CapnG said:It may be the case that we have already been discarded and that earth is simply the landfill for some higher beings. We could simply be walking, talking refuse, completely delusional in our place in the universe. That too could account for the deception. Whoever THEY are, it's unlikely they'd want us to get to a point where we're actually aware of what we are.
And why is that? If your scenario is the case, then ask yourself: why would it matter to them if we discovered that we're garbage discarded on a galactic landfill? We're absolutely stuck here either way, we can't change our circumstances.
Deception is really only needed when the people being deceived can *change* the circumstances in some way, if they only knew the true state of affairs. This is one of the key points in my opinion. We are being deceived because if we knew the truth, we could change the circumstances.
Do we care what the lobsters in the tank think their place in the universe is? They can't change anything, they're on their way to becoming lobster thurmadore whether they like it or not.
This is why I don't think your scenario holds up.
CapnG said:Hmmm... I sort of fit into this catagory but backwards. I have seen things, experienced things, know others who have seen more and yet... I can never fully rid my self of this nagging sensation of disconnect, it's why I brought up the notion of self deception earlier.
Specifically, the idea that these things we encounter; aliens, ghosts, monsters, while "real" are not what we assume them to be. I also cannot ignore the likelyhood that we, being aware of our own mortality desperately want, desperately NEED to believe we are more than talking meat with eyes because to accept that is to realize life is beyond futile. So we tell stories to ourselves, invent narratives, twist perceptions, cling to anything that suggests to us there is a "more" because it provides relief from the horror of pure existence. But what if there's not? That is to say, what if we're not part of the "more"?
"Men believe they are immortal and will do anything to convince themselves of this." I've heard it said so many times. You might notice that when every man says this he's referring to other people - he considers them fools and considers himself the exception. Everyone does this, and yet everyone cannot be the exception. Why do you suppose this contradiction exists?
In my opinion there is not only more to a human being, but there is more to everything.