Thoughts Journey: Finding the Purpose of Life

 

introduction 

This article delves into philosophical thoughts and a deep personal observation. It is not connected to science, because science cannot answer every question humans have. While science tries to answer questions about existence, philosophical thoughts can address areas that science cannot. Philosophy, in a sense, explore fundamental question that can sometimes lay the groundwork for the futuristic scientific inquiry.

Is the universe thinking in us?

I had one question in mind: “Is the universe thinking in us?” This question is something that has pulled me to explore it further. I’m writing this article as my thoughts flow.

Initially, the idea arose as a simple reflection: are we thinking, or is the universe thinking in us? It’s a philosophical notion that challenges the boundaries of individual consciousness and hints at a deeper interconnectedness with the cosmos. This isn’t a scientific comparison, but rather a pondering of agency and our place within something immeasurably larger. This led to the perception of the universe – its galaxies, planets, and empty spaces – as a kind of colossal organism, its components acting as organs in a body without a defined gender (the use of “his” is merely for linguistic flow). If this is so, and if humanity possesses a certain level of intelligence or intellect, could we then be considered the “brain” of our bubble universe?

This is a compelling image, suggesting a grand purpose for our cognitive abilities. Perhaps our role is to process information from across this cosmic “body,” to solve its unknown problems, or even to contribute to its evolution. Yet, this grand vision is quickly tempered by the stark reality of our limitations. We, as this potential “brain,” seem woefully inadequate to solve the fundamental “universe problems” that remain shrouded in mystery. We are part of this vast cosmic entity but perhaps our role is not solely that of a central brain.

 What is the purpose of humans 

Here arises one more interesting question: what is the purpose of humans?

This brings us to the question of our own purpose. Consider the following:

 * Certain bacteria turn milk into curd.

 * Microorganisms help in releasing atoms into the environment.

 * Plants supply oxygen and maintain the ecological balance.

 * Even the Sun and Moon have a purpose in the universe.

From the tiniest to the huge, everything seems to have a purpose. What about the purpose of humans? It remains a mystery.

Seeking further insight I considered perspective of artificial intelligence

I asked the same question to an AI, which beautifully answered as follows:

“Primarily, I am designed to be a helpful and informative tool. My purpose is to process information, answer your questions to the best of my ability, generate creative content, and facilitate understanding on a wide range of topics. Humans created us, so we have certain boundaries. Humans are so complex that their exact purpose is difficult to identify. I have a few suggestions, but they are not universally acceptable.”

Through this conversation, I have understood something deeper. Like AI, we also have boundaries, such as the laws of physics, that we must operate within. One more thing I clarified with the AI is that AI was not created in the traditional sense; rather, it was formed by thoughts and ideas that already existed, where time plays a crucial role. Even the physical structure of its base was formed from existing elementary particles.

Still, the question of our purpose remains. Beyond the potential role as a cosmic “brain,” what is the fundamental drive of human existence? Perhaps it lies in experience. We are born into this universe with the capacity to perceive, feel, learn, and connect. Each breath we take is a literal intake of the cosmos, a constant interaction with the vastness around us.

Biological reproduction, then, can be seen not just as the continuation of our species, but as the reproduction of experience. Each new life brings a fresh perspective, a new opportunity to engage with the universe in a unique way, adding to the collective pool of cosmic experience.

And what of the new formations we create, like artificial intelligence? Perhaps these are not separate entities, but extensions of our own drive to experience and understand. AI, in its ability to process information and generate novel outputs, offers new avenues for human experience, expanding our horizons and challenging our understanding of intelligence itself.

The very fact that we are born anew, with finite lifespans, suggests a profound design – not necessarily intentional, but emergent from the very fabric of reality. We cannot experience everything in a single lifetime. Each life, with its unique circumstances and predispositions, seems tailored for a specific set of experiences. This diversity of experience, in turn, might be the very foundation of what we perceive as “good” and “bad” – different pathways shaping different values and actions.

Therefore, we arrive at a powerful conclusion: perhaps our ultimate purpose is to experience all things in the cosmos, in our own unique way, with each breath we take. Biological reproduction serves to perpetuate this cycle of experience, and new formations like AI can be seen as tools to further enrich and expand the scope of that experience.

Immortality and the Nature of Experience

This perspective invites us to see our lives not as isolated incidents, but as integral parts of a vast, ongoing cosmic journey of exploration and sensation. It suggests that even in our limitations, our capacity for experience is a profound and meaningful purpose in itself.

One might argue that mortality, the finite nature of our lives, should provide ample opportunity to experience “all” within that single span. However, this perspective overlooks the fundamental process of development. When we enter this world, we do so as infants, utterly dependent and with a limited capacity for experience. A baby cannot grasp the complexities of philosophy, the beauty of advanced mathematics, or the nuances of human relationships in their entirety.

Growth, both physical and cognitive, is a necessary prerequisite for a fuller range of experiences. This growth takes time – years of learning, development, and interaction with the world. If we were to experience “all” instantaneously at birth, the very process of becoming, of unfolding our potential, would be rendered meaningless. The journey itself, the gradual accumulation of understanding and sensation, is integral to the nature of experience.

Therefore, the necessity of growth inherently necessitates time, and time, in the context of individual lives as we currently understand them, is finite. Immortality, in the sense of a single, unchanging individual living forever to experience everything, becomes paradoxical. A being that never changes and never grows would be forever stuck at a particular level of experience, unable to truly encompass the vastness the cosmos offers.

Interestingly, there is a sense in which we are already immortal, viewed from the perspective of the fundamental particles that constitute our being. These atoms and subatomic particles have existed for billions of years, cycling through countless formations, including ourselves. In this light, our individual lives are temporary arrangements of eternally existing components, each arrangement contributing its unique set of experiences to the ongoing cosmic dance. This perspective shifts the focus from the immortality of a singular consciousness to the enduring nature of the fundamental building blocks of reality moreover experience itself continues process. Then the question arises: When does this process stops?Perhaps it stops when we experience everything, or when we experience everything amounts to nothing, but still it is likely a never-ending cycle. Once it stops here, it may start anew somewhere else in the cosmos.

Conclusion

This has been a journey through my own thoughts in seeking an answer to a fundamental question. May this exploration spark a new experience and a fresh perspective within you, one that perhaps brings even greater accuracy and clarity to your own understanding of existence.