I imagine myself like a wave moving across the water. Over time I may change shape or exchange molecules, yet I retain my identity. I started out as a small ripple (an atom) that merged with other ripples to form a big wave (a nervous system). Since that doesn't happen to the vast majority of ripples, I consider myself lucky. However, the luck is so insane that it would make more sense to explain it as something other than coincidence. For example, if you won the lottery 10 times in a row, you probably arent lucky, somethings up. My theory is that each ripple subjectively perceives a timeline (world branch) in which they reach a "highest" state of being, as that would explain why I find myself as a human despite the overwhelming odds. The idea of timelines comes from the MWI, which is a real and respected theory in physics. They don't explicitly say whether or not the timeline you're perceiving right now is random, but my idea is that it isnt, and your very humanity is evidence of that.

As far as what is meant by the highest state of being, that is a much more complicated question. It requires a holistic approach to the entire problem--more metaphysical assumptions, ethics, etc. If you want I can share with you what I think that is.

Even if every planet in the universe harbored intelligent life, the percentage of matter in the universe which was sapient would still be effectively zero percent. Think about the mass of animals compared to the total mass of the earth. Think of suns, moons, gas clouds, and black holes.

The randomness introduced by quantum mechanical processes means that the Earth itself didn't even form in the vast majority of hypothetical timelines, nevermind all the variables and choices that led to my specific birth, or the coincidence that I was among the matter that formed a rare habitable planet in the first place.

Streams are discrete, meaning that they aren't all experiencing one another at the same time. They have a subjective point of view, hence they have an identity. At one point I was an atom, experiencing the world as an atom, and then I was merged with other atoms to form a nervous system.

There are possible worlds where my stream of consciousness remained at the level of commonplace matter. In fact, there are possible worlds where Earth didn't even form at all. I don't know what you're on about.

Panpsychists believe that existence comprises discrete streams of consciousness. These streams are usually very basic, like a hydrogen ion, but occasionally they merge into something larger, like a nervous system. I existed, experientially, as commonplace matter, and then turned into a human being. I am like a wave moving across the water, slowly changing form and exchanging molecules yet retaining my identity.

All I'm trying to point out is the amazing coincidence that I was the matter that gained sapience, considering intelligent life makes up an infinitesimal fraction of matter in the universe. This intuition is so clearly formed in my mind that l struggle to see how I'm alone in thinking this.

I'm a panpsychist, so I think that everything possesses some degree of experience. When I say that my consciousness was elevated from commonplace matter into sapience, I literally mean that.

Sapient life is incredibly rare, so naturally, me becoming human is an unlikely event. It is true that all events are unlikely (in the sense of my holding water example), but this particular event holds extreme existential significance. It's a value judgement really. At what point do you ask whether your luck is something other than coincidence?

Sounds interesting and to concern things I know very little about. Could you expand on this point?

As a panpsychist, I believe that existence comprises "streams of consciousness". For instance, my nervous system is one stream, and so is yours. On the other end of the spectrum, a lone atom would be a stream as well, albeit with vastly simpler experiential complexity.

I exist as a human because my stream of consciousness was elevated from commonplace matter into sapience (I became a fetus and then a baby and then a man). For a given stream, this is an extraordinarily unlikely event, given the low percentage of intelligent matter in our universe.

I can either believe I'm super duper lucky, or I can come up with a theory that renders my humanity ordinary, unprivileged, or otherwise expected. To do this, I'm basically invoking the multiverse, and saying that each stream of consciousness subjectively perceives the timeline in which they reach some highest state of being, hence why I find myself as a human despite their rarity.

Trying to define the highest state of being is a whole other can of worms. I can give you my thoughts if you want.

Most people generally don't believe 'commonplace matter' is conscious of itself. It responds to other matter, like any other matter does. But I would wait just a minute before we go around making friends with the magnets on our refrigerator and pondering what rights they should or should not have.

Learn the difference between contemporary panpsychism and animism.

I'm happy you consider yourself living a fortunate, privileged life. However, one nitpick. If that's alright. Isn't your argument better phrased as "what are the odds of human life developing from non-life" or perhaps something along the lines of how Earth seems to be perfectly suited for life and such seems to be something of a rarity as far as the known observable universe is concerned? :chin:

By privileged I simply mean that I exist as a human being, rather than a shrimp or a spec of dust.

Your first rephrasing simply asks how common it is for complex life to develop in our universe, and your second rephrasing isn't even a question. These are unrelated to my question.

The framing is the key distinction between what I'm saying and something like stoicism. Regardless, I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel, this is just the way of thinking is that liberated me personally.

Edit: I got up this morning and rewrote the essay to include this paragraph:

When you fall short of your expectations, do not compound the problem by inflicting shame or guilt upon yourself. Do not turn an offense into suffering by inflicting anger upon yourself. Do not inflict grief upon yourself. Do not inflict craving upon yourself. Self-realization occurs when you finally learn to stop inflicting misery upon yourself, dissolving the ego into blissful, timeless, undivided awareness.

Hopefully that's a little more clear. I struggle with adding enough detail sometimes.

If someone wrongs you, do not add to the offense by inflicting anger upon yourself. If you have failed, do not compound the problem by inflicting guilt or shame upon yourself. If you experience loss, do not seek grief, but acceptance. inflicting misery does you no favors.

yes

I set out for the truth not caring about originality. It's heavily inspired by Neoplatonism.

ChatGPT didn't give any information that wasn't already implicit within my text. Again, it's just a useful aid.

Iain Mcgilchrist Moment

Dude, what is your point? That I don't have an answer to the very question THAT I'M ASKING? Are you saying that the question is somehow invalid because you can keep asking why, why, why (or the justification for the justification for the...)?

I understand exactly what you're saying and I'm not even going to argue with the actual points you're making because they are perfectly valid. The problem is that you're completely missing the point of everything that I say.

For instance, one of your points/questions is that:

Does the amount of matter (I'm assuming you mean, "the amount of matter in the universe") have any bearing on the intelligence of life-forms?

I have literally no idea what I said that could suggest to you in any way that I think this. I don't even know how to construct a sentence that would imply this conclusion. I mean, the idea that "the amount of matter in the universe influences the intelligence of life-forms" is such a confusing, random, and stupid position to take that I'm more baffled you believe someone would hold it.

And this is just one example. I honestly don't know how I'm supposed to express my ideas to you anymore or if it's even worth it.

We can talk about rarity. Let's hypothetically say that the solar system is all that exists. Even then, even just on Earth, the fraction of matter which constitutes life is so infinitesimal as to be zero. The fraction of matter which constitutes intelligent life is even smaller still. Including the solar system exacerbates this to an unimaginable level. Including the entire universe, while there are likely aliens on many planets, exacerbates this to unconceivable proportions. Your perception of the percentage of matter which constitutes life is unbelievably biased. As for the rest of your comment, IMO humans are miraculous, but that isn't even the point I'm trying to make, its that the universe unfolded in such a way that I happen to be one of them which blows my mind.

Ok let me put the question another way. Either I "just happen" to be among the infinitesimal fraction of matter that became human beings, or this seeming miracle actually allows me to infer something about the nature of reality (maybe all minds are somehow destined for a higher state of being within their respective timelines, idk).

I've tweaked the question, see if it makes more sense now.

If you think I somehow don't believe/know about evolution then you've missed the point of the question entirely.

Imagine you find yourself in a room wearing a suit. In your hand is a resume and someone is sitting across from you at a desk. The context clues suggest that you're doing an interview. In a similar way, I think that merely finding yourself as a human being suggests something about the nature of reality. That explanation wouldn't require a further explanation in the same way that saying you're in an interview is fine enough. I guess you could then ask why you're doing an interview, but my point is that your first step is determining that you're at an interview. I mean, every child can do the why, why, why routine about anything and that's kind of what you're doing to me.

I honestly can't make sense of what you just said.