"Look At Me!"

[TortoiseDream]

Whenever you're talking to someone and he or she says those words to you, what is your reaction? You automatically look at their face, correct? Even more specifically you look at their eyes, right?

This is very interesting to me. Does anyone want to comment on what this might suggest about the "self"? It's almost as if our bodies are not a part of us, that I am actually this abstract consciousness trapped in a forehead and I'm controlling this external thing called my body. Hmmmmmmm....

 

[0zzy]

You've been using drugs again haven't you?

I kid of course. I don't pretend to know these things, whether we are dualist (mind and body are separate) or whether our mind is just apart of our body.

Some people grow up being a girl in their mind but a boy in their bodies, but then again scientist can see changes in the brain for these types of people so perhaps its just a hormonal imbalance rather than a mind in a body it doesn't belong in.

 

[Mitt Romneys sideburns]

You are now aware of the fact that you can not move your upper jaw

feel the claustrophobia set it

 

[0zzy]

You are now aware of the fact that you can not move your upper jaw

feel the claustrophobia set it

DAMN YOU MITT ROMNEY'S SIDEBURNS!

DAMN YOU TO HELL!

*tries to move upper jaw*

 

[TortoiseDream]

You've been using drugs again haven't you?

I kid of course. I don't pretend to know these things, whether we are dualist (mind and body are separate) or whether our mind is just apart of our body.

Some people grow up being a girl in their mind but a boy in their bodies, but then again scientist can see changes in the brain for these types of people so perhaps its just a hormonal imbalance rather than a mind in a body it doesn't belong in.

I think this issue transcends that though, that is, the question of whether the mind and body are separate. In either case, it seems that we all feel that we exist somewhere in our head, not in our feet or elbows or torso. It's strange...

 

[0zzy]

I think this issue transcends that though, that is, the question of whether the mind and body are separate. In either case, it seems that we all feel that we exist somewhere in our head, not in our feet or elbows or torso. It's strange...

I dono, I feel very fond of my body. That is to say, I would rather no one take these parts away from me. But perhaps that is out of convenience and pain rather than actual fondness of the body parts themselves.

 

[Kludge]

I feel very fond of my body.

That's good........


@ OP: older babies and very young toddlers learn to "eye-gaze" to figure out what those around them are doing since they can't fully understand English and people don't often say what they're doing or where they're going.

 

[satchelmcqueen]

op: i also feel this way. ive noticed that if someone says this i never look at their hands, feet, elbow or anything other than the eyes, even though technically no one place could be considered wrong since it is part of them. and yes i exist in my head and sort of look at the rest of my body or feel it as just dead extensions of my mind that i use to get around with. the mind is weird...

all i know is, i had to take effexor for about 9 months and apparently it has (over time) a lsd, or mushroom type effect to it after it builds up in the system....hope that makes sense or is even close.... but it got to a point that i could close my eyes and just the mere thought of it, could literally see (in my mind) the room around me so real and 3d that it was as if i had my eyes open. i had a very hard time sleeping for a while because of this. even in a pitch black room, i could still see as if the lights were on.

the point of that is, the mind is very powerful and its just to hard to put into words, but yes i do know where you are coming from.

so "me" to myself, is somewhere in my mind, but not my body at all.

 

[RideTheDirt]

My buddy wrote a paper on the mind-body problem. It was over 20 pages, and very confusing.

 

[TortoiseDream]

All interesting comments, thank you guys.

I think the dilemma can be solved, though, by first considering what the "self" is. It seems that my other thread on philosophy ("Think About Yourself") deals with that. I have my own ideas, but rather than just spill them all out I want to see if you guys agree with my premises.

First I'd like to ask this question: where and what is the barrier that separates the "self" from the rest of the world?

 

[satchelmcqueen]

All interesting comments, thank you guys.

I think the dilemma can be solved, though, by first considering what the "self" is. It seems that my other thread on philosophy ("Think About Yourself") deals with that. I have my own ideas, but rather than just spill them all out I want to see if you guys agree with my premises.

First I'd like to ask this question: where and what is the barrier that separates the "self" from the rest of the world?

interaction maybe? vision could cut most of that out if it were gone. then touch.

 

[Mitt Romneys sideburns]

where and what is the barrier that separates the "self" from the rest of the world?

my skin

 

[Oceania]

where and what is the barrier that separates the "self" from the rest of the world?

I dont fully understand your question...please elaborate a bit.

 

[Mitt Romneys sideburns]

I dont fully understand your question...please elaborate a bit.

Its not meant to be understood. Its nonsense

 

[Andrew-Austin]

where and what is the barrier that separates the "self" from the rest of the world?

You mean your skin? Damn beaten to it.

 

[TortoiseDream]

my skin

I don't think you could have responded with something I could disagree more with.

Okay, we'll have to answer another question before this one: what does it mean to exist? What is the meaning of being?

 

[TortoiseDream]

I dont fully understand your question...please elaborate a bit.

I mean where do you end and the rest of the universe begins? What is the extent of your existence? Where does it end? Where does it begin?

 

[Andrew-Austin]

I don't think you could have responded with something I could disagree more with.

Okay, we'll have to answer another question before this one: what does it mean to exist? What is the meaning of being?

What is the meaning of nonexistence?

 

[Mitt Romneys sideburns]

I don't think you could have responded with something I could disagree more with.

Okay, we'll have to answer another question before this one: what does it mean to exist? What is the meaning of being?

To exist? Im a blob of something. Bunch of cells and parts that are all clumped together into a self sustaining form. I perceive other blobs of something around me.

 

[Mitt Romneys sideburns]

I mean where do you end and the rest of the universe begins? What is the extent of your existence? Where does it end? Where does it begin?

Anything that grows out of the blob of stuff I call myself, is me. The rest of the universe is everything else that isnt attached to me.