> > Of course, that brings up the question, is there any reality at all? Maybe I am just drifting through "existence", and everything else - you, RinkWorks, my computer, Barry Manilow - are just figments of my imagination.
>
> I also think you're out of luck if you expect this to avoid becoming a religious discussion, when you pose questions like the location and nature of the soul. The soul is not found on any anatomical charts, so if you're going to restrict us to hard scientific evidence, this is going to be one short thread. ;-)
>
> As for the "crazy, brilliant, or both" question, with all due respect, you need to consider the "or neither" option too. I don't think it's at all crazy to ask such questions about the nature of things; it's part of OUR nature. And the idea that reality might be an individual or consensual hallucination has been around for a long time. There are some rather brain-twisting classic works of philosophy you should read if you're interested in this theory, and if it wasn't 2 a.m. in my current vision of reality I'd look them up and tell you what they were.

Just a quick note-- The concept that the universe is a construct of one's imagination is a well defined psychological concept and EXTREMELY common. I myself went through a long period of entertaining that thought. It even has a name, which is on the tip of my tongue, but I can't quite spit it out. (I love figures of speech.)

I would say more, because I thought of things to say all the way through reading the original post. The one thing stopping me, though, is that most of them were religious in nature-- not saying "you're wrong because my religion says this" but rather "that concept is one which I explain in this way because of my religion". If you're interested in hearing that sort of discussion, I would be glad to post it.

Don "respectful but firm" Monkey