Consciousness development, crisis, rebirth

It's possible that the very first connected conscious thoughts of each and every single human being's life is an existentialist crisis.

When in the womb the very first thought is likely, "I am. But what am I?" We're stuck in a world that at that point has no dimensions, no definitions, no mirrors, no lights, no sounds, no sense of time. Nothing. A black, borderless world. We realize that we are, that is, we become aware that we exist, but we don't know in what form, state, world, or even know what reality is. We simply know that we are, because if we were not, there would be no dialogue, which, if we're conscious in the womb, there must be internal dialogue, likely in the form of symbols and thoughts.

We are completely unable to identify ourselves, our world, and any other single thing aside from the fact that we are. Thus a crisis likely comes about, a panic at the confusion between the two seemingly inconsistent thoughts, "I exist", yet, "in what form if there is nothing outside of this thought."

The crisis then, defined by the thought, "I am, but I don't know what I am," becomes the core of every single human being's individual person, reality, and consciousness. A thought which every single aspect of life and consciousness builds on, like a snowball.

Then, after an ambiguous amount of time, our world begins to shift and rock and with this critical change comes a horrible sense of anxiety, yet mixed with a form of apprehension, curiosity and hope that if we should survive this ordeal, perhaps then we'll finally experience something that in some way can help us identify what it is exactly that we are.

After usually hours of the worst, most severe pain we'll ever feel in our lives being pushed through some cavity, we're born (perhaps thought of by us as death/end of the previous life) and see things we've never seen before. In panic we scream and cry due to the pain we're in and the fact that we recognize absolutely nothing, yet curiosity peaks as this world is much brighter than the last one, perhaps now we can settle the crisis. The expansion of consciousness that happens within the first hour after our birth must be the biggest trip of all. We experience and take in more in that hour than we ever will throughout the rest of our body lives.

The very first thing we learn about this new world is that it operates entirely on cycles, separated by periods of darkness, darkness similar to that world we once inhabited. At roughly the same times everyday we are fed, every once in awhile we soil ourselves, we are held for periods of time, then there is black for periods of time.

As we grow and learn about the person we are, as conditioned by our world and parents, we operate even more strictly on cycles. Eat sleep, school, work, etc.

Later in life that very first single thought, the single most center thought to which every other single bit of consciousness is centrifugal may come back, “I know I am, but what am I?” “Is there something out there we're not yet aware of that is able to threaten our existence? Are we really in control? What exactly is reality and how is it multidimensional? What else is out there?” Perhaps it was shaken out of hiding by drug use, or perhaps just out of thought, but it comes back with the exact same force. Enough to shake what seems to be reality and evoke panic out of us and instill that great anxiety we once had. Only this time we have something we can use to our advantage; time/cycles.

The only thing capable of eliminating this anxiety caused by this crisis is the exact same thing that was forced upon us without will the first time; birth. Only through rebirth can we avoid complete degradation of our minds and realities due to the crisis. Rebirth however must be willed and it is not a process that is without pain, similar to our supposed first birth; this pain will be both physical and emotional.

Much as we saw an entirely new world after our first birth, the same effect must be created with the rebirth. The world must appear entirely new for it to be successful. Drugs can be fantastic tools for this, though it can be done without, but requires much more will as you don't have the drugs to do it for you. Essentially the mind must be forced to change. This process can be terrifying, but is mixed with that same apprehension, curiosity, hope and wonder as our first birth.

Rebirth does not answer that fundamental question that is the very first thought of each and every single individual, “I know I am, but what am I?” If there was an answer to that question, life wouldn't need to exist in the first place. Rebirth however starts a new cycle in a life or world that was perhaps old, stale, and unable to happily go on throughout it's natural life cycle. Rebirth can happen at any human age, and need only really happen when one's own world is threatened by crisis, usually an existential one. Naturally not everyone experiences this crisis in their life.

It can however redefine death. When it's realized that birth is not necessarily only the act of pregnant mothers and is exclusively for babies, but is largely and firstly a product of the mind, one realizes that death can be another word for birth, and is simply the exact same process. The exact same as our first birth; against our own will and a transitory process from one world to the next.

 

couldn't you just some this up in a few key points ?

 

An existential crisis of, "Who/what am I," is possibly the very first thing we experience as human beings in the womb and we spend the rest of our human lives developing consciousness around it to try and answer it, or perhaps to avoid the anxiety associated with it. Sometimes in some people it can boil to the surface at which time a rebirth of the self is likely the only way to avoid a mental breakdown, thus starting over a new life cycle which enables the person to move on in life, hopefully without the anxiety they previously suffered. One realizes in rebirth that birth is a mental process which can reveal that body death is the exact same process as body birth.

The question then of, "Who/what am I," becomes irrelevant because if it were answered, life likely wouldn't exist in the first place, which makes it seem logical that the only thing that matters is that we do exist, not why we exist. We exist in many forms, that's unquestionable, the question of why we exist needn't be answered.

 

Anyone fancy a pint?

 

This is true we are constantly being reborn, but the question of who/what am I is at the root of this re-birth in some way. That makes the question very relevant, because without it we would be content with simply existing as we are and not question our life and it's direction.

Defining why we exist gives life purpose, and without purpose there is no point in living.

Unless you chose to adopt the philosophy of Popeye the sailor which is-
" I am what I am's and that's all that I am."

 

Who we become after each birth could be an attempt to answer the question. But the transitory nature of our own number of personalities throughout life show that there really is no answer to the question, "Who/what am I."

We can be and most of us are many different things/people throughout life. We are all but not any one of them. None of them define who we are, yet they make up what we are. We're unable to define ourselves because we're never any one thing.

Agreed. Life is without purpose, completely devoid of it. We must make our own if life is to have any real value.

 

Can't wait to read this (bumping for record)

 

Personally I don't think their is any real meaning of life besides the act of expeirencing. I think we all individually assign our own relative meaning of life.

 

Funny, speaking of meanings of life, I just recently came upon this quote:

"A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved." - Kurt Vonnegut Simple, yet I don't mind if this is my meaning of life (if I am to borrow idioticnumbskull's philosophy).

Fantastic thread Lunaverse.

 

I think that we underestimate what a baby in a womb thinks, hears and experiences. There have been studies done that outside stimuli does cross the fluid by vibrations and that the baby reacts.

Fetal movement changes depending on the emotions and situation of the mother. It is actually fascinating when pregnant to have those movements change.

I often wonder if the process of conception is simply rebirth in the purest form. Are we all just a product of a recycling of energy from what was. Is life and learning simply a continuum and the moment of time when it starts or ends not something we can pinpoint.

I really enjoyed your thoughts on this thread Lunar.

 

I hadn't thought that far back, but I'd say it's very likely

I'd say absolutely without a doubt. The universe wastes nothing. For something that once existed to become inexistence is completely impossible. Inexistence can't exist. Something that never started can't finish.

I don't think there is a beginning and an end. If all energy throughout the universe is recycled, which I firmly believe it is, then it would have no breaking point, (no beginning and no end). It would be an endless loop (so to speak).

 

I like that, Lunar. I was going to call it profound but decided it is more common sense.

 

This is just a spontaneous thought about what went through my mind when I saw the title.

When I moved to the jungle it was incredibly hard for me. Not becase I was in Central America in a screwed up banana land.

What effected me more than anything was the constant life and death in the jungle.

It would tear my heart apart becase I love the animals, I love nature.

At times I would hear something killing something else. The life and continuous death really effected me. At times it still does.

But as time goes on and you know life is an event in progress, you gradually pull back and watch. Beyond that you start to come to an acceptance of things.

I still deal with the fact that at any second I could loose a dog or god help me my dumb jungle house cat to a snake or a Jaguar.

I talked to my cat about it and his basic thoughts were "I don't think about death, I just live."

Seems the animals know where they live. They don't see things in human terms of good or bad.

So my emotions tore me apart for a long time but in the end I feel that I have gained some clarity to this madness.

 

Hmm.. I liked this post a lot. It made me think about the particular times throughout my life when I have been reborn. I've been wondering a lot lately, what is ahead of me in life, and how I am ever going to handle it.

I've envisioned myself as an artist throughout my teen years (one of my rebirths), and somehow this part of me has died. I am not any less creative; do still write poems sometimes, and it's usually much better than it was when I was a writer - but I do not see myself as an artist - I do not see myself as someone who could make a life on my craft - and I do not have confidence in my work (or myself).

I live at home, and have been a jobless student for a long time. This needs to change, but I don't often feel up to the task. Thinking of moving on in my life as a rebirth, makes me feel a little less scared, and in some ways, seems more realistic.

With new roles, new responsibilities, we become new forms of ourselves. I remember I was rather squeemish and creeped out by those nasty stinkbugs PA has become over-rid with. But when my sister suddenly became extremely phobic of them, I as suddenly sucked down my feelings in light of her own extremity and became the household exterminator. (She's better now, and I'm a little creeped out by them again, but not nearly as much as once.)

 

much like a chrysalis, shedding your previous paradigm to enter the new one. EVer seen this happen for a butterfly? Looks pretty painful to me.

 

I was reborn as a Newt once...got any idea how hard it is to type, hell I struggle to get the damn thing turned on some days

 

Many people have experienced the pain they felt as a child during birth, while having an acid trip. Apparently the pain we suffer coming out of the womb is the most painful experience of each person's life.

 

I believe I am experiencing this now. No acid. I know this is vague. I don't know what to do. Symptoms similar to schizophrenia/bipolar but I know it isn't. Any guidance?

 

You think that you are experiencing an existential crisis? Or the pain of your own birth?

 

nvm the situation seems to be finding itself out. still, any helpful guidance/information is appreciated.

thanks

E