I exist.

I exist. I accept that. I have perceptions. I see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. I accept that. And sometimes, when the fog lifts, I am willing to accept the possibility that my windowless padded cell exists independent of my perception, and I do not believe that it is unreasonable to at least consider the possibility that my cell would continue to exist even if I was not here to perceive it. This is, of course, all theory. I have no way to prove it. When I am pretending, and I pretend a lot, I make believe that I have a computer, and that I send out messages, and there are responses, and the response and responders exist independent of my perception. I have no way to prove this. It is all theory. And then the fog rolls back in and I am once again absorbed by the haze.

In a nutshell, what your saying is: I think, therefore I am.

It's a pseudo-question: the conscious human experience is so consistent that it would take a flawless illusion to maintain it. Not only would it be impossible to know what lies behind the illusion, there is no difference between the illusion and non-illusory experience, so it is an insubstantive possibility anyway.

In any case, all you know is that 'a thinking thing' or 'a perceiving thing' exists. It doesn't have to be you; someone else could be doing the thinking for you. You could be facet of a multiple personality disorder.

Yes, that is correct. I am also considering the possibility that there may be an existence other than my self.

Anyway, I think I think ergo I think I am.

We all tend to believe what our brain tells us, in which case, purely saying I think, therefore I am, isn't necessarily an adequate answer...

Problem with the Cogito is that it leads to becoming solipsistic, quite a lonely existence I would imagine.

We all exist, whether or not we are merely perceptions of other people we still exist within that awareness

If Descartes exists I'm going to kill the bastard.

Buffalobill: The conscious human experience is so consistent that it would take a flawless illusion to maintain it.

Erimitus: Appearance is deceptive. An illusion, that which deceives the mind, can cause the mind to believe that something that does not exist actually exists. The mind mistakes sensory perception of stimuli that are not objectively present for a reality that does not exist. The mind disregards inconsistencies in order to avoid cognitive dissonance; that is, the mind sees what it wants to see and disregards the rest. The mind filters out any flaws in the illusion.

Buffalobill: ?would it be impossible to know what lies behind the illusion?

Erimitus: I agree

Buffalobill: ?there is no difference between the illusion and non-illusory experience?

Erimitus: can there be a non-illusory experience? Assuming objective reality, is there any similarity between that which is and that which is experienced. A group of people may all expercience the same event, yet each will have experienced it differently. Which experience was the reality?

Buffalobill: ?it [the illusion?] is an
in-substantive [without substance?] possibility?

Erimitus: do you mean that the sensation has no substance? Can a sensation be caused by something that does not exist, like a phantom limb, a hallucination?

Buffalobill: ?all you know is that 'a thinking thing' or 'a perceiving thing' exists.

Erimitus: yes, the only certainties are thought and existence. Can you think of any more?

Buffalobill: It [the thinker and the existence] doesn't have to be you;

Erimitus: I am aware of the thought, I must exist. I am aware of the thought, I must be thinking.

Buffalobill: Someone else could be doing the thinking for you.

Erimitus: I do not understand what you mean. Please explain.

Buffalobill: You could be facet of a multiple personality disorder.

Erimitus: I suppose, I have always suspected that.

If a woman wears a thong, and she farts, shouldn't it make a whistling sound, if anyone's blown air on a piece of grass, will know what i'm talking about!!

Davii: We all tend to believe what our brain tells us?

Erimitus: Yes there is a tendency to believe what we experience. There may be times, I suppose, when we do not believe our perceptions and times when we do not believe out thoughts.

Davii: ?saying I think, therefore I am, isn't necessarily an adequate answer...

Erimitus: If the question is, ?do I exist?? then doubting I exist posits a doubter who exists.

Sister of mercy: Problem with the Cogito is that it leads to becoming solipsistic, quite a lonely existence I would imagine.

Erimitus: yes, ultimatly we are all alone.