Consciousness, Dreams & Heaven.
Is consciousness dependant on reality, or is reality dependent on consciousness, and is there a middle ground between these two perspectives? What exactly is a dream? And ultimately, is there a possibility of heaven existing? While these questions may appear somewhat unrelated to each other at first, I hope to bridge the gap between them in this piece. Firstly, we must begin with the presupposition, that at the very least, consciousness is a fundamental part of reality, but more specifically, that consciousness is necessary for reality to exist.
From a materialistic perspective, it is complex structures like the human brain that creates consciousness, and reality would continue to exist even without consciousness. There is a problem with this theory since everything we know about existence, is experienced through consciousness. In other words, if there were no conscious observers of reality, reality would seize to exist. At least, that is what I am attempting to argue here. This philosophical idea is referred to as Idealism, where reality is viewed as a mental construct, and completely dependant on consciousness. The argument against Idealism, that the human brain is responsible for creating consciousness is a strong one, and I am not attempting to knock it directly. It is true that damage to the brain can affect one’s consciousness, and too much damage results in death. So there is a clear link between the brain and consciousness that can’t be ignored. However, the structures which give rise to consciousness, like human brains, have only ever been observed through a conscious observer. Meaning that, without the observer, we cannot be sure that anything, including human brains, exists at all.
Another point I would like to make is about dreams. When we dream, we essentially experience another kind of reality, although it tends to much more random, chaotic and disorderly compared to waking reality. In dreams, we experience and interact with a world that apparently, in a physical sense, does not exist. Yet, there are plenty of moments within dreams where they appear indistinguishable from reality. The point I am making is that we can have the experience of reality without that reality physically existing. So then, what is to say that this reality “physically” exists? It does exist, but not necessarily in a physical sense. Both this reality and dreams seem to be entangled with consciousness in some fundamental ways. One of these ways is related to time and memory. Even if this reality existed is some form without a conscious observer, it wouldn’t exist in the way that we experience existence. Matter, energy or information may be there, and it may be in motion, but without a conscious observer with a memory, everything would essentially be still, and in some sense, non-existent. It is the movement of matter, energy or information, perceived through memory, that creates the experience of time, and therefor the experience of reality itself.
Speculating further, I would like to dive into a metaphysical implication of these ideas. But first, we must recap:
- Reality is dependant on consciousness to be experienced, and therefore, in some sense, does not exist without consciousness.
- Dreams are not physical realities, yet they are experienced as if they were.
- This reality exists, but there is no reason to assume it is any more physical than the reality experienced in dreams.
Therefor, it may be possible for our consciousness to experience other dimensions of reality. If sleep can result in something as real as dreams, then perhaps death can result in something even more real. I am referring to the possibility of the afterlife, or what is known is Christianity as Heaven. Consciousness is extremely mysterious, and no one claims to understand much of it, let alone all of it. But somewhere between experiencing other realities (like a dream), and our heart’s purest desires (to live in harmony and peace, with our loved ones, forever) may be the dimension of Heaven. Given what we don’t understand about consciousness or existence, I wouldn’t rule it out as a possibility.