It's interesting to see all the different angles on this topic. I expected it would generate some good discussion.
One assumption I see a lot of proof-seekers making is that other conscious people exist and that they can prove things independently of you and then show or demonstrate that proof to you. It's the notion that proof is some kind of external entity, and it presupposes the existence of an external, objective reality that's independent of the observer. However, it's important to realize that this is one very big assumption, and it may in fact be totally wrong.
From the standpoint of you as an individual, proof is actually an entirely subjective experience that involves shifting your beliefs about reality. There is no external component to it. Your entire experience of proof comes via your perceptions, which exist only in your mind.
The subjective viewpoint is like having a lucid dream. You know the dream world is all you, so the idea of looking for proof inside your dream becomes a creative process. You construct a world that's congruent with your suppositions. Proof-seekers end up experiencing reality as a non-lucid dream by trapping themselves in a creative process that ironically limits their creativity.
My recommendation is to loosen your grip on the notion that proof is somehow objective and begin to notice that proof is really an internal, personal process, not because what I'm suggesting is objectively true but because it could lead you to an alternative, eye-opening way of perceiving reality. After you've been well-versed in the objective version of proof, take a little time to view it from the subjective side. I think you'll find the process very rich and satisfying and not nearly as frightening or delusional as you previously feared. |