Is it normal to question reality?....

Every now and again i get the strangest feeling that everything is fake.

Obviously i dont believe i am alone in my world but the thought crosses my mind from time to time. Its pretty creepy.

I have sufferd from derealization in the past.

Is it normal to go a little deeper than questioning life and questioning the "solid" world around us instead?

Voting Results
85% Normal
Based on 40 votes (34 yes)
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Comments ( 21 )
  • boehawk

    It's normal but not common. If you asked the average person on the street they,d think you were crazy , not just for asking a stranger but for even thinking something like this , if they even understood what you were asking . I ask ppl I know weird stuff like this and what I usually get is "WTF are you even talking about ? " but every once in a while I hit on something they have wondered about but was to weird for them to ask anyone. It's great when i met someone that "gets" stuff like this and leads to great talks and sometimes new friends that also think out side the box .

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  • howaminotmyself

    When you stop questioning reality, that is when the trouble starts.

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  • dappled

    I went to a lecture on some new theories about the nature of reality and our interaction with it. As a result, I don't understand what reality is any more, where the boundary is between my body and its environment, or even whether there is one.

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    • nowhereboy

      It's such a strange thing to think about, I have watched a few lectures online.

      In the past i used to dabble in drugs and have hallucinated some things that looked as real as my normal "reality".

      Once on ketamine i lost all self awareness and became my environment, i had no memorys or feelings i had a full on outer body experience.

      Watching the "solid" world around you change infront of your eyes is the most incredible and scary thing you can ever imagine. It changes the way you think about life and reality forever.

      My drug days are long gone but the way they have changed my mind will always remain. Still not worked out if this is a blessing or a curse yet.....

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  • FussyCarrot

    I once was just riding in the car on a busy street like I do everyday when I notice this one car(actually suv) in particular and I was like that vehicle isn't "real" like the fact that it is driving on this road is an illusion. There's no way to really explain it but I knew beyond a doubt that that one car didn't really exist like maybe it was existing in another dimension and I just happened to seen it existing in that other dimension in that one particular point in "time." Its weird because it caught me off guard but I was certain. So I agree maybe all of this really is just an elaborate illusion. I am not on drugs nor do I drink..just in case you were wondering.

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  • Darthion5

    Sociologists engaged in the study of the Internet have determined that someday, a distinction between online and real-life worlds may seem "quaint", noting that certain types of online activity, such as sexual intrigues, have already made a full transition to complete legitimacy and "reality".
    -Wikipedia
    Virtual reality is the future.

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  • keeping_up_with_da_kids

    Reality could be nothing more then a delusion created by your own mind. Their might not actually be a reality.

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    • Xal

      I think this belief is called Solipsism. It's a pretty interesting concept imo.

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      • nowhereboy

        Yup it is...

        Ive heard about it since posting this topic.

        It's strange because thats what i FEAR, i dont actually believe it.

        Probably just my ocd latching on to another stupid idea.

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  • Anime7

    I've read plenty of stories about people in your situation. Descartes is a great example of someone who questioned reality.

    On a somewhat related note, my brother told me about this game, or mission, that he heard about. Pretty much you and three of your friends follow a guy, someone neither of you know. Throughout the day each of you bump into him once. Whenever you pass him or bump into him, one of you will whisper into him one of these phrases; "wake up," "this isn't real," or "you're in a coma." It sounds like an interesting/ creepy trick to play on a person.

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  • VioletTrees

    If it's just happening when you're thinking about things on a philosophical level, I wouldn't worry too much. It's fine to think about the nature reality and question how the world works. If this is happening regularly and getting in the way of your life, though, you should talk to a doctor about it.

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  • KeddersPrincess

    Sometimes I do that too. How do I know that none of this is real and it is all just a part of my imagination. And who knows, it could be true.

    "I think, therefore I am." -René Descartes'

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  • NeuroNeptunian

    Of course, it's the basis of all human exploration!

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  • NotFloydzie

    I question absolutely everything. It's normal. It might have its bad side effects, but I wouldn't call trying to prove something or learning about it bad. It really consists on the view you, yourself, have of the reality.

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  • shade_ilmaendu

    Well, the great philosopher Descarte did say that in order to truly know anything we must first doubt everything we know.

    I feel that way sometimes,it's normal. Just a way of our perception tricking us. Then again, the reality we perceive is at least slightly different than the reality that really exists. We are mostly air, after all, and our eyes fill in gaps all around us with what they expect to be there.

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    • nowhereboy

      I have been watching loads of documentaries on the nature of reality and physics etc. I love learning about this stuff but it weirds me out at the same time.

      What we actually see is an imagine projected in our brains by incoming electrical signals and not reality.
      So technicaly everything could be an illusion.

      Its pretty creepy and makes me feel lonely sometimes

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      • shade_ilmaendu

        If that makes you feel lonely, think about this. The space in between people isn't really space. We are a conscious cluster of atoms, totally surrounded by other clusters of atoms. And if the universe is a fractal, then we are just small parts of an even greater body that we cannot even perceive. There is no reason to feel lonely when we're all so much more connected than we think we are :)

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        • nowhereboy

          Thanks man, thats a nice way of looking at it.

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      • FussyCarrot

        Me too..I also watch as many docs as I can about the nature of time and reality, our universe, its all very humbling and makes you think about all these theories of multiple dimensions, parallel universes, some days I just sit back and be like what is all this? like everything.

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  • bananaface

    I don't know if I get the exact same feeling, but it sounds pretty similar. For as long as I can remember, I've always had these ocassional moments where I go in a really weird mood and it's like I realise that things exist, I guess. I really can't describe it, but I'll be looking at something, and it doesn't seem real, and I'll be thinking about how weird things and life are. So I think I know where you're coming from, although my description really is terrible and doesn't describe the feeling well at all. I wish I had the words to say it properly. Do you get what I mean, though :S?

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    • nowhereboy

      yes 100%

      Its a very hard feeling to describe!!

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