Is reality real or imagined and how does your opinion of that change your response?

[PepperBlossoms]

Is reality real or imagined?  If all of this is real versus if all of this is imagined - does it even matter if it is real or imagined?  But what is real to me may be imagined to you such as a difference of opinion, etc.

We can say that something was imagined such as when we wake up from a dream but yet - was the dream real so was that real?  

We can say that we have to imagine that there is a universe but yet, is there a universe?

We cannot prove or disprove.

If we think it is real, do we take it more seriously and fearfully or act differently than if we think it is imagined which we may then be more playful and distant from the experience?  But how can one separate real and imagined in non-duality terms?  If I am playing a scary game and am aware that it is just a game, I may not get as scared as I would if I thought it was really happening. 

When you say imagined, do you mean constructed?

[Carl-Richard]

2 minutes ago, PepperBlossoms said:

When you say imagined, do you mean constructed?

When you see the magnitude and diversity, scope and potential, complexity and depth of reality, your experience becomes more fluid. When people say "this is real, this is not", they do this because their experience of reality is very solid, straightforward, clear-cut. When you try to wrap your head around Absolute Infinity, one word that is fluid enough to contain its range of expression is imagination.

[PepperBlossoms]

 

7 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

When you see the magnitude and diversity, scope and potential, complexity and depth of reality, your experience becomes more fluid. When people say "this is real, this is not", they do this because their experience of reality is very solid, straightforward, clear-cut. When you try to wrap your head around Absolute Infinity, one word that is fluid enough to contain its range of expression is imagination.

The absolute infinity creates so many possibilities in terms of infinity that yeah I guess imagination just lets infinity go wherever, in any realm, however for all bases.  We could still say imagination then isn't necessarily separate from reality but rather increasing infinitely the possibilities of what is instead of a more narrow-minded viewpoint which is relative to what it is compared to.

I think people think reality is real (the narrow-minded of what is real) in terms of Christianity as they want to go to Heaven and not Hell, in terms of conforming to social, financial, and ideological norms, in terms of having an emotional reaction to stuff (as narrow minded), in terms of thinking and contemplating deeply about stuff (but possibly in a narrow minded way), in terms of taking pills to avoid pain, etc.  Even to wake up from this dream if that was even a thing wouldn't prove or disprove.

Edited October 24, 2021 by PepperBlossoms

[Nahm]

Reality is indeed real.  If you or someone you know are believing they are imagining reality this is not an existential or enlightenment matter, this is a mental health issue and the sooner they get help the less risk of more suffering and of potentially harming. 

[aetheroar]

Ask the one imagining if it’s real. 

[Intense]

It is real, but the “realness” of it is not defined by anything since reality is by definition all there is. 

If your parents told you from the beginning that life is literally all just a dream, would you think reality is real? 

What is the difference between real and imaginary?

[AlphaAbundance]

@PepperBlossoms What is real? What is imagined? What is the difference between these two?

[Intense]

6 hours ago, Nahm said:

Reality is indeed real.  If you or someone you know are believing they are imagining reality this is not an existential or enlightenment matter, this is a mental health issue and the sooner they get help the less risk of more suffering and of potentially harming. 

@Leo Gura

 

[BipolarGrowth]

If I saw a gray alien in physical reality in waking life, I’d have a large fear response at least in the first few moments. When I see them in dreams, I immediately go to beat their ass with no fear. It’s interesting that I always act this way in dreams. There is an intuitive knowledge kept in the dream that I can’t be harmed by them. 
 

There’s no difference between real and imaginary for the most part. There are different tiers of experience with maybe many more beyond just dreaming and this reality. Dreams are more open to mental control in practice if we look into lucid dreaming. Being more mentally flexible doesn’t make them fake or unimportant. 

[AlphaAbundance]

@BipolarGrowth I would still run if I see a gray alien in my dreams, you know how fast they could smoke your ass smh

[BipolarGrowth]

8 minutes ago, AlphaAbundance said:

@BipolarGrowth I would still run if I see a gray alien in my dreams, you know how fast they could smoke your ass smh

I discovered several years ago that for me as soon as you reach them the dream ends. I used to have nightmares with grays in them all the time before that. I can clearly remember I was trapped in my childhood house with one, and I had no options other than to confront it. That’s how I discovered the way to end the dream. Now they are no longer nightmares. The last time this dream happened I just got pissed off rather than scared lol. 

Edited October 25, 2021 by BipolarGrowth

[PepperBlossoms]

5 hours ago, AlphaAbundance said:

@PepperBlossoms What is real? What is imagined? What is the difference between these two?

I guess one may not really ever fully verify that anything is real or not real.  Real and imagined are like short and tall - the duality where one defines the other.  But we can see that stuff appears to be real all the time and then we get more information and then we change our opinion as to what is real and imagined.  

It is like the notion of real is an opinion, a perspective.  Non fiction books and college classes are supposed to be "real" but those are based on opinion.

Sure it seems like stuff is happening and we could just say our interpretation of it, or what we see, is based on what we are aware of, how narrow/open-minded we are, what we are seeing.

12 hours ago, Nahm said:

Reality is indeed real.  If you or someone you know are believing they are imagining reality this is not an existential or enlightenment matter, this is a mental health issue and the sooner they get help the less risk of more suffering and of potentially harming. 

I don't want anyone to hurt themselves or cause harm.

There could be imagination happening within a real realm.  There could be imagination happening within an imaginary realm.  It then doesn't matter whether the realm is real or imaginary as that doesn't really make a difference - - the realm is whatever it is.

Imagination could be real.  Real is real.  But we have to imagine what is real.... "based on my imagination, that could be real or based on my imagination, that could never be real"  However.. real and imagination could both change... And what person A sees may not match up with what person B sees.  We tend to say that what we see is real and that others have it wrong.

We have to imagine what the notion of real and imagination means as well as what reality is.

Because we have to imagine that something is real, we can't tell if it is or isn't and it doesn't necessarily matter but may have an impact on how we interact.

5 hours ago, BipolarGrowth said:

I discovered several years ago that for me as soon as you reach them the dream ends. I used to have nightmares with grays in them all the time before that. I can clearly remember I was trapped in my childhood house with one, and I had no options other than to confront it. That’s how I discovered the way to end the dream. Now they are no longer nightmares. The last time this dream happened I just got pissed off rather than scared lol. 

Wow way to take charge of them aliens.  In my last nightmare from a few years ago, I hid and then tried to save my tied up friend from the witch and when there was no other options, I lit the witch on fire and hit it with a baseball bat and then woke up.

Edited October 25, 2021 by PepperBlossoms

[WelcometoReality]

14 hours ago, PepperBlossoms said:

Is reality real or imagined?

What is it without the question of it being real or imagined?

[gettoefl]

is sliding scale like every other concept in your head

a quiet mind turns up that dimmer switch

[SamC]

Everything is imagined which means all your problems are imagined + your identity. That means you can be and do whatever you want.

It's all infinite amounts of levels of conciousness so you can effectively step into a new reality by very simple means.. like meditation.  This realization made me take life less seriously.

Reality can change in a second, if you gain higher conciousness.

Edited October 25, 2021 by SamC

[Shin]

Awaken.

Real/Imaginary is just a game you play in your mind.

[Nahm]

@Intense

?

Believing I said! 

@PepperBlossoms

‘’We interact’’ I says. 

[RMQualtrough]

Every single paradox is solved, no choice in infinity, apparent choice from the relative. Everything is absolutely imaginary, relatively real. Everything is absolutely "love" (I think this means no resistance to anything at all), but hate is possible relatively. There's no self absolutely, there's a self relatively. Nothing absolutely = everything relatively.

All paradox solved easily in that manner.

[Mason Riggle]

@PepperBlossoms recognize that if you can't tell the difference between real and imaginary, and you can't, then there is effectively no difference... it doesn't matter to you which it is. 

Consider: Is this conversation we're having right now real, or does it just seem real?  What would be the difference? 

Is there a difference between 'seeming real' and 'being real'? Either there REALLY IS no difference, or it SEEMS like there's no difference, but once again, it doesn't matter which it is.

[PepperBlossoms]

2 hours ago, Mason Riggle said:

@PepperBlossoms recognize that if you can't tell the difference between real and imaginary, and you can't, then there is effectively no difference... it doesn't matter to you which it is. 

Consider: Is this conversation we're having right now real, or does it just seem real?  What would be the difference? 

Is there a difference between 'seeming real' and 'being real'? Either there REALLY IS no difference, or it SEEMS like there's no difference, but once again, it doesn't matter which it is.

I was thinking last night after my last post that, yeah if we can't verify if something is real, then real and imaginary are the same thing.