with ChatGPT 4.

I know that the Artificial Intelligence we currently have e.g. Chat GPT 4 are not and don't claim to be conscious. I am talking about Artificial General Intelligence and Artificial Super Intelligence that may exist in the future which may become conscious. How would we tell if they are truly conscious given the fact that we can't truly know if another human is actually conscious or is actually a philosophical zombie?

Thank you. The key problem with AI is how would we know if the AI is conscious given the fact that we can't tell which human is conscious and which human is a philosophical zombie - if any.

As they won't be able to learn any language, we are not going to know what kind of thoughts or values the hypothetical baby will develop - if any. If they make up their own unique language, we won't be able to translate it. We can try to infer emotions based on facial expressions and body language but I don't know if that would be accurate. We can try to infer values based on actions but again I don't know if that would be accurate.

I agree.

I imagine the hallucination would involve proprioception. I don't know. I am spitballing here.

We can imagine what it may be like for a newborn baby without any sensory perceptions. Even if he or she does not have any capacity to see, hear, smell, touch and taste he or she could still have proprioception. It's possible that his or her brain would hallucinate to fill the sensory gap.

I didn't say we can eliminate the idea of simulation. We could be aliens experiencing a simulation of what it is like to be a human on Earth. Death could be the exit from this simulation.

Looks like I didn't understand him.

I was speaking about myself - not about a foetus. If I suddenly became unable to touch, smell, hear, taste and see I would still be able to think and have emotions and have a personality and have values. I don't know if the same is true for a foetus and a newborn baby that is unable to touch, smell, hear, taste and see.