Do I Exist Without You?

Summary

The website content reflects on the philosophical question of existence and reality in the absence of being perceived by others, using the metaphor of a tree falling in a forest and the personal experience of solitude and longing.

Abstract

The article delves into the existential musings of whether one's existence is contingent upon being witnessed by others, drawing inspiration from George Berkeley's philosophical inquiry. It explores the relationship between perception and reality through a series of rhetorical questions, contemplating the nature of visibility, audibility, substance, and the significance of shared experiences. The author describes the sensation of emptiness and the struggle to affirm one's existence in isolation, likening the experience of longing to a black hole's gravitational pull. The piece is a response to a writing challenge, addressing the dark thought of existence without acknowledgment and the coping mechanism of introspection and self-affirmation.

Opinions

The author suggests that existence may be intertwined with perception, echoing Berkeley's idea that objects, like trees or oneself, may not exist without a perceiver.
There is a deep sense of questioning whether one's thoughts, feelings, and experiences hold any significance if they are

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

In 1710 philosopher George Berkeley responded: “The objects of sense exist only when they are perceived; the trees, therefore, are in the garden no longer than while there is somebody by to perceive them.”

The time-honored thought experiment has been pondered for centuries and, lately, I wonder, too:

We become aware of the void as we fill it.

—Antonio Porchia

I resonate but would propose that we become infinitely more aware of the void as we unfill it.

Then, it folds in on itself, making a black hole.

Longing feels like this: A magnetic pull tugging each pore, inward— ensnaring my gut, engulfing my heart, and choking me as it exits through my mouth.

How do I bear it, you ask?

I sit. And I feel. As this pull spins cycles of silk thread through my insides, I wonder: Unattended, is this pain even real?

I scream into, and out from, the void in hopes to hear myself.

I scramble to assemble the mirror that broke so long ago. To catch a glimpse and prove that yes, indeed:

I do exist.

A response to the Teasin’ Eternity Ideastream, 250 words challenge: What is the darkest thought that’s gone through your mind lately and how are you dealing with it?

Do I Exist Without You?

If there’s no one here to witness me, am I still here?

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

If there’s no one to witness me, am I real?

We become aware of the void as we fill it.

Teasin’ Eternity.

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