The Proof of Your Experience

Right now, you’re reading these words. We assume, that while you read this there are things happening outside of your direct experience. We know that there is a world outside of our experience. That there are other people outside our direct vicinity. That there are other cities, landmarks, countries, planets, solar systems, galaxies. We “know” that there is a whole universe out there.

But how can we know this for sure? One might propose that if we put a camera outside and hit record, and left the vicinity, this would be all the proof needed. But there is still a certain level of faith necessary to believe this.

Your experience is truly all you know.

We often think we understand how this universe operates. Many of us think this universe is random and chaotic. But while it may be seemingly random, when you are looking at it from a limited perspective, it’s hard to tell. And we can’t truly know.

Looking Through the Lens of Meaning and Purpose

Ultimately, there are different ways of seeing this, and it depends on the level of faith you decide to have when approaching this issue. On the one hand, you can trust that there are things outside your immediate experience. You can trust the stories you’re told, the video you see, etc. Or you can recognize that if you don’t truly understand the grounding of the world you live in, it very well may be possible that this existence is feeding whatever information will keep you believing in the reality you exist within.

It may just be that when your significant other says they are going to the grocery store, they are not really going. Once they leave your sight, they may cease to exist. If you go to check, of course, the store will be there, they may even be there. Essentially, this reality you exist within may just be manifesting and being presented to you in such a way that you believe what it tells you.

So if this is true, and this reality is manifesting for you, the next question is, why? Is it a god of sorts? Is it your own mind? Maybe it’s a mind made out of consciousness manifesting a dream world of what we perceive as experience. If it extends from the mind, is there a way to change it, or manifest it as something different? It may be best not to entertain that too much.

Now, no need to panic.

This next step may be a relief. If you *trust* that the other people that seemingly exist actually do have their own existence outside your experience of them, then this changes this idea slightly. This means that conscious attention gives rise to existence. Put simply, whatever is behind you, is not there unless being observed. This is still not easy to deny. There’s no way to prove otherwise. Especially if you consider the universe, or world to be intelligent.

The truth is, we don’t know. Only experience is all we know.

So consider this next time someone tells you a story of where they were and what they were doing. What’s maintaining this sense that they were doing what they say they were doing except your belief that it’s true?
The underlying truth to things is not something we can know. For all we know you could be in a simulated prison making up for mistakes in the real world that you just have no memory of.
Maybe there is nothing else in existence except whatever you can presently see. No universe, just infinite, unending emptiness.
Does that change how beautiful music sounds to your ears?
Does it change the beauty of the sunrise and sunset?
No. They remain beautiful.

Just remember that this world is truly a mystery to you.