Reality In Review: Part One

Reality: Basic Premise...

There exists a reality. There is something rather than nothing although why what should be the case is another question other than to say if there was nothing rather than something we wouldn't be here to ask the question. There are IMHO four possible realities we 'exist' in.

*Mother Nature's reality (Really, Real, Reality) where the laws, principles and relationships inherent in the physical sciences rule the roost. How the laws, principles and relationships inherent in the physical sciences came to be what they are is a separate question.

*Supernatural reality where the laws, principles and relationships inherent in the physical sciences can be over-ruled.

*Mental reality whereby you are just dreaming (or daydreaming) or perhaps part of someone else's dream (or daydream). There is a subdivision - the "brain in a vat" scenario where your mental states are being stimulated by outside artificial / intelligent agencies, not natural ones.

*Simulated reality whereby you are just composed of bits and bytes not atoms and molecules. You are software 'living' or existing inside some kind of (computer) hardware. You are a virtual reality being inside a simulated landscape.

Reality and Creation: Basic Premises...

*Something cannot create itself.

*An absolute something cannot be created from a state of absolute nothingness.

*Matter / Energy can neither be created nor destroyed (i.e. - the First Law of Thermodynamics).

However, all things part and parcel of, and associated with an act(s) of creation can be generated as an illusion - as in a simulation.

Reality and Causality: Basic Premises...

*Nothing happens for absolutely no reason at all (i.e. - causality is absolute).

*Anything that CAN happen, WILL happen, given a sufficient amount of time. That tends to be known as the quantum mantra.

*Anything / something that has both an architectural structure and is composed of some substance cannot be in two or more places at the same time.

*There are no immaterial parts to you. That's because anything you associate with the 'immaterial' parts of "You" - consciousness, emotions, self-awareness, personal identity, memory, personality, free will, etc. can all be associated with and affected by physical things.

Personal Note: Because this will be rather lengthy, it's probably best to do this in digestable chunks.