Do We Really Exist?

It’s quite the question, isn’t it? Admittedly it’s not one that’s easily answered, and indeed may never be. Of course, an abundance of religions will tell you that yes, we DO exist and that “God” made us into what we are. That the world all around us is simply “His” creation and that we were meant to live on this Earth abiding by “His” will. When we die, upon being judged, we’ll either be sent to heaven or hell where our soul will spend the remainder of its days

This of course is probably the most popular belief system, regardless of which flavor of religion somebody chooses to follow. Unfortunately it doesn’t provide many answers for those with an open mind, and unless you’re awareness is severely lacking, subscribing to a religion is one of the quickest ways to kill a creative mind. Your own intellect is a much better guide into understanding what’s around you than any religious text.

But even after you’ve opened your mind up, after you’ve learned to “think outside the box,” the thought of whether we “really” exist or not is still a rather daunting one. I mean we’re here, aren’t we? Living, breathing, eating, and going about our daily business. Why wouldn’t we exist? To think otherwise almost seems a bit silly at first glance, and it’s not until you can put things into perspective that it starts to make a bit more sense.

One of the biggest proponents in understanding whether we really exist or not is the law of attraction. You don’t have to be an incredibly big follower of the law of attraction, but understanding how it works helps to put a lot of things into perspective. Simply put, the law of attraction states that the thoughts that occupy our mind will find their way into our life. That doesn’t mean it’s going to appear out of thin air right in front of you, but you’ll continually work yourself in the right direction. If you’re constantly envisioning a successful business, then chances are good you’ll end up with a fairly successful business at your fingertips. If you’re constantly thinking there’s no way possible you’re going to pass this calculus midterm, then chances are good you’ll end up bombing the midterm. The thing is, there’s a major difference in thinking and believing. You can THINK you’re going to bomb your calculus midterm, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily going to happen. In order for such events to take place, you have to truly BELIEVE they’re going to happen. Just because I think about running a successful business, that doesn’t mean I’m going to get one. If I BELIEVE I can run one however, and I work towards that goal, then it’s eventually going to land in my lap. Following the law of attraction, that means that the more confidently you envision yourself doing well, then the better you’re actually going to do. If you fill your mind up with negative thoughts, then those thoughts are going to take action in the world around you.

But what does that have to do with our original question? How does understanding the law of attraction relate to whether or not we really exist?

Because in understanding whether or not we actually exist, we have to know why we perceive things the way we do. If we don’t actually exist, then why are we able to interact with everything that’s around us? Why do we have complete control over our senses, and how come we feel so alive?

Obviously we’re here right now; I’m typing this and you’re reading it, so we definitely “exist.” The difference then is not in wondering whether we’re actually here or not, but it’s in understanding why we perceive things the way we do. How do I know I perceive things the same way you do, and how do you know you perceive things the same way I do? What if this is all one dream and everything around us is just a part of our imagination? If you think about it for too long, it can easily send your mind spinning and you’ll come out with a lot more questions than answers. Not only that, but the sudden realization that everything around us may not actually be what we think it is, but simply an image our mind has constructed, can be a bit depressing.

To better understand this, it means looking into what’s known as subjective reality, or sometimes referred to as Subjective Character of Experience. While we’re consciously here, what we perceive around us is unique to only us. As far as we know, we ARE the only conscious mind. Although it can take a little while for that sink in (it took me 2 months before I fully understood it,) this means we have an incredible amount of power at our disposal. Our surroundings and interactions aren’t just “there,” but rather they’re things our mind has placed in front of us. Once you understand this, it becomes very easy to grasp the law of attraction and see how it brings certain things into your life. In a sense, life IS very much a dream, because I know that I can shape it and mold it in whatever way I choose. That doesn’t mean I just snap my fingers and whatever I need is right there, but rather my surroundings will adapt to bring whatever aspect into my life that I want. Unfortunately a lot of people have a hard time adjusting to such a mindset, and so it’s probably no surprise that most people who fall into that category tend to be unhappy. They don’t see life as being something they can change to their liking, but rather something they just have to “deal with.” They’re unhappy with the way things are working out around them, and so they consistently fill their mind with negative thinking. Not only do they think these thoughts, but they truly believe in them too, and thus their world is usually far from enjoyable.

Even if you’re not religious in the least bit, there’s still a very good chance you may fall into the scientific camp of things. In a sense, science can shut your mind down just as quickly as religion can, albeit coming from an entirely different angle. Just because science hasn’t “proven” something it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exit. Besides, who writes these laws of science anyway? They didn’t just appear out of nowhere, which means they came into being somehow. I know a good deal of atheists who view the world with such scientific scrutiny that they’re just as blinded by the light as those in the religious camp. While science has certainly taught us a lot of things, using it as a crutch to shut out anything which you don’t understand is no better than using the Bible to do so. Just because science hasn’t “proven” the law of attraction, does that mean it doesn’t exist? Science hasn’t proven how human beings came into existence, yet most scientists will certainly tell you that we do indeed “exist.” While science can be a wonderful tool, don’t let it close up your mind and make your decisions for you.

Yet even if you’re skeptical and stuck thinking inside the box, you really have nothing to lose by absorbing the law of attraction into your life. If you truly think none of this can help you, give yourself two weeks of at least trying before you give up on the whole ordeal. What do I mean by trying? Everyday spend at least 20-30 minutes truly thinking about what you want and where you want to be, and watch as your surroundings take shape. Most people run into problems because:

• they don’t truly believe in themselves (lack confidence)
• don’t give it enough time
• or they’re completely unaware a transformation is happening

If I sit down for 30 minutes and envision myself running a successful business, yet I constantly bombard myself with negative thoughts throughout the day about not being able to do so, then I’m never going to achieve such a goal. Simply telling myself “I can do this” is very different from truly believing I can do such a thing. Secondly, most people envision something that’s so far from their current status, that it takes quite a while before it comes into their life. If you’re currently making 65k a year, and you tell yourself your new goal is to be a millionaire, you’re not going to find a suitcase of money just waiting for you in the kitchen one day. It’s going to take some time to bring such an accomplishment into your life. That certainly doesn’t mean it’s NOT possible, it just means you’re not going to go from making 65k to being a millionaire overnight.

The biggest problem though is not realizing when you’ve brought something into your life, even as it’s staring you in the face. If you decide that you’d like to meet more people to go out with, don’t expect someone to show up at your doorstep with a big sign saying “I’m your date for tonight!” You may envision yourself meeting an abundance of attractive people at different events, and before long, you will end up meeting new people. The problem people get held up on is focusing on the road something takes to come into their life, not the actual finished product. You may begin meeting new people through friends or at your current job, but regardless of the avenue the end product is still the same. If you envision yourself being a millionaire, that million dollars isn’t just going to show up at your doorstep, you’re going to have to take action in acquiring it. More than likely you’ll end up managing a successful business or creating something of unique value that you can deliver to a wide audience. Although each are separate avenues, they both take you to the same place.

Unfortunately, most people think the law of attraction means thinking of something and having it materialize out of thin air, hence why they get so frustrated and give up on it. If you really want to make an extra $20 every week, you’re not going to find a $20 bill left in your wallet one day completely out of the blue. That $20 is still going to have to enter into your life via some avenue, and regardless of which avenue that is, you’re still going to end up with an additional $20.

So in answering the big question, yes, I do think we “exist,” but maybe not in the sense that many people are familiar with. Ultimately you owe it to yourself to make the best of your own reality, as it’s only yourself you’re hurting otherwise. I use the law of attraction in nearly everything I do now, and I consistently see the stream of results it brings me. On the other hand, if you choose to scoff at such things and go back to living a dreary lifestyle than be my guest, but understand you’re only hindering yourself and nobody else. I can’t experience your reality and you can’t experience mine, but at least I know mine is getting better every day. Can you say the same?

Top Photo: credit